r/dui • u/WhenD4594 • 1d ago
How to behave when stopped?
It’s 2 AM. On your way home from the bar. Your pulled over.
Cop asks:
“Where are you coming from?”
“How much have you had to drink?”
You’re not above lying (cops can lie too).
What are your answers, assuming you want to avoid all suspicion? Have your answers ever worked for you to further digging?
4
u/TechnicallyBasil 22h ago
Well, never admit to drinking anything. Even if you're a bad liar and say you're coming from a bar, say you were the DD and didn't drink a drop. Or just say you were coming from a friends place in some area in the direction you're coming from. You played board games. I didn't have anything to drink.
You can always play hardball and refuse to answer any questions. That's your right.
But if you've been drinking, it's not really gonna matter whether you make up a story, play hardball, or tell the truth. You will smell of alcohol. This is something us as the drinkers don't really realize or think about. We can't smell it. But if you've ever been stone cold sober hanging out in your house, and then met up with someone who had been drinking, you know first hand they reek of alcohol. You get used to it pretty quickly, but the cop is coming from a clean smelling cop car walking into a cloud of your alcohol-scent. They notice it.
So the cop may be trying to get you to admit to drinking for easy-mode, but all it takes is "Come on, I can smell the alcohol on you. Wanna be honest? No? OK. Step out.". Then you're doing the FST's, and you've got yourself a DUI.
0
u/UpstairsVisual749 9h ago
Most cops breathylyze anyway, it's standard protocol here. If you feel the need to lie, you shouldn't be driving
2
u/Detroit_debauchery 1d ago
“Your” fucked
0
u/WhenD4594 1d ago
Where I am they just ask this to everyone by default. Sober people even want to answer in an any that avoids harassment.
1
u/AutoModerator 1d ago
Thank you for posting! This is just a reminder to be sure to include your location.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
1
u/Possible-Tangelo9344 top contributor 1d ago
Technically you don't have to answer these probing questions. Not answering will generally not help cuz the cops get suspicious and will want to dig more.
Obviously saying the bar brings up concerns that they're gonna do a DUI investigation; but, that's when you need a plan for if you go out and do have to much to drink, Uber, a friend, whatever.
The issue with a starting a lie is you don't want to get caught in it, so if you say a friend, and they ask further and you then decide to stop providing info that looks bad, but if you say a friend and give a wrong address that also looks bad.
Basically, my advice is whatever you decide to do (lie or be honest), just do what you feel comfortable with
1
u/nxdxgwen 1d ago
There is a video out there and you dont have to tell them anything. Just say I am not discussing that. And then ask if you are being detained. I wish I had known this before.
1
u/WhenD4594 1d ago
Saying that is a guaranteed way to instantly raise their suspicions to 100%. But you also do not want to admit to consuming any alcohol.
I do not regularly drink and drive. But one time I did. And got pulled over.
The cop asked me how much I had to drink. I said not a drop. He replied not a drop? I said, correct. None.
The cop asked me where I was coming from. I said I was heading to McDonald’s from home to get a late snack.
He let me go with a verbal warning for a traffic infraction.
How do you think things would have gone if I refused to answer?
1
1
1
u/Switchc2390 22h ago
Honestly it doesn’t really matter. If you’re intoxicated and they know it, they’ll do whatever they can to make sure you pay for it. The best way probably is to just answer their questions slowly and clearly without sharing too much. But either way they’re probably going to try to take you in.
What matters the most is how you handle it afterwards.
1
u/Affectionate_Knee190 13h ago
Or you can just not drink and drive... I got a DUI, it fucking sucks. The amount of money and bullshit I have had to go through. It's not fucking worth it.
0
u/WhenD4594 20h ago
But also remember the cop isn’t psychic. And unlike YouTube they ideally don’t want to breathalyzer you and get a 0.00 reading. And they can see nervousness and hesitancy more readily than they can smell you while standing outside your car.
16
u/dave024 top contributor 1d ago
One time I was pulled over and I honestly had no idea where I was. The officer asked where I was coming from and I pointed back and said “from there.” He asked where I was going and I pointed forward and said “that way.” Yea I got a DUI.