# Riding Whilst Drunk?



## blazed (23 Jul 2009)

Riding on the road whilst technically over the drink drive limit is that illegal as it is in motor vehicles?


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## l4dva (23 Jul 2009)

If you wanna loose your balance and break your neck go ahead mate!


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## aJohnson (23 Jul 2009)

I'm fairly sure the rule applies to cycles aswell, so I've been told.


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## Will1985 (23 Jul 2009)

You can get arrested as drunk in charge of a push bike. Not sure about the consequences, but there was a chap at school who received an FPN.


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## marinyork (23 Jul 2009)

No. It's a totally different offence. Technically you could be done for having much less in your system than the motor vehicle drink drive limit or it might be deemed that many pints was too much. Breathalisers aren't supposed to be used but it's not unheard of for it to be wrongly applied. There were two cases when I lived in York. One guy was arrested for not being able to ride his bike, the other crashed and was mugged and was viewed as the victim.


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## marinyork (23 Jul 2009)

aJohnson said:


> I'm fairly sure the rule applies to cycles aswell, so I've been told.



Nope. 

Compare



> *5 Driving or being in charge of a motor vehicle with alcohol concentration above prescribed limit*
> 
> (1) If a person—
> (a) drives or attempts to drive a motor vehicle on a road or other public place, or
> ...



with



> *30 Cycling when under influence of drink or drugs*
> 
> (1) A person who, when riding a cycle on a road or other public place, is unfit to ride through drink or drugs (that is to say, is under the influence of drink or a drug to such an extent as to be incapable of having proper control of the cycle) is guilty of an offence.
> 
> ...


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## blazed (23 Jul 2009)

Good thanks. I road about 20 miles to a party last night and thought i may as well take the bike for every night out. It will save me about £90 a time in cab fares as well. 

I have a high tolerance to alcohol so I'm not worried about not being able to ride as usual but a breathalyzer would still show me as over the limit.


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## Tynan (23 Jul 2009)

I used to ride home boozed quite a bit when younger, I had no problems at all other than reckless decision making, which is after all one of the main problems with being drunk


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## chris667 (23 Jul 2009)

I once went to a barbecue, and had a courier bag full of bottles of beer. Was legless on the ride home, and managed to clip the bag on a lampost.
The clang was deafening.
One other time, I rode with my front wheel unfastened. Couldn't work out why my brakes went on when I rode round corners.
It's stupid, I won't say don't do it, but it's stupid and dangerous.


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## PaulSB (23 Jul 2009)

blazed said:


> Good thanks. I road about 20 miles to a party last night and thought i may as well take the bike for every night out. It will save me about £90 a time in cab fares as well.
> 
> I have a high tolerance to alcohol so I'm not worried about not being able to ride as usual but a breathalyzer would still show me as over the limit



I don't want to come over all "holier than thou" but this strikes me as pretty stupid. I think you're taking a big risk with your life and even worse perhaps someone else's.


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## colinr (23 Jul 2009)

I wouldn't fancy drink-cycling with SPDs, this is why I need another bike.


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## summerdays (23 Jul 2009)

Mr Summerdays for example won't drink and drive at all, whereas he will have a couple of drinks and cycle (but not blind drunk).


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## simon_brooke (23 Jul 2009)

blazed said:


> Riding on the road whilst technically over the drink drive limit is that illegal as it is in motor vehicles?



A friend of mine was arrested, charged and fined for being drunk in charge of a vehicle on Princes Street in Edinburgh in 1972 or 73; the vehicle in question was a child's perambulator. I don't think the law says anything special about _motor _vehicles.


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## MajorMantra (23 Jul 2009)

colinr said:


> I wouldn't fancy drink-cycling with SPDs, this is why I need another bike.



It might be safer actually, you can't slip off the pedals. I've ridden my fixed with SPDs whilst fairly intoxicated a few times and not come to any harm but only on empty roads at night, and over very short (not much more than a mile) distances.

Matthew


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## smavter (23 Jul 2009)

Here in Amsterdam it is pretty common to cycle to pubs and clubs. You do get occasional accidents, but most of them are very minor. Here the police can't arrest you for being drunk on a bicycle, but they can stop you and advise you to walk the rest of the way (unless you call them names for stoping you ofcourse) and when theyre out of sight you just get on again.


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## Dan B (23 Jul 2009)

simon_brooke said:


> A friend of mine was arrested, charged and fined for being drunk in charge of a vehicle on Princes Street in Edinburgh in 1972 or 73; the vehicle in question was a child's perambulator. I don't think the law says anything special about _motor _vehicles.


Could have been very interesting if he'd appealed it far enough up the courts to create precedent, as presumably the finding that a child's perambulator is in law a vehicle would be enough to make it illegal to push them on the footway

May be different in Scotland as well, though.


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## ChrisKH (23 Jul 2009)

simon_brooke said:


> A friend of mine was arrested, charged and fined for being drunk in charge of a vehicle on Princes Street in Edinburgh in 1972 or 73; the vehicle in question was a child's perambulator. I don't think the law says anything special about _motor _vehicles.



Depends on your definiton. I see some that say 'except devices moved by human power or used exclusively upon stationary rails or tracks'. Depends what the law says or case law I suppose. Scotland's always been a bit weird in that respect.


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## Banjo (23 Jul 2009)

I find that cycling when drunk is dangerous because the traffic cone on your head slips down over your eyes.


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## blazed (23 Jul 2009)

What is everyones opinion on cycling whilst using the phone?


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## MajorMantra (23 Jul 2009)

blazed said:


> What is everyones opinion on cycling whilst using the phone?



Not a great idea since it's nigh on impossible to brake at any kind of speed if you don't have both hands on the bars. 

Matthew


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## g00se (24 Jul 2009)

Back in the day - my Grandad went to cycle home from the pub - it must have been in the 50s...

He was in Somerset and had been on the Cider. He felt clear headed enough until he came across a skip. Someone had left the planks leading up to it for the wheelbarrows and Grandad couldn't manage to break or steer away. In he went....


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## marinyork (24 Jul 2009)

By the way in answer to the OP it is routine for some people I ride with to have 3 or 4 pints. I don't know how they do it myself, if I have more than half a pint (over any stretch of time) and cycle I feel very dehydrated indeed. So it's not something I do.

On the risks side I think you have to bear in mind the route, distance and how much you've had to drink. I think from what I've encountered in other people once you get into 10+ units territory you're asking for trouble. I had a friend borrow my bike and cycle back from a neighbouring town on cycle paths on 6+ pints. I'm very glad he didn't go on the roads. One also has to bear in mind say the risk of assault waiting for a taxi or walking home which are fair risks. Walking home is not without its risk either, thousands of people end up injured or hospitalised doing just that. I think overall if you are going to get drunk cycling is one of the better options, not the safest (far from the most dangerous) but not far off and pretty practical. The safest is to drink as little as possible and have fun.

I don't think cycling whilst on the phone is a good idea. Then again, in the same vein it's not illegal and you can't go round equating that to driving round a large metal box with perhaps a hundred times the KE.


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## PaulSB (24 Jul 2009)

blazed said:


> What is everyones opinion on cycling whilst using the phone?



Only slightly less stupid than cycling while drunk.

What is it with you? You're happy to ride when drunk or on the phone, both activities are illegal when driving a car. Have you thought about why this is? Primarily because of the danger you become to OTHER road users. I think you might be better of walking.

Looks like a wind up to me.


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## blazed (24 Jul 2009)

PaulSB said:


> Only slightly less stupid than cycling while drunk.
> 
> What is it with you? You're happy to ride when drunk or on the phone, both activities are illegal when driving a car. Have you thought about why this is? Primarily because of the danger you become to OTHER road users. I think you might be better of walking.
> 
> Looks like a wind up to me.



If the dangers were so great to other road users they would be illegal, this country doesnt beat about the bush when it comes to laws and restrictions.

You may think its dangerous but then plenty of people think riding a bicycle in anyway shape or form on the road is a danger to other road users. If it is legal clearly it is not that dangerous... Unless you have any statistics of road accidents caused by cyclists intoxicated or on the phone?


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## wafflycat (24 Jul 2009)

blazed said:


> Good thanks. I road about 20 miles to a party last night and thought i may as well take the bike for every night out. It will save me about £90 a time in cab fares as well.
> 
> I have a high tolerance to alcohol so I'm not worried about not being able to ride as usual but a breathalyzer would still show me as over the limit.




The above seems a damn silly thing to do. Do you have to consume alcohol to have a good time at a party? Why would you want to consume an amount of alcohol that *will* impair your judgement and think it's ok to ride a bike? Ok, so you're not likely to seriously injure someone else (I hope) but pity the poor motorist who has stayed dober all night and alcohol induced you pulls out from a give way junction straight into the path of the oncoming car because the alcohol you've consumed and thus misjudged the speed of and injures or kills you and it really isn't the fault of the driver. It's simply really - don''t drink & drive so don't drink & cycle.


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## blazed (24 Jul 2009)

wafflycat said:


> The above seems a damn silly thing to do. Do you have to consume alcohol to have a good time at a party? Why would you want to consume an amount of alcohol that *will* impair your judgement and think it's ok to ride a bike? Ok, so you're not likely to seriously injure someone else (I hope) but pity the poor motorist who has stayed dober all night and alcohol induced you pulls out from a give way junction straight into the path of the oncoming car because the alcohol you've consumed and thus misjudged the speed of and injures or kills you and it really isn't the fault of the driver. *It's simply really - don''t drink & drive so don't drink & cycle.*



Clearly they are not even close to being the same, and since the laws are different why should the same apply?


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## wafflycat (24 Jul 2009)

If you want to drink alcohol & cycle, that's your decision, but it just means you're being a selfish, irresponsible fool to do so.


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## PaulSB (24 Jul 2009)

blazed said:


> Clearly they are not even close to being the same, and since the laws are different why should the same apply?



You're being very silly about this. Just because the law is different it doesn't mean to say it's sensible to act in this way. If you want to risk an accident on your cycle because you're drunk then go ahead but consider this; a drunk cyclist pulls out in front of a car, the alcohol free car driver swerves to miss the cyclist mounts the pavement and kills your child.

Under those circumstances I've no doubt you wouldn't hold the cyclist in anyway responsible. You might like to be honest with yourself in the reply.

You are basically putting forward the same arguement as drink drivers - alcohol doesn't influence me, I can drive when I want.


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## ASC1951 (24 Jul 2009)

wafflycat said:


> Do you have to consume alcohol to have a good time at a party?


Yes, for most of us - that is the point of them.

I won't drive over the limit, because I'm in charge of half a ton going at significant speeds. I do occasionally cycle over the limit, but only if my return route is off-road or somewhere where I am not a danger to myself or others. I will only cycle while seriously impaired if I am somewhere where I am no danger to anyone but myself - e.g. three miles down a lane in the Lakes where you can see a car coming half a mile away and have ample time to tumble in the ditch - and TBH I haven't even done that for a few years.


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## striker (24 Jul 2009)

I wouldn't drive a car after having more than a half (and then only rarely) but will cycle home after a party. 

Reasons: 1) You can cycle home slowly and carefully
2) I don't drink so much that I can't cycle (There is a big difference in the amount of alcohol required to fail the breath test and be incapable of cycling safely (IMO))
3) The size, weight and damage that can be inflicted by a car is significantly greater and therefore the rule and penalties need to be far stricter.

As with all things, sensible drinking and sensible behaviour is key


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## blazed (24 Jul 2009)

PaulSB said:


> You're being very silly about this. Just because the law is different it doesn't mean to say it's sensible to act in this way. If you want to risk an accident on your cycle because you're drunk then go ahead but consider this; a drunk cyclist pulls out in front of a car, the alcohol free car driver swerves to miss the cyclist mounts the pavement and kills your child.
> 
> Under those circumstances I've no doubt you wouldn't hold the cyclist in anyway responsible. You might like to be honest with yourself in the reply.
> 
> You are basically putting forward the same arguement as drink drivers - alcohol doesn't influence me, I can drive when I want.



Do you know of that ever happening? Or a drunk cyclist causing the death of anybody? If we lived everyday using extreme scenarios like yours we would never leave our homes. 

For me personally i can have a few drinks and still be perfectly capable of anything a sober person is, i am not talking about riding my bike after 20 drinks.


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## 2Loose (24 Jul 2009)

I will cycle after two or three pints, but any more than that and I won't. I feel fine, but know my responses are more sluggish and vague. 

I cycle in town and do not want to be the bloke that goes under a car and lays the guilt on an innocent driver.


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## swee'pea99 (24 Jul 2009)

I don't have a problem riding after a few pints. I fall off more often, but it's not a problem.


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## NutSack (24 Jul 2009)

Drink driving and drink cycling may be 2 seperate things but both come down to preservation of life and limb, albeit the car obviously that of others whilst cycling mainly to yourself. Just remember that even if it is only you who is hurt/dead it is the likes of me and my colleagues who have to deal with the incident and your greiving family whilst the paramedic is shovelling up your road-rashed sorry remains. 

IMO if you are adult enough to drink and judge your own alcohol intake then you are adult enough to take the consequences whatever they may be if it all goes wrong. And it doesn't matter what you are driving or riding you can seriously injure or kill someone, just take a look at the very recent incident involving a pensioner and a mobility scooter...and they were sober.


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## wafflycat (24 Jul 2009)

ASC1951 said:


> Yes, for most of us - that is the point of them.



Quite a few of us can go to a party and have a damn good time without having to have alcohol in the equation. For quite a few of us alcohol isn't a necessity or the point, especially when in charge of the transport to get home.


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## Dan B (24 Jul 2009)

So how do we all feel about drink-walking?


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## Wheeledweenie (24 Jul 2009)

I don't cycle while drunk because someone at work who does smashed himself up quite badly doing so (no cars involved he just had very little balance and a very slow response time). He ended up with deep grazing across one side of his face and various parts of his legs, a lot of bruising and a huge loss of respect. He was wearing a helmet and that was smashed to hell as well as his head had hit the edge of the kerb.


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## marinyork (24 Jul 2009)

PaulSB said:


> You're being very silly about this. Just because the law is different it doesn't mean to say it's sensible to act in this way. If you want to risk an accident on your cycle because you're drunk then go ahead but consider this; a drunk cyclist pulls out in front of a car, the alcohol free car driver swerves to miss the cyclist mounts the pavement and kills your child.
> 
> Under those circumstances I've no doubt you wouldn't hold the cyclist in anyway responsible. You might like to be honest with yourself in the reply.
> 
> You are basically putting forward the same arguement as drink drivers - alcohol doesn't influence me, I can drive when I want.



False choice. If you're involved in an accident you steer for the one doing the least damage. If the driver steers onto the pavement then that's their fault they killed the child. Please think up a better example.


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## blazed (24 Jul 2009)

coruskate said:


> So how do we all feel about drink-walking?



Just as bad as drink driving. What if you walk in front of a bus on london bridge causing the bus to go over the edge and fall onto a ferry.


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## NutSack (24 Jul 2009)

blazed said:


> Just as bad as drink driving. What if you walk in front of a bus on london bridge causing the bus to go over the edge and fall onto a ferry.



Wasn't London Bridge sold to the Yanks??


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## purplepolly (24 Jul 2009)

striker said:


> 1) You can cycle home slowly and carefully
> 2) I don't drink so much that I can't cycle (There is a big difference in the amount of alcohol required to fail the breath test and be incapable of cycling safely (IMO))
> 3) The size, weight and damage that can be inflicted by a car is significantly greater and therefore the rule and penalties need to be far stricter.



Precisely.

I hardly ever drink, and never when driving, but managed to safely cycle home in the dark at christmas, in perfect control of the bike, after a couple of large glasses of wine.

OK drunk cycling is another matter, but being a bit over the legal limit for driving a large vehicle at 40mph doesn't mean you can't cycle safely especially if you're just taking it easy.


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## sawyer280769 (24 Jul 2009)

Section 30 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 (as amended) No requirment for a breath test and an arrestable offence.


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## rusky (24 Jul 2009)

Uncle Mort said:


> Me too. Rat-arsed at times. I'm amazed I didn't do myself any lasting damage in retrospect.


+1


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## notsolazy (24 Jul 2009)

NutSack said:


> Wasn't London Bridge sold to the Yanks??



Im sure (hopefully someone will tell me if im wrong) that they thought they were buying what we call London bridge, but its a small bridge called London bridge, not _the_ London bridge


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## NutSack (24 Jul 2009)

notsolazy said:


> Im sure (hopefully someone will tell me if im wrong) that they thought they were buying what we call London bridge, but its a small bridge called London bridge, not _the_ London bridge


No idea of the details if I'm honest, but I find the idea of someone buying a whole bridge only to find its not the one they thought it was quite amusing, I mean its not a car or a something small its a huge great landmark


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## Jane Smart (24 Jul 2009)

I can't even play my piano when I have had a drink, let alone ride my bike


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## swee'pea99 (24 Jul 2009)

The Yanks did indeed buy _the_ London Bridge, and here it is where it now lives, in Arizona. Word is, they thought they were buying that cute lil ol' bridge with the middle that goes up & down, and were a bit disappointed when they took off the wrapping paper...


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## notsolazy (24 Jul 2009)

NutSack said:


> No idea of the details if I'm honest, but I find the idea of someone buying a whole bridge only to find its not the one they thought it was quite amusing, I mean its not a car or a something small its a huge great landmark



I was right. 2.5bn dollars as they thought they were buying London bridge. They didn't know what we call London bridge is actually tower bridge. 

Darn - I was beat to it an swee'pea even gave you a link as well


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## smavter (3 Aug 2009)

In the end, you might not be operating a two ton weapon, but the fact is that you might hit a cyclist and kill them because he/she was drunk, and eventhough it wasnt your fault, it will have a lasting effect on the car driver (that obeyed all rules all time time) forever, it doesnt matter whos right, a cyclist can hurt themselves or a pedestrian, but when a car hits a cyclist he or she will be seriously hurt.


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## JamesJeffery (3 Aug 2009)

Sounds like a good idea when your going for a night out in the town. Just make sure you lock the bike up in a safe place because I've seen drunken people kick the wheels on locked up bikes until they bend.

But, on the opposite hand would it have a negative effect on your health if you was to cycle when drunk? Alcohol raises the blood pressure and heart rate, so cycling would just elevate it more right?


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## exchangeandmart (3 Aug 2009)

A friend of mine got into trouble with the police because he was wheeling his bike home when he was really drunk and they said that he was intending to ride home, can't remember if he got charged for it though.


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## marinyork (3 Aug 2009)

exchangeandmart said:


> A friend of mine got into trouble with the police because he was wheeling his bike home when he was really drunk and they said that he was intending to ride home, can't remember if he got charged for it though.



Problem with that is you can get into trouble full stop for being drunk.


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## JamesJeffery (3 Aug 2009)

exchangeandmart said:


> A friend of mine got into trouble with the police because he was wheeling his bike home when he was really drunk and they said that he was intending to ride home, can't remember if he got charged for it though.



Did they have any reason to suspect her was intending to ride it?

Usually they would have to have a reason to think he was going to ride the bike. They can't just charge you because you're pushing a bike drunk. If your disruptive, they can charge you with D&D.

It just goes to show how useful police are. They go around stopping random people pushing bikes. Surely there are real criminals they could pick up. Why don't they stop gangs of youths? Or youths that look suspisious? Instead of someone pushing a bike.


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## Dan B (3 Aug 2009)

Jane Smart said:


> I can't even play my piano when I have had a drink, let alone ride my bike


I can't play the piano _sober_.


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## JamesJeffery (3 Aug 2009)

coruskate said:


> I can't play the piano _sober_.



lol. Neither can I.


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## Riverman (3 Aug 2009)

I am ashamed to say that I once took my bike out on a night out and woke up the next day without any recollection of how i got home.

I got home on my bike. It scares me when I think of the risk I took with my life. From now on I will not take my bike out if I'm planning on having a heavy night drinking.

Luckily it was only a 5min ride.


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## Trumpettom001 (3 Aug 2009)

Hmmm I might get a couple frowns from you guys - but I regularly ride home after an average of anything from 2 pints to 6 pints.... luckily for me, my local pub can be seen across the street from my bedroom window. I still ride there though......


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## yenrod (3 Aug 2009)

> Riding Whilst Drunk? 

I recall not long after id got inot cycling, very basically, and was on the way home (after a few) and the corner i took on the bikewas THE best ever - ive ever taken...it was a situation of being on the edge yet being out of control...

Totally kicked arse man !

Hail to the piss-juice !


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## Crackle (3 Aug 2009)

Riding whilst drunk is probably a bad idea but riding inebriated I don't have a problem with.

Ever ridden whilst tired/with a bad cold/distracted, same thing, no difference. Driving a car when you are very tired is probably worse than having had a few units.


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