Don't drive your tractor while drunk...OR your mower

[jerrybob]

It seems like too many veterans are alcoholics, drug abusers, homeless, etc. I don't know if there are statistics to verify that impression, or that if it's true, that there is any actual relationship to their veteran status. Certainly, the experiences of some have to be psychologically damaging.

News stories about the homeless street people around Portland, Maine note that many are veterans.

I have total respect for veterans. Sure were a lot of them from WWII that returned to lead very productive lives like my father and several uncles. Not sure if veterans have a higher percentage of the abuses you mention. My take.....it's a problem in all facets of society and is not limited to those who served. Unfortunate problem for everyone!

 

[LD1]

how could a cop get probable cause to enter a private property where someone is mowing their grass on a riding mower?

If they drive by and see you drinking a beer and operating a tractor or mower....thats probable cause. Now the private road thing I have no clue about. But we dont have many of them around me.

Now I am not saying that I agree with it, cause I like to have a cold refreshment while mowing or doing some loader work, but its the law. And if seen, they can enter and arrest you. Just the same as if a cop was driving by and saw someone getting ready to commit a murder. SEEING a crime be committed is the probable cause.

Again, I dont agree with the stupid law. What a homeowner does on his mower is none of the business of the law IMO as long as he is not endangering others. And I still never liked, nor do I understand the "open container" laws. Again, its all about money and not safety. Cause you can drink a beer, then drive to the store and be perfectly legal. But you cannot drink that beer on the way to the store??? Whats the difference as far as being impaired is concerned?????

 

[Taylortractornut]

A couple years ago I posted about a friends battle with a dui on his farm. He has a 1000 acre family farm that had a private road that ran back to his feild. He had a few beers while mowing and a county law officer came through in a county car on my friends private road. In Mississippi driving anything intoxicated anywhere is illegal. The loophole my friend got out of the deal with was the farm road ends nearly 1/2 mile into another county. The officer was esentially tresspassing on the farm road and out of jurisdiction by half a mile.

 

[TripleR]

I don't want any Law Enforcement Officer coming onto my property, but I can't understand why anyone would operate any machinery while intoxicated

 

[LD1]

I don't want any Law Enforcement Officer coming onto my property, but I can't understand why anyone would operate any machinery while intoxicated

Agreed to both parts. But there is a big difference IMO between sipping a cold one while mowing, and operation equipment when you are drunk.

 

[Lou66]

LD1 the reason for the open container law is,, have you ever tried holding a beer between your legs, shift gears and text at the same time.. it can’t be done,, you can do two of them but not three,, that’s why the Politicians made it easier for us.. big brother is always willing to help,:laughing::drink:, Lou

 

[Bird]

I'd suggest that everyone read the DUI or DWI statutes for your own state. You can probably find them on the Internet. I don't believe there's any other laws so generally misunderstood as the alcohol laws. And I do believe a number of our TBN members are mistaken in this thread, but I can't say that for sure, since I'm not familiar with the laws in every state.

But I can tell you that, in Texas, I've NEVER been concerned about drinking while mowing my yard or cutting hay in the field. As a purely practical,and personal matter, I don't drink even coffee or water while mowing the yard because I might get grass clipping or dust in my drink, so I finish the mowing, then sit in the shade to drink whatever I'm having today.:laughing:

When I was working for a neighbor cutting and baling hay, this was a guy who had been a heavy drinker a few years earlier, and I heard a number of interesting stories about him and his drinking, some of which he told me himself.:laughing: But before I met him, he had quit drinking anything stronger than coffee. But he knew I drank a bit, and he told me himself that he didn't care what I drank, or how much, when operating his equipment. I used to carry a small ice chest on his Oliver with water, Gatorade, and beer in it. The beer was for driving back to the house; never opened one while I was working but that certainly was not because of any possibility of a law enforcement officer bothering me.:laughing:

 

[JDgreen227]

What has that got to do with anything?

All I did was report what the story reported to me....draw your own conclusions. His attorney did try to get a reduced sentence because he was a veteran....

 

[sweettractors]

I can't count the times that a customer has bought equipment while drinking and went home and tore up something. Ken Sweet

 

[stuckmotor]

It seems like too many veterans are alcoholics, drug abusers, homeless, etc. I don't know if there are statistics to verify that impression, or that if it's true, that there is any actual relationship to their veteran status. Certainly, the experiences of some have to be psychologically damaging.

News stories about the homeless street people around Portland, Maine note that many are veterans.

It seems to me that a disproportionate number of house painters are alcoholics. Makes me wonder which they took up first, painting, or abusing themselves with alcohol.