Do you have a drink when wild camping? (1 Viewer)

[34127]

Would they have to ! The law states 'at that particular time' not how an officer of the law determines your ability in 30 minutes or an hours time. Common sense prevails, I believe. If he/she has no cause to nick you because your not in charge of your vehicle, even if drunk and there are no changes of circumstances with respect to being in charge of your vehicle how can time alone make a difference.

It depends upon how you interpret the words 'no likelihood of his driving it so long as he remained unfit'. Even if you are tucked up in bed you still have the ability to get up and drive the vehicle any time you wish even if unfit. I agree it is not likely but it is possible so could you say there is no likelihood.
I assume, like most people, that common sense would prevail.

 

[scotjimland]

frankly, whether legal or illegal.. likely to get charged or not .. it's academic, and could be argued about until the cows come home.. and often is..

its it not common sense not to drink while you may need, or be asked, to move on ?

do you want to risk being involved in an accident while drunk..?

thought not

 

[Mel]

Hi @Jac Sprat nice motorhome you have.
Hope you dont think the note under the wiper is a parking ticket.
Pitty about the wether.

Mel

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Puddleduck]

As you never know when you may have to move on.. or be asked to move.. my advice is don't drink while parked in a public place.. be it a pub car park, lay-by, MSA, car park etc..

we are both teetotal so the question has never arisen... just my view.

I drink very small amounts (half a glass at the very most - and not even that if I am going to be driving within 24 hours) so it is an academic question for us as well. However @scotjimland has given very good advice.

A friend's son took the last train home from Edinburgh a few months ago. 19 year old man, last train and he has a limp due to a sports injury. The police were in the station car park, promptly asked him if he was thinking of driving home. Young man says "yes, officer" and immediately had his car keys taken off him and was breathalyzed. He hadn't had a drop so there was no problem but he was shaken by the incident and then angry as he felt he had been targeted due to his age and his injury. The police did not give him his keys back but dropped them on the ground (and they bounced away under another car) - there was no apology and they did not help him retrieve the keys but laughed at him as he grovelled on the ground attempting to retrieve the keys in the dark. I don't know how nasty the police were, if the young man gave any lip (although that is unlikely knowing the family) I do know the police have a job to do that is sometimes difficult and dangerous. Perhaps they had him as an easy charge and were angry he was innocent. He also said the police did not have local accents. The complaint is still under investigation.

That is a long way of saying that the police will test if they think you are under the influence and there is nothing you can do about it.

 

[The Old Man]

I do believe that there are times when age is an advantage, dealing with the police can sometimes be one of them.

So a few drinks when wild camping can be an interesting 'card to play.' I would often wild camp in a small village car park, next to the village hall, across the road from the pub and the public toilets, a perfect overnight spot.

Unfortunately, as with much of Devon, it would mean sleeping underneath a sign saying no overnight camping.

I found alcohol was the safe answer. So about 1am there would be a tap on the door and there would be the local police patrol, who would politely point out the sign and tell me to move on. I would just as politely explain that I'd had dinner and a few drinks in the village pub and could not be sure that it was safe for me to drive. They would insist that overnight camping was not allowed. I would suggest that I would move if they would escort me to the nearest campsite or otherwise legal place I could sleep, additionally they would give me a note explaining as to why I was driving after drinking!

Instant impass. I suspect everyone was reading the newspaper headlines about local police forcing a drunk tourist to drive.

There would be a little more to'ing and fro'ing, usually ending with, "OK, stay tonight but be gone by 9am."

As I said, it is the sort of thing an older person can get away with politeness.