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Get ready to blow.


zoso

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The new normal. Every time a cop sees you on a sled they stop you. This is a hassle and at times they cause line ups of sleds to smell you and check for paperwork. Well now you can expect a longer line and a bigger hassle, as they start to demand a breath sample from all, even if they have zero reason to suspect you have consumed any alcohol. This is ludicrous. Sure if they smell it, check to insure the person is under the limit, but to be able to demand this with zero reason other than "we can", is not only a breach of our rights,but a giant waste of peoples time. More and more people will be getting out of this expensive hobby if they are continually treated like criminals based solely on the fact they ride a sled.

 

 

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Well I aint had a drink in 25 years, so - not too worried aboot that...

 

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If you are not drinking and riding, what's the problem? I can think of a few spots on our trails in the Northern Corridor where such checks would be welcomed. 

 

Loves me my hot buttered rums but only aprés sledding.

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The problem is, another step towards a full on police state. Simply because an issue such as this will not end in criminal charges for you, it still does effect you. You will have your right violated to an even greater degree and you will be held up longer every time you see a cop on the trails. I do not ride impaired and have s=zero concern about getting in trouble due to this, but that does not make it ok.

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I don't see a RIDE check point everytime I'm out on the roads. I certainly don't expect to see O.P.P. everytime I'm on the trails. I think you're blowing things out of proportion but respect your right to express your opinion.

 

Look forward to hearing about all your negative trail side police experiences as the season progresses.

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2 minutes ago, Claire Voyant said:

I don't see a RIDE check point everytime I'm out on the roads. I certainly don't expect to see O.P.P. everytime I'm on the trails. I think you're blowing things out of proportion but respect your right to express your opinion.

 

Look forward to hearing about all your negative trail side police experiences as the season progresses.

Hoping I get to have some of those negative experience, but as of right now looking at the weather I may not. BTW, I never said every time you ride, I said every time a cop sees you on the trail, you will be stopped and you will be told to blow, refuse and you will be arrested and charged.

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Next they will deem it to be acceptable to enter your home without warrant to insure you are doing nothing illegal. They will use the fact that they now allow people to cultivate four marijuana plants,some people might have five or more and police will need to enter homes just to make sure.  Better safe than sorry, just think of the crimes we could prevent, and if you are doing nothing wrong, this type of intrusion should not concern you in the least.

Edited by zoso
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If you believe and listen to the reports as of late, the failure rate on the roads is significantly higher, so no surprised by this at all......but I find it hard to believe all the news of course & also believe there is more at play than just the facts.

Agree that the public is slowly being controlled by all that we do.....is that because of the sheer amount of stupid people that we are now surrounded by, likely, just look around you, it is a sad state when it comes to any type of common sense.

 

 

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50 minutes ago, Claire Voyant said:

I don't see a RIDE check point everytime I'm out on the roads. I certainly don't expect to see O.P.P. everytime I'm on the trails. I think you're blowing things out of proportion but respect your right to express your opinion.

 

Look forward to hearing about all your negative trail side police experiences as the season progresses.

I'm with you... when I do see OPP out on the trails typically you simply slow down. They look for the sled to be licensed with a val tag, a trail permit and perhaps listen to the sound of the sled for a can and wave as you go by. If your val tag or permit isn't current or visible then they are likely going to stop and check for drivers license and insurance. Occasionally they will ask you stop and check for license and insurance but I haven't had it very often. The other is if you are speeding. Again, typically they seem to pay attention to the people who are way over and not just a bit over.

 

If I am out for 6 hours on the sled and I spend 5 minutes showing the OPP my insurance and license I don't have a problem with that. If they ask me to take another couple of minutes to validate if I have been drinking or not.... I have nothing to hide. Because they can ask for a breath sample doesn't mean they will.

 

Surprisingly I didn't see one RIDE check this Christmas season. I'm not going to believe the sky is falling.

Edited by 02Sled
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When you consider how many empty beer cans you see left in the clubhouses/warm-up shacks or garbage pails on the trail there seems to be more drinking and riding than there needs to be. I don't know if these riders are impaired but you can kill yourself easy enough when you are sober. I welcome police attempting to get the alcohol off the snow. I can wait until I'm home before having my bourbon.

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I never drink on my sled,it’s goes to fast and I have to be back at work on Monday,but I due make up for it at night at the lodge 

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1 hour ago, Nith Valley Sledder said:

When you consider how many empty beer cans you see left in the clubhouses/warm-up shacks or garbage pails on the trail there seems to be more drinking and riding than there needs to be. I don't know if these riders are impaired but you can kill yourself easy enough when you are sober. I welcome police attempting to get the alcohol off the snow. I can wait until I'm home before having my bourbon.

I agree with waiting til you get home, but let's not agree to having our rights tossed.

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2 hours ago, 02Sled said:

I'm with you... when I do see OPP out on the trails typically you simply slow down. They look for the sled to be licensed with a val tag, a trail permit and perhaps listen to the sound of the sled for a can and wave as you go by. If your val tag or permit isn't current or visible then they are likely going to stop and check for drivers license and insurance. Occasionally they will ask you stop and check for license and insurance but I haven't had it very often. The other is if you are speeding. Again, typically they seem to pay attention to the people who are way over and not just a bit over.

 

If I am out for 6 hours on the sled and I spend 5 minutes showing the OPP my insurance and license I don't have a problem with that. If they ask me to take another couple of minutes to validate if I have been drinking or not.... I have nothing to hide. Because they can ask for a breath sample doesn't mean they will.

 

Surprisingly I didn't see one RIDE check this Christmas season. I'm not going to believe the sky is falling.

All fine & dandy if you only get stopped once during your day of riding. What if you ride thru multiple detachments? Quite easy around here what w/ Ptbo County & Bancroft in the area. We've been stopped on the trail by cops on sleds & by them sitting in a cruiser @ road crossings.

 

I think in all my years of annual trips up north we were only checked once by the cops. OPP pulled up while we were stopped just south of KL on the A108. Cop glanced @ our sleds ( for val tags & permts I guess), asked us where we were headed then rode away.

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19 minutes ago, revrnd said:

All fine & dandy if you only get stopped once during your day of riding. What if you ride thru multiple detachments? Quite easy around here what w/ Ptbo County & Bancroft in the area. We've been stopped on the trail by cops on sleds & by them sitting in a cruiser @ road crossings.

 

I think in all my years of annual trips up north we were only checked once by the cops. OPP pulled up while we were stopped just south of KL on the A108. Cop glanced @ our sleds ( for val tags & permts I guess), asked us where we were headed then rode away.

We tend to ride from Port Severn, heading to places like Orillia, Midland, Penetang, Elmvale, Wasaga, Bala, MacTier, Gravenhurst, Severn Falls, Coldwater and also use Georgian Bay. Rarely do we see the OPP and even more rarely do we see them more than once in a day. We have trailered to the Seguin as a starting point as well as Wasaga sports park and ridden from there. Even there we haven't come across OPP frequently or more than once. Maybe I'm just lucky.

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You have been lucky 02Sled. I have been stopped 4 times in one day. I was heading from Kearney to Parry sound via the Seguin. i was heading to the radar run on Horeshoe lake. Got stopped by Opp three times on the way over and once by the same guy on my way back. If i had to blow into a stupid machine 4 times that day,i know i would not be happy as i drive sober.I was ticked as it was by being stopped so many times. 

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23 minutes ago, ArcticCrusher said:

I agree with waiting til you get home, but let's not agree to having our rights tossed.

I agree with you about rights. Who's rights take priority? The riders out there riding according to the laws of the land or those riding under the influence? The question of them being legally impaired under today's definition is kind of irrelevant considering each person reacts to alcohol and drugs differently. While the person may not be legally impaired they may not be in a position to operate a vehicle capable of going from zero to stupid fast in no time flat.

 

With our rights in this country come responsibilities. It is up to us, as citizens, to follow the laws of the land or accept the penalties (without snivelling). If there weren't issues with impaired driving the police wouldn't be asking people to blow. The recent legalization of weed brings another angle to this issue.

 

Wether being asked to blow into a breathalyzer constitutes a denial of our rights remains for the courts to decide.

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14 minutes ago, snowchopper said:

You have been lucky 02Sled. I have been stopped 4 times in one day. I was heading from Kearney to Parry sound via the Seguin. i was heading to the radar run on Horeshoe lake. Got stopped by Opp three times on the way over and once by the same guy on my way back. If i had to blow into a stupid machine 4 times that day,i know i would not be happy as i drive sober.I was ticked as it was by being stopped so many times. 

Paperwork check each time as well? 

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2 minutes ago, Nith Valley Sledder said:

I agree with you about rights. Who's rights take priority? The riders out there riding according to the laws of the land or those riding under the influence? The question of them being legally impaired under today's definition is kind of irrelevant considering each person reacts to alcohol and drugs differently. While the person may not be legally impaired they may not be in a position to operate a vehicle capable of going from zero to stupid fast in no time flat.

 

With our rights in this country come responsibilities. It is up to us, as citizens, to follow the laws of the land or accept the penalties (without snivelling). If there weren't issues with impaired driving the police wouldn't be asking people to blow. The recent legalization of weed brings another angle to this issue.

 

Wether being asked to blow into a breathalyzer constitutes a denial of our rights remains for the courts to decide.

If a person is not legally impaired, below 0.05, then they are not breaking any law, and police will tell them to have a nice day as they ride off. So, please explain how the legal definition of impaired does not matter and is in your words, irrelevant? I can help, it is not, as a matter of fact it is all that matters.

 

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3 minutes ago, zoso said:

If a person is not legally impaired, below 0.05, then they are not breaking any law, and police will tell them to have a nice day as they ride off. So, please explain how the legal definition of impaired does not matter and is in your words, irrelevant? I can help, it is not, as a matter of fact it is all that matters.

 

As I stated they may not be charged with impaired but that does make them safe to drive.

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A coworker of mine went out to his dad's birthday dinner for a few hours. Had two draft beers, appetizer meal etc. Got stuck at a ride and blew .05. Tell me that's not a little ridiculous? 

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38 minutes ago, snowchopper said:

You have been lucky 02Sled. I have been stopped 4 times in one day. I was heading from Kearney to Parry sound via the Seguin. i was heading to the radar run on Horeshoe lake. Got stopped by Opp three times on the way over and once by the same guy on my way back. If i had to blow into a stupid machine 4 times that day,i know i would not be happy as i drive sober.I was ticked as it was by being stopped so many times. 

Four times in one day would be a pain in the butt... I'm going to guess the increased presence would be the radar runs and an increased tendency for many of the increased traffic to have a few there during the day.

 

23 minutes ago, snowchopper said:

No they did not check my papers just my trail pass and registration sticker for validation.

So was it really a complete stop or did you just slow down and get waved on. They could do that 10 times a day for all I care... especially if they get some freeloaders off the trails. Also if you don't have a val tag I'm going to guess they likely don't have insurance either, perhaps even a drivers license.

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13 minutes ago, Poo Man said:

A coworker of mine went out to his dad's birthday dinner for a few hours. Had two draft beers, appetizer meal etc. Got stuck at a ride and blew .05. Tell me that's not a little ridiculous? 

Today you must know what you can handle  were those drafts 20 oz? If so then that is 3.5 beers, not two. I will have a shot or two during my rides, never am I concerned about being over 0.04. I can have three in an hour and blow under 0.05, I keep it down to two.

Edited by zoso
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4 hours ago, zoso said:

Hoping I get to have some of those negative experience, but as of right now looking at the weather I may not. BTW, I never said every time you ride, I said every time a cop sees you on the trail, you will be stopped and you will be told to blow, refuse and you will be arrested and charged.

I find this assertion very hard to believe but time will tell if zoso is correct or not.

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