Lay off the sherbet

[Wsm]

A shooting mate of mine from Devon e-mailed me this earlier :

 

Dear All,

 

You may have heard about this already but I thought I would email you

all anyway as you might like to pass this warning on to shooting

clients.

 

A friend of mine was shooting in Devon last week and he and one of his

fellow guns were stopped on the A361 at about 5pm and BOTH were

breathalysed on the grounds that even the passenger might be committing

an offence if he was shown to be over the limit in charge of shot guns.

Both were clear and proceeded on their way.

 

My friend contacted the BASC to find out what the situation would be had

his passenger been over the limit. He was told by the BASC that, even if

you are over the limit, if your shot guns are “secure” in a car being

driven by someone else and you are not being “a danger to the public”

you are not committing an offence and the police should not breathalyse

a passenger without considerable cause.

 

My friend is in the investigations business and spoke to a police

contact who looked into the incident. Apparently the police are

targeting 4 x 4 vehicles throughout the country but especially in

shooting areas and particularly if they are muddy and it is after lunch.

 

You should warn your clients and friends to be particularly careful as

it is not only their driving licences that are at risk. Their shot guns

can be confiscated and their permits can also be revoked. Traffic police

can (and are) asking if shot guns or rifles are being carried and if so,

people are being asked to show their permits. If they do not have them,

the shot guns can (often are) be confiscated then and there.

 

We are under enough pressure without further ammunition (forgive the

pun) being handed to the antis. Can you see the headline? DRUNK WITH A

GUN.

 

Please make sure that everyone you know is aware of what is happening

and urge them to be abstemious when out shooting. Last year I had to

tell the guest of a gun on my shoot that I would not let him shoot after

lunch as he had climbed too far down the neck of a claret bottle - and

awkward and potentially embarrassing incident but one which had to be

dealt with.

 

I will be circulating this to all my shooting contacts. You may feel

inclined to do the same.

 

With best wishes

[eldon]

uhhm how many passengers have been over the limit before now and thought they were safe.

Thanks for the heads up, will pass it on to my buddys.

[col48]

this is just the right timing for this post.as i'm sure many of us will be going out shooting this Christmas,and with a driver you would think you should be OK.

 

ATB

Colin

[Alycidon]

Thanks for the heads up, very timely. Another problem I have come accross is a joint host turning up late and either drunk or stoned on coke etc. He always shot safely but even so !!. Glad he has now moved away.

 

We make soft drinks and beer available after shoot, during the lunch though our guns will shift maybe a couple of bottles of wine and half a bottle of port between them. My 4x4 is always muddy, just depends how much the rain has washed off.

 

Timely advice indeed.

 

A

[baldie]

I find it beggars belief that some people believe it is ok to drink anything, and then shoot. Alchohol and guns dont mix...full stop.

[Redfox]

Agreed Dave, the local commercial shoots I have shot on and done dog work on, all had a policy of a hot sandwich and tea/ coffe around 12 oclock, then get on with the shooting so birds have time to roost etc before dark.

After shooting the guns paid for a barrel of beer and assorted shorts for everybody and the host and his son and wife on one and the keepers on another would see anybody home who was not fit to drive and there was a large gunsafe for guns to be left in the hosts lodge / farmhouse until next day. But on all the shoots I have been to there was no drinking rules made very clear at the start of the day, and various arrangements made for getting people home at night, just remembered two other shoots, who allowed no drinking other than a well watered down sloe gin before supper/tea.

I certainly didnt want some half canned indiviual pointing a shotgun in my direction, and nor did anyone else I knew.

Redfox

[Alycidon]

Touch wood in over 40 years on a driven pheasant gunline I have never seen anyone shoot in a dangerous manner as a result of drink/drugs. I have seen maybe more than my share of greedy guns yes (that really winds me up, last time I stopped a drive and went and had words, the gun did not realise) but unsafe ones dont get an invite. Maybe I have been fortunate.

 

I am also very much in favour of shooting through with lunch afterwards but I am out voted on the issue unless the weather is really bad. I think it a far better idea especially in December.

 

A

[baldie]

Yep, there are always ways, to ensure that everyone can have a good days shooting, and some ale. it just needs sorting at the start of the day doesn,t it.

There,s nothing like a few beers with the crowd at the end of a days sport, when the dogs, and guns are safely put away...thats the way is should be.

I,ve been shot twice by guns, one was drunk, the other a complete knob. I wasn,t badly hurt either time, but i packed in beating after that.......bloody dangerous....

[swampy]

opied this from elsewhere that i posted it.

 

don't drink and drive.

 

I would like to see an officer breathalise you on the grounds that you have been in charge of a shotgun. you maybe breathalised at the roadside under s5 of the road traffic act. it can't simply be demanded of the passenger. there is no power to demand a breathtest for this. IF THIS IS TRUE then a formal complaint must be made to stamp on this. If there is a suspicion the passenger was driving then that is fair enough.this may have been slightly mis represented or spun, it doesn't read like that though.

 

now the flipside.

 

One of my friends is a forrester, he lives down a narrow single track lane with a keepers place and a farm at the end of the track. Last week a gun left the shoot later on in the evenning and drove home. On the way he ploughed over my friends front garden demolishing the hedge. Had my friends young child have been in the garden she would surely have been killed. My friend says most guns stay and socialise for a good couple of hours after the shoot. My mate phoned me asking to pass the shoot dates to the traffic department before someone is killed.

 

swampy

[Vermincinerator]

Agreed that shooting and drinking/drugs are a big no-no but the more sinister prospect is the ever increasing unchecked missuse of powers by the police.

In the case of breathalysing a passenger, you are in a no win situation, refuse and you will be arrested for refusing to give a specimen of breath, licence gone!!!!

Only the people can change this situation before it gets completely out of hand, the problem is the majority dont care.

 

Ian.

[eldon]

Its slang panther, sherbert is used by some to mean alcohol or in this case drugs as well.

 

"Lets have a few sherberts on saturday night"

[Ronin]

Just to set the record straight and to back up what Swampy has written.

 

The police have the power to stop and breathalise any driver who they suspect has committed a moving tffic offence, has been involved in a road traffic accident or whom they suspect has consumed, or is under the influence of intoxicants.

 

This power only extends to a passenger in the vehicle if the DRIVER is under INSTRUCTION.

 

Same applies to mobile phone by the way - if your instructing someone and you answer your mobile on other than hands free, you committ the offence (3 points/£60 fine)

 

As far as the legislation goes for firearms in the possession of a person under the influence:

 

 

If in the case of WSM's example the passenger is breathalised by a police officer - because he has had a drink (alcohol) and is in possession of a firearm - in this case its secure in the vehicle - the officer HAS NO POWER to request a sample of breath for a roadside test.

 

HOWEVER, if the officer suspects that person is drunk and in charge of the firearm the weapon may well be removed and the person under the influence reported or even arrested for this offence and have the licencing authorities wondering about your "temperate habits" and suitability to continue with your FAC / SGC ownership.

 

 

The Licencing ACT 1972 has a specific offence of being drunk in charge of a loaded firearm, pretty sure (but not positive) there is a similar offence under the Firearms Act (sect 16)

 

 

Now, as all police officers are deemed "experts" in judging drunkeness, the officer would have to prove that the person concerned is, "unsteady on his feet, slurred words, breath smells strongly of intoxicants etc etc etc", this is NOT proved by a breathaliser device at the roadside.....

 

 

 

The officer concerned who Breath Tested the passenger is wrong.

 

 

 

All that aside, it pays to drink or )or better still - not to drink at all) in moderation after your shoots.

 

I never do and never will mix alcohol and firearms.

 

 

 

Also at this time of year you are very likely to be pulled over for the routine breath test during the drink drive campaigns being run throughout the country.

 

 

Dont do it, dont become a statistic, it aint worth it guys.

[6mmBR]

Cheers for the words of wisdom.

Dave

[Guest northernchris]

Mixing drink and cars or drink and guns you deserve EVERTHING you get from plod no excuses.

[Middlestead]

Mixing drink and cars or drink and guns you deserve EVERTHING you get from plod no excuses.

 

What? Even as a passenger who has had a few AFTER the gun has been put safly and securly away in the car for the jurny home???

 

Many people refuse to apply common sence........police officers are but people employed to uphold the law.........the weak link being the people part.

 

The problem is when you get police who try to put their OWN interpritation of the law into practice..........all you need is a malicious person to pick up the phone and an over zelous police officer to respond on the other end..........dont think it dosent happen.........trust no-one!!!

 

YOU JUST HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT PRAT ON "I A CLEB....." TO SEE WHAT'S WRONG WITH THE POLICE FORCE IN THE UK!!!! HOW HE WAS EVER A "TOP COP" BEGGERS BELIVE!!! HE IS A CLOWN WITH NO SPINE, COMMON SENCE OR A SINGLE LIKABLE ATRIBUTE!??! (Just my opinion)

[Guest northernchris]

NO JAMES read what i put,didnt say owt about the passanger.

 

Have you ever been shot by a pissed gun??? I did and it isnt very fukin clever!

 

Have you ever seen some killed by a drunk driver?? I have and again not a great fukin experiance!!

 

Yep it may be part of the day to have a few drinks but come on if you have been about shooting any length of time you will know it goes on alot more than people let on.I remember Mr Nicky and Mr Micheal Samual and guests being that pissed after lunch they couldnt even sit on their shooting sticks!! yep real clever.

[20ppc]

YOU JUST HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT PRAT ON "I A CLEB....." TO SEE WHAT'S WRONG WITH THE POLICE FORCE IN THE UK!!!! HOW HE WAS EVER A "TOP COP" BEGGERS BELIVE!!! HE IS A CLOWN WITH NO SPINE, COMMON SENCE OR A SINGLE LIKABLE ATRIBUTE!??! (Just my opinion)

 

The attributes you describe above are exactly what is required of aTop Cop in the British police, without them you dont have a hope in hell of reaching the top, again just an opinion!!!.

 

ATB

 

20ppc.

[Wsm]

The attributes you describe above are exactly what is required of aTop Cop in the British police, without them you dont have a hope in hell of reaching the top, again just an opinion!!!.

 

ATB

 

20ppc.