Man on bicycle arrested for DUI

[RockaFowler]

PORT ST. LUCIE — A man riding a bicycle faces a driving under the influence charge after causing a scene at a sports bar Sunday and antagonizing police, calling it funny that a Broward County sheriff's deputy had been murdered last week.

SNIP

After a bartender at Duffy's sports bar and restaurant refused to serve Piselli because he was "falling out of his seat" when he arrived, Piselli urinated all over the bathroom and called the bartender a "whore" before throwing a penny at her and leaving, an arrest report said.

Police caught up to him at a nearby Albertson's around 7:22 p.m., where he began yelling that he thought it funny that a deputy from the Broward County Sheriff's Office had been killed, a reference to Deputy Chris Reyka, who was shot to death behind a Pompano Beach Walgreen's early Friday. Authorities are still searching for the killer.

Police warned Piselli not to ride his bike home or he would be arrested for DUI, according to the arrest report.

Piselli began to walk his bike home. Five minutes later, police saw Piselli crossing a road on his bike. At the curb, he lost control of his bike and nearly fell off, the report said.

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/content/tcoast/epaper/2007/08/13/0813SLdui.html

[LostinVA]

1. Quite a few states (maybe all now) give DUIs for bicycles

I know some states also do for riding a horse. It's a vehicle, and in quite a few states are afforded the same rights -- and responsibilities -- as a car, motorcycle, etc. Good, imo.

[taterguy]

3. Making the penalty the same isn't very practical

Most people with bicycles also have cars. If they're going to get the same punishment they might as well drive a car.

Bicycling drunk generally only endangers the cyclist although I concede that there are some very rare situations you could hurt someone else.

Of course when it comes to operating any vehicle intoxicated the question isn't if you'll hurt someone but when you'll hurt someone.

For me it was Nov 1, 2003.

Fortunately I was the only person hurt and all my wounds healed nicely.

[DS1]

2. Antagonizing police, while really fucking stupid, shouldn't be a factor

They're supposed to be above that.

[doc03]

4. I remember a few years ago the

Ohio Highway Patrol arrested a friend of my brother for DUI on his bike. Also a couple years ago a guy in West Virginia was arrested for driving a riding lawn mower while intoxicated.

[MrScorpio]

5. Maybe I should repost Prodigy's Smack My Bitch Up video in honor of this asshole

Naw... That would be too nice

[Kutjara]

6. In the UK, you can be charged with being "Drunk in Charge of a Bicycle."

You don't even have to be riding it. If you're staggering home, pushing a bike, that's enough for the charge. It's similar with a car. You can be asleep in the car, with the engine off, but if you have the keys in your pocket and are over the legal limit, you are assumed to be "in charge" of the car and can be charged with an offense.