I went to a restaurant yesterday

[bungeejumper]

Many many years ago when I first went to Hong Kong, the buses were not air conditioned and the drivers had fairly casual attitude to driving with often enough a can of San Miguel in the cab to help keep them hydrated. There are now strict drink and drive laws but none then.

When I lived in Berlin during the 1970s, heaven help you if you didn't have a couple of beers ready for the coal delivery man - one for him, one for the driver. And never mind that they were only delivering 100 kilos or so. My neighbour "accidentally" forgot one day when I was accepting her coal delivery, and I got a faceful of hostility for my trouble. Neither of us could get another coal delivery for months, which was something of a problem in a sub-zero climate.....

Now, consider that those coalmen were probably making thirty deliveries a day. And that this was in an inner city area. With permanent ice on the cobblestones.

BJ

[redsturgeon]

I bought myself a small electronic breathalyser, just so I know I'm not breaking the law.

John

[Mike4]

I bought myself a small electronic breathalyser, just so I know I'm not breaking the law.

John

That's interesting. How do you know it is accurately calibrated?

[redsturgeon]

I bought myself a small electronic breathalyser, just so I know I'm not breaking the law.

John

That's interesting. How do you know it is accurately calibrated?

I have to rely on trading standards. Of course it will not be calibrated to the level that official breathalysers need to be to be used in a court of law and it is not my intention ever to try to use the defence (But my breathalyser said I was OK". However If I err on the side of caution it is certainly better than relying on gut feel IMHO.

I have run a few trial with myself and various drinking mates and it seems very reliable in the consistency of results it gives.



John

[Nimrod103]

I bought myself a small electronic breathalyser, just so I know I'm not breaking the law.

John

That's interesting. How do you know it is accurately calibrated?

I have to rely on trading standards. Of course it will not be calibrated to the level that official breathalysers need to be to be used in a court of law and it is not my intention ever to try to use the defence (But my breathalyser said I was OK". However If I err on the side of caution it is certainly better than relying on gut feel IMHO.

I have run a few trial with myself and various drinking mates and it seems very reliable in the consistency of results it gives.



John

If you don't mind me asking, how many drinks and of what kind put you over the limit? Is it any different to the received wisdom of 2 medium glasses of wine or 2 pints of beer, spread over a longish evening? (English law that is, for a man of average build).

[Lootman]

That's interesting. How do you know it is accurately calibrated?

I have to rely on trading standards. Of course it will not be calibrated to the level that official breathalysers need to be to be used in a court of law and it is not my intention ever to try to use the defence (But my breathalyser said I was OK". However If I err on the side of caution it is certainly better than relying on gut feel IMHO.

I have run a few trial with myself and various drinking mates and it seems very reliable in the consistency of results it gives.

If you don't mind me asking, how many drinks and of what kind put you over the limit? Is it any different to the received wisdom of 2 medium glasses of wine or 2 pints of beer, spread over a longish evening? (English law that is, for a man of average build).

I follow the "2 drinks is OK and 3 is not" rule of thumb as well.

But you have to be conscious of how the ABV varies. Wine is typically between 10% and 15%, with red wines usually stronger. With beer the range is even wider, say from 3.5% for weak keg stuff to 6% or more with IPAs. Spirits are maybe 35% to 50%, or so. I guess that is why the use of units is popular.

Your comment about a "longish evening" is interesting. For some reason I have in my head that the alcohol starts leaving your bloodstream at a certain rate as well, meaning that if you were in the pub all evening, then 3 might be OK. On the other hand some people have tested positive for alcohol when driving the next morning.

I was really bad for driving over the limit in my youth, and was lucky not to have been done for it, or worse. But after a close shave where I was pursued by a police car which then got diverted to another incident, I wised up.

[kempiejon]

I bought myself a small electronic breathalyser, just so I know I'm not breaking the law.

John

this is a worthwhile practice and a chum of mine does just that. In fact he visited last night we had a couple of Irish and some beers, were abed before midnight and this morning he blew 0.9, 0.35 is legal limit. After breakfast, oral hygiene, 2 x teas he was 0.34 and hit the road.

[redsturgeon]

I can drink three pints of 4% beer over a four hour period and not read amber on my machine which is half the legal limit. I am 6ft 3in and 14 stone though which may have some bearing. Also the rate of alcohol being metabolised over four hours is significant. The first pint will be totally metabolised by the end of the evening.

This is all moot at the moment for me since I have not had a drink sink June 30th.

John

[marronier]

There is a misconception that the breathalyser measures sobriety. It doesn't. It measures the level of intoxication and the legal/illegal limit is decided by lawyers and politicians , not doctors. Be aware that any alcohol before driving leaves one "under the influence" and being under the legal limit will not mean one is sober.

Lawyers and politicians say what you want to hear ,so you listen.

Doctors say what you need to hear , so they are ignored.

[Mike4]

There is a misconception that the breathalyser measures sobriety. It doesn't. It measures the level of intoxication

I thought it particularly doesn't not claim to do that.

I think it measures the concentration of alcohol in your breath because the law stipulates a limit on that value. The concentration of alcohol in your breath is only loosely connected to your sobriety, so I understand.

Your level of intoxication I would imagine is the concentration of alcohol in your blood, and the law gives a limit for that too. And for your urine! So that is three separate measurements the law says one must not breach. Or does it mean if you sneak in under any one of the three, you have a defence? The HMG web page doesn't say.

https://www.gov.uk/drink-drive-limit

[tjh290633]

I have just tried to book at a nearby pub for next Wednesday. They were fully booked for the lunchtime period.

Then I looked at Tuesday, all times available. What is so special about Wednesday, except that by then you have finished your roast, had cold meat and salad from it on Monday and rissoles on Tuesday? That's what Mother did during the war.

TJH

[didds]

At our monthly lunch of retired academics, the introduction of the Scottish lower limit changed our behaviour. All who arrived by car moved over to soft drinks. This was done without discussion, and only a minimum of comment. "Expert" advice suggests that an average man would be limited to a large glass of wine, and women to a small glass of wine. But body metabolisms vary - not everybody is average. We clearly decided, independently, that it was better to be safe than sorry.

This is echoed by every chum and family member I know that lives in scotland.

didds

[didds]

Is it any different to the received wisdom of 2 medium glasses of wine or 2 pints of beer, spread over a longish evening? (English law that is, for a man of average build).

that si indeed the "rule of thumb" ... but Id also say that that was "darwn up" back in the day where probably the typical pint was unsder 4% ABV,a dn "best bitter" was a heady ~4.4% ABV.

Today its not uncommon IME to find the weakest beer on pumps is closer to that 4.4% andoften a beer closer to 5% or even 6% is easily obtainable.

This of course also reflects my typical choice pub, but overall it indicates that "two pints the limit" is actually sort of only fine when you are really talking about 3.8% beer. Two pints of 5.2% beer is WAY more alcohol ...

didds

[didds]

With beer the range is even wider, say from 3.5% for weak keg stuff to 6% or more with IPAs.

I'd say you far more likely to find 3.5% beers on hand pull, wheras keg is more likely to be your 6% IPAs etc?

Unless by keg possibly you mean CO2 forced gassy swill-watter ?

"Keg" in the 2010/2020s has a very different connotation/meaning to the 1970s. CF "gay" in 1900 and in 2000. To the extent Id be very surprised if anybody in their 20s would even recognise "keg" as meaning CO2 top pressure stuff.

didds

[AF62]

Today its not uncommon IME to find the weakest beer on pumps is closer to that 4.4%

Sam Smiths do a lager at 2.8% which is surprisingly drinkable and doesn't have the 'taste' of no/low alcohol beer, and handy for when you don't want a soft drink but also want to keep your head clear - https://www.samuelsmithsbrewery.co.uk/s ... ine-lager/

[tjh290633]

With beer the range is even wider, say from 3.5% for weak keg stuff to 6% or more with IPAs.

I'd say you far more likely to find 3.5% beers on hand pull, wheras keg is more likely to be your 6% IPAs etc?

Unless by keg possibly you mean CO2 forced gassy swill-watter ?

"Keg" in the 2010/2020s has a very different connotation/meaning to the 1970s. CF "gay" in 1900 and in 2000. To the extent Id be very surprised if anybody in their 20s would even recognise "keg" as meaning CO2 top pressure stuff.

didds

Flower's Keg and Watney's Red Barrel had the advantage of not being ruined by the landlord. Draught Guiness came in kegs, one above, the other below, and the gas from the newer one drove the beer out of the older keg. Worthington E and Draught Bass were the stronger beers in barrel, but Morrell's College Ale was about 8% or so. I don't think that was ever in a keg. You could find it in a pub in the Cornmarket, just a few doors along from the first coffee shop to open in Oxford.

TJH

[tjh290633]

Today its not uncommon IME to find the weakest beer on pumps is closer to that 4.4%

Sam Smiths do a lager at 2.8% which is surprisingly drinkable and doesn't have the 'taste' of no/low alcohol beer, and handy for when you don't want a soft drink but also want to keep your head clear - https://www.samuelsmithsbrewery.co.uk/s ... ine-lager/

See https://www.harveys.org.uk/beer/knots-may for a 3.0% beer. Harveys have done a Ration Ale which was about 2.5% as I recall. They list their "keg" beers at https://www.harveys.org.uk/keg-beers, of which the strongest is "Tin Lizzie" at 7.5%, matching their Christmas Ale, found under Seasonal Ales.

TJH

[didds]

Yes. Of course. I've even had a 0.5% craft beer in the past year, served on font/keg.

My point obviously is that while such beers do exist - they are not served at all times in all pubs etc.

So we are back to the fact that in many pubs, in my direct expereince, it is often not possible to find much below 4.4% ish etc - so if you want to stick to the "two pints is safe" mantra one day you may be finding that 2 x pints of 4.4% is a higher alcohol intake of 2 x pints of 3.6% .

The same analogy could be made of wine at 12% and at 14.5%. Etc.

The salient point being not all pints are equal and relying on "two pints is OK" is a dangerous mantra.

That is all.

didds

[Dod101]

[I follow the "2 drinks is OK and 3 is not" rule of thumb as well.

We used to find that three drinks are too many and four are not enough.

Dod

[tjh290633]

My experience was that it was the drink before the last one that caused all the problem. The last one just put the cap on it.

TJH