Bicycle DUI

by - January 26, 2010


Every week I (along with every other producer, the reporters and the anchors) am required to post a total of 15 stories to my station's website. It's really quite boring most of the time - just a matter of copy and pasting a story from the Associated Press and finding a picture (that part's a real pain). Normally I barely even pay attention to what I post, caring only about meating my quota so my name doesn't make the red list of death (the list our news producer tapes on the newsroom door to show all who enter who did and did not post the required number of stories to the web). And let me tell you, some people don't even post half of what we're supposed to...while some others are over-achievers and post upwards of 50 each week. But I digress...

Usually I post three stories a day, unless I get really ambitious (i.e. I get finished with my rundown really early and have nothing else to do) and post all my stories at once so I don't have to worry about it. So while I was randomly selecting my three stories for today, I came across this bizarre article about a bicycler who was charged with driving under the influence.

Now, I've heard of being charged with a DUI for driving a vehicle while intoxicated, but never a bicycle! A Tampa man was stopped while riding his bicycle without any lights. Deputies say his eyes appeared bloodshot and he smelled like alcohol. They found two cans of beer in the bike's front basket.

The man was arrested - charged with DUI, refusing to submit to a DUI test, having an open container of alcohol in public and refusing to sign a citation. His bail came out to $7,000.

That's all fine and dandy, but what I want to know is this: since when is a bicycle considered a vehicle? Maybe it's always been considered one, and I've been unaware of that fact. I guess I should look up all the legal stuff surrounding the issuance of a DUI just so I'm clear on the terms.

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2 comments

  1. He was on a bike? It's not like he could hurt anyone. That's crazy. Like, dingo ate my baby crazy.

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  2. Yeah. Public intox I could understand... but DUI?! I thought a vehicle had a motor.

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