A recent report outlined the deadly horrors of lawn mowing. Today the promise of no-mow grass has grabbed headlines around the world. Still people insist on driving lawnmowers while drunk. Thank god for the police.
Dondi Bowles had already been picked up for driving under the influence twice before in the past six months. So when the 50-year-old from Vermillion, Ohio needed to make a run to the corner store to buy a bicycle tire innertube on Friday, he didn't want to take any chances. He hopped on the back of his lawnmower.
On his way back from the store, Vermilion Police Patrolman Scott Holmes spotted Bowles barreling down the sidewalk at 10 miles an hour.
Bowles failed his field sobriety test. A breathalyzer would later show his blood-alcohol content to be .144, nearly twice the legal limit.
His lawnmower was towed away.
Bowles, who by now should be well-versed in the local DUI laws, is furious.
"I didn't know you could get a DUI on a bike or a lawnmower," Bowles said. "That's the difference. If I knew that, I would've walked.
"I had three to four beers in me. But like I said, if you have one or two in you, you can get DUI. This is ridiculous. I think ... I'm gonna get a lawyer and see what happens."
According to Holmes, if you've been drinking you can be arrested for riding just about anything with wheels, even in your own backyard.
"If you're operating any vehicle under the influence, you're [operating a vehicle intoxicated], bicycles, lawnmowers, cars trucks, etc," he warned.
Bowles said he's going to miss his court date tomorrow because he will be in the hospital getting treatment for alcohol addiction.
http://www.sploid.com/news/2006/05/town_drunk_bust.php