If the reading is 36, he should be exploring absolutely every avenue to challenge the integrity of the breathalyser. If it is higher, then it’s futile because the machine won’t be that unreliable. I’d be surprised if it’s not fully calibrated & up to date with its maintenance records in a city centre police station, but until it’s proven to be reliable 100% (& not just reliable to within 1mg) then he isn’t over the limit. With that reading (again if true) there is no margin for error on the machine. None at all.
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My first comment on the subject. Hugo was wrong and from the character I thought/think he is I am surprised. He comes across as a humble, normal kind of guy for a professional footballer and I'm guessing (seriously hoping) that he is pissed off, upset and ashamed of himself for the danger he could have put others in and the damage this has caused him, the club and the fans. His stock has never been higher after captaining the winning World Cup team, now it has taken a serious knock.
Everyone here will have a different opinion of drink driving and there will be some who have been personally effected by it so we shouldn't knock those who seek a harsher punishment.
I will wait and see what the police/judicial system say but whatever I would like to hear something from Hugo himself about how he shouldn't have done it.
Everyone here will have a different opinion of drink driving and there will be some who have been personally effected by it so we shouldn't knock those who seek a harsher punishment.
I will wait and see what the police/judicial system say but whatever I would like to hear something from Hugo himself about how he shouldn't have done it.
That's an interesting point. In the UK a man on the street losing his license it's a massive thing. Can lead to a hellish commute, lots of extra time away from the family, higher insurance, the impact is felt far and wide and it's a MASSIVE deal. To a Millionaire footballer, it's obviously a pain but not to the same degree.
Yup I get your point. However as some sensible people have already said. If you have a drink, just don't drive, if you have cash, just get a cab.
From someone in the public eye, it's a questionable decision and one arguably not befitting of a captain playing for a club with such strong values.
I bet he feels a complete bellend and is getting it from the club, agent, fans and sponsors and knows it was a stupid decision. Not sure what I want to happen tbh but it's not a good example to the yoof
Lloris said in a statement: "I wish to apologise wholeheartedly to my family, the club, my team-mates, the manager and all of the supporters.
"Drink-driving is completely unacceptable, I take full responsibility for my actions and it is not the example I wish to set."
Because I deem it sufficient and I'm perfectly within my rights to determine what is, in my opinion, sufficient. Obviously doing absolutely nothing is sufficient to you....so, good for you. I guess by stepping out of line you risk your "Spursiest Spur that ever Spurred" card. I get it, 3 points in a footy match are more important to you than trying to eradicate drink driving. Good for you, I should be ashamed that football support isn't the pinnacle of my existence I suppose. Really don't know why you've been such a tit lately, used to enjoy you a lot more.
That’s going to be pretty difficult in countries like yours and mine that allow it up to a point. Hugo, reportedly, was only marginally past that point.
Edit: And banning him from playing would do absolutely nothing to stop people drink driving.
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There's been zero reports regarding where he was in relation to the limit. There's simply been rampant speculation and benevolent excuse making on his behalf that he must've only been a little bit over, probably only had a couple of drinks, maybe his wine glass was overfilled, and that it's probable that the reason he was pulled over so late was he'd been sat in the restaurant for hours waiting until he was sobered up to drive and was just mistaken.
All of which is ludicrous to the ears of anyone who's actually been on a night out and is being honest with themselves.
That's really the most annoying thing about all of this, the levels that many will go to in order to protect one of their heroes. And we wonder why celebrities and people in power get away with horrible things. Well, this is it.
I have seen the ugly side of "it's only just a couple beers", yes. But I think it's a sad state of affairs that in order for one's opinion that drink driving is unacceptable to be legitimized they must have been tragically effected by the crime.
I’m not protecting him. I’m simply pointing out that our respective countries allow drink driving up to a point (the case for zero alcohol is a different argument). If and I repeat if it transpires that he was 3 times over the limit I’ll condemn him, but if he was only the tiniest bit over a limit that is deemed legal then all he’s guilty of is stupidity (and the original offence of course).
There’s too many things that haven’t yet been established for people to be demanding demotion from the captaincy/team.
All we do know is that he has been charged & he admits (& apologises for) having a drink and then driving his car. He also missed training on Friday morning. Who is to say he’s going to plead guilty? Who is to say he is even guilty?
If he’s bang to rights, then he will plead guilty and the level of disapproval/disappointment for most will depend on the amount he was over. If he’s just over, it’s a bad error of judgment. If he’s well over, then he’s taken a conscious decision to drive knowing he must be over. Big difference there. Particularly (as you rightly say) where the law allows the individual to drink and drive to a degree, but sets a limit which will be reached differently by different people and produces bad errors of judgment.
It is true that the law condones a certain amount of blood alcohol content before your in violation, the trouble being that this "limit" is viewed by the public as there being a "safe" amount of alcohol you can drink before driving and that the law "allows you" X amount of drinks before you're too inebriated to drive.
The reality of scientific testing is there must be a threshold established above which a positive result is considered valid. If a limit were not prescribed then each case would be required to adjudicate the validity of the test performed subjectively (much the way the old roadside field sobriety tests were before breathalyzers and blood tests). Jurisdictions have enacted their limits in consultation with knowledgeable personnel to develop what that threshold to indicate a positive result should be.
However, in the subsequent years testing technology has improved and can now effectively read valid and true results at lower limits. The laws should be changed to lower limits and further clamp down on drink driving. Though they won't, because the pervading opinion now is that these limits were placed at the levels they're at to allow for everyone to have a point or two before driving - which is an incorrect assumption that should have been stamped out long ago. Not incidently, the alcohol industry (which I'm generally a fan of, hiccup) has a lot to do that by pushing slogan like "drink responsibly" which don't truly condemn drink driving but rather subtly reinforce the idea that "as long as you're just having a pint or two you ought to be alright, mate. Just lay off the whisky."
I don't disagree with any of that. My point was that the tabloids will slaughter him regardless if they think its in their interest. And the holier than thous will lap it up.
Hugo Hugo Hugo Hugo
Real captain's performance. In some weird way he might have needed that d&d shit to help put his game in perspective.
Real captain's performance. In some weird way he might have needed that d&d shit to help put his game in perspective.
Opposition fans at every game now: "you've broken the lawwww"
Response after clean sheet: "he won't let you scoooo-ore"
Response after clean sheet: "he won't let you scoooo-ore"