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Dad busted for drunk driving in Barbie car

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  • 19-04-2010 4:56pm
    #1
    southsiderosie
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,565 ✭✭✭


    But what would Ken say?

    Father banned from driving for three years after getting behind the wheel of a toy Barbie car while drunk

    ...The 6ft-tall father-of four - who said an adult needs to 'be a contortionist to get in' - said: 'I'm not unhappy with my punishment, just a little surprised.
    'I think it perhaps needn't have gone to court. Possibly the police arrested me to have something to talk about to the grandchildren.'
    Mr Hutton, a divorcee from Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, is a former RAF aeronautical engineer who now studies electric engineering at Colchester Institute.
    He took the pink Barbie car home after finding it abandoned ten years ago and has been tinkering with it ever since.
    Modifications to the 4ft by 2ft vehicle include adding larger wheels and changing the colour to white.
    About eight months ago he started stripping it down and rebuilding it with his eldest son Simon, 17, who is doing a car mechanics course.
    Mr Hutton had been having a few drinks while working on the car on April 4 when on impulse he decided to take it out and show it to a friend who lives 500 yards away.
    Police pulled up alongside him when they spotted him at 9pm with his knees tucked up under his chin in the vehicle, which is designed for three to five-year-olds and runs on a 12v battery.

    Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1267136/Father-banned-driving-getting-wheel-toy-Barbie-car-drunk.html#ixzz0lYtL9GNA

    I'm anti drunk driving, but this is excessive. If the police can ticket this guy, does that mean they have to stop grannies in mobility scooters as well? Actually, that might not be a bad idea, since I was almost hit by one weaving down the sidewalk the other day...:mad:
    Tagged:


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    #2
    RMD
    Registered Users Posts: 2,662 ✭✭✭RMD


    What threat to public safety does a drunk man serve in a 12v electric kids car other than his own?


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    #3
    Biggins
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 34,567 ✭✭✭✭Biggins


    What if he in his drunken state gad managed to drive under a real car or worse, truck, bus etc...

    His family, wife and kids, if any, might not be so happy.
    While he would suffer instantly, they would possibly suffer for years!
    Better with a fine and loss of driving privileges for his daftness than a drive to the graveyard.


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    #4
    TheZohanS
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,582 ✭✭✭✭TheZohanS


    southsiderosie wrote: »
    I'm anti drunk driving, but this is excessive. If the police can ticket this guy, does that mean they have to stop grannies in mobility scooters as well? Actually, that might not be a bad idea, since I was almost hit by one weaving down the sidewalk the other day...:mad:


    You missed this part:
    Essex Police today said officers initially warned Mr Hutton not to drive the car but they arrested him when he ignored them and tried to make a very slow getaway.


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    #5
    Rabies
    Registered Users Posts: 15,258 ✭✭✭✭Rabies


    Biggins wrote: »
    What if he in his drunken state gad managed to drive under a real car or worse, truck, bus etc...

    His family, wife and kids, if any, might not be so happy.
    While he would suffer instantly, they would possibly suffer for years!
    Better with a fine and loss of driving privileges for his daftness than a drive to the graveyard.

    Christmas must be fun at your house


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    #6
    PK2008
    Registered Users Posts: 2,219 ✭✭✭PK2008


    Yeh, I was with the guy until I read this:

    "Essex Police today said officers initially warned Mr Hutton not to drive the car but they arrested him when he ignored them and tried to make a very slow getaway"

    Obviously taking the pi55


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    #7
    Biggins
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 34,567 ✭✭✭✭Biggins


    Rabies wrote: »
    Christmas must be fun at your house
    Wife and four kids to see are taken care of in every way?
    Yes, indeed.

    Its good fun sometimes - but mindful of my responsibilities towards them too, not just myself and my own daft actions sometimes.


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    #8
    southsiderosie
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,565 ✭✭✭southsiderosie


    TheZohan wrote: »
    You missed this part:

    But I still don't see how being in a Barbie car counts as "driving". If they wanted to charge him with drunk and disorderly conduct and leave it at that, then fine - even he would admit he deserves it. But drunk driving?


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    #9
    orourkeda
    Closed Accounts Posts: 17,918 ✭✭✭✭orourkeda


    Sounds like a bleedin' banger


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    #10
    bazmaiden
    Registered Users Posts: 2,039 ✭✭✭bazmaiden


    If you were drunk and a motorised kids car was within your grasp would you be tempted?

    i'd be flying around on it,


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    #11
    Biggins
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 34,567 ✭✭✭✭Biggins


    southsiderosie wrote: »
    But I still don't see how being in a Barbie car counts as "driving". If they wanted to charge him with drunk and disorderly conduct and leave it at that, then fine - even he would admit he deserves it. But drunk driving?
    Motorised transport - on a public thoroughfare used for such...
    I'd say they were within the legal limits of the law otherwise his lawyer would have defeated the charges on technical legalities alone.


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    #12
    southsiderosie
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,565 ✭✭✭southsiderosie


    Biggins wrote: »
    Motorised transport - on a public thoroughfare used for such...
    I'd say they were within the legal limits of the law otherwise his lawyer would have defeated the charges on technical legalities alone.

    The Essex police must have a lot of time on their hands. Most big city cops I know would have just confiscated the darn thing, and told the guy to come pick it up at the station when he was sober. Then they would have all laughed at him when he showed up.

    In all seriousness, is an idiot in a Barbie car worth the man hours spent doing the paperwork and going to court?


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    #13
    bazmaiden
    Registered Users Posts: 2,039 ✭✭✭bazmaiden


    Biggins wrote: »
    Motorised transport - on a public thoroughfare used for such...
    I'd say they were within the legal limits of the law otherwise his lawyer would have defeated the charges on technical legalities alone.



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    #14
    Biggins
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 34,567 ✭✭✭✭Biggins


    southsiderosie wrote: »
    ...In all seriousness, is an idiot in a Barbie car worth the man hours spent doing the paperwork and going to court?
    In all genuineness, if my son had done something so daft as to put his life at risk while in a drunk state, I'd rather someone did a bit of paperwork and teach him a lesson - then have him come home safe.

    For the sake of a fine, temp loss of driving rights, at least he can return home to his family in one piece, alive enough to still have a living embarrassed face.
    Paperwork and court time taken up versus a family that could have have been left grieving at a drunken stunt gone very wrong.

    As a parent alone, I know which one I would prefer for my son if he did similar.


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    #15
    BigDuffman
    Registered Users Posts: 1,512 ✭✭✭BigDuffman


    Epic story for pub banter, imagine the police report! Next time some chap is on about his ticket he can drag this out!


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    #16
    Abi
    Closed Accounts Posts: 22,058 ✭✭✭✭Abi


    I would have paid money to see this, and even more to have a shot :pac:




























    :rolleyes:
    Not in a public place, and where I'm only a danger to myself


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    #17
    AnonoBoy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 22,559 ✭✭✭✭AnonoBoy


    Essex Police today said officers initially warned Mr Hutton not to drive the car but they arrested him when he ignored them and tried to make a very slow getaway.


    Essex Policeman 1: He's very slowly getting away.
    Essex Policeman 2: He's heading for the old mill!
    Paul Hutton: No I'm not!
    Essex Policeman 2: Let's go there anyways. Get some cider.


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    #18
    southsiderosie
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,565 ✭✭✭southsiderosie


    Biggins wrote: »
    In all genuineness, if my son had done something so daft as to put his life at risk while in a drunk state, I'd rather someone did a bit of paperwork and teach him a lesson - then have him come home safe.

    For the sake of a fine, temp loss of driving rights, at least he can return home to his family in one piece, alive enough to still have a living embarrassed face.
    Paperwork and court time taken up versus a family that could have have been left grieving at a drunken stunt gone very wrong.

    As a parent alone, I know which one I would prefer for my son if he did similar.

    If the cops arrested everyone they saw doing something stupid while drunk, 1/4 of the under-25 population would be in jail at 2am on a Saturday. At worst they should have written him a citation for being drunk, confiscated the Barbie car, and driven him home in the squad car, which would have been embarrassment enough for most people.


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    #19
    Biggins
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 34,567 ✭✭✭✭Biggins


    southsiderosie wrote: »
    If the cops arrested everyone they saw doing something stupid while drunk, 1/4 of the under-25 population would be in jail at 2am on a Saturday. At worst they should have written him a citation for being drunk, confiscated the Barbie car, and driven him home in the squad car, which would have been embarrassment enough for most people.

    Yea but then it wouldn't be in the paper - and we wouldn't have another thread to have fun with! LOL :pac:


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    #20
    southsiderosie
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,565 ✭✭✭southsiderosie


    Biggins wrote: »
    Yea but then it wouldn't be in the paper - and we wouldn't have another thread to have fun with! LOL :pac:

    True...too bad there isn't a police video of this. THAT would have been priceless.

    EDIT: ...And this is why Essex cops should have video cameras in their squad cars...The Barbie car story would have been WAY more awesome had it involved a Taser and an oyster shack.


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