cM 4 “soon as is practical, a ‘sample. of recited often - ‘by. police > during: the holiday season with. their a. Wednesday, December 11, 1985 “Const. ‘Garbutt watches closely as Gerding ul ts his head back | and touches his nose with each hand. ; vay have reasonable: and pro=: - bable ‘grounds to believe that.) you. are committing,” or: within zn ~ the preceding | two hours have et committed, an. offence: under Section 234 or: Section 236. of “the. Criminal Code: v1 hereby de _mand_ you. provide . now, or as. ~~ breathalyzer. test. :.The.end result could be z a six- “month driving suspension ‘and either a minimum $300 fine or - up to a maximum six-month jail. sentence plus a $2000 fine. But the actual breathalyzer “test. and arrest itself can be. an... humiliating 2 “embarassing and: experience. a Under ‘a’ simulated ‘scenario “created: with - the assistance of the Sidney. RCMP, Reporter Barry. Gerding acted - ‘as. ae ‘guinea pig’? to find out con- - fronting drunk drivers when re- quested to provide breathalyzer 2 Teadings. . ‘Gerding, 4endured. a. lunch: which: tedlof four double Tye and cokes,,one liquer and a. bowl of mushroom soup. | “card carried by policemen: They - form the. request made'to'a per-". son in care and: ‘control of a. ‘motor. vehicle to submit to. as Garbutt Seoped Ove “of: the: -RCMP.- office and 4oticed. Ger-» ding was ‘struggling to strap.on) «the seatbelt.:The first eae les oh Gerding might be impaired. “ss Asked'to step out ofthe. vehi’ Bale: Garbutt asked. him: to ‘pe : form. two ie tests... ; Cee ting one cone, directly i in Bee of: “the. other, Balance: was: a little : shaky. ae Garbutt ‘then read S breathalyzer demand. . “Gerding, ‘was: ‘placed. in. the hak seat of the patrol car and: - transported to the detachment. - There is not much leg room in. “the back of.a patrol car. Gar- butt says it can be difficult fit- ting a drunk driver into the car. they are ane particularly. if tagonistic. Inside. the detachment, ~ the breathalyzer. - ‘for impaired drivers. | He asks a range o . checked. - the s he e. taken toa small‘ room and told to sit-in the corner right beside . Garbutt begins. filling out the : “necessary paperwork known as the RCMP. investigational guide 7 of questions, _everything from where and how 2 rdudh {algohol was consumed to the amount. of sleep. had the previous night. eee THE REVIEW Constables never wear.a load- . ed-gun when interviewing an in- toxicated driver. in case...a physical struggle should occur. “The: worse that can happen is a bump_on the head,’’ Gar- butt said. He said about 60 per cent of those tested feel guilty about be- | ing caught while:the remainder. are usually belligerent untii told of their breathalyzer readings... Corp...Gary. Kaminski. has entered the room to administer ‘the breathalyzer test. Kaminski. asks Gerding to stand: up, place a.small tube connected. to the. breathalyzer into his mouth and exhale a long deep breath. The same pro- cedure is repeated 25°-minutes ~ later as two breath samples are. required. ' Both readings are .14, fiearly double the allowed blood ‘alcohol content of .08. Kamin-: ski says it will be another six to seven hours before it’s legal: to drive. Having. failed the test, “Gar: - butt escorts Gerding to another. room: to’ be fingerprinted and . photographed. - -. His police ‘record ‘is also pvilation: y The’ whole: process will: oc. “cupy about one: hour: of two” constables ' ‘regular’ shift: That . Gerding blows into the breathalyzer after consuming. four. double tyes along with a Hauer. His reading - 14, It shows a previous - - parking ticket and. a speeding. means time is being lost for other administration. or patrol duties. Kaminski says | additional constables -would. be called to work overtime if required. The driver. is. then . either released to another person to be taken home or, if severely intox- icated, placed.in a holding cell until sober. The. Sidney detachvient has two cells. One. cell, monitored with a video camera, is used for holding: those charged with in- - dictable offences. The: other. cell serves as the “*drunk: tank’’: It can hold'a maximum of four people atone time. Surrounded by bleak yellow painted walls, the cell has one toilet: anda bed: spring hung from one wall. There are. no mattresses or blankets. ° There is a drain in the floor so the cell can be washed down -with a hose. Garbutt says ‘the bed goes to the person. who wants it the most. Police check the cell jeqularly to ensure no one is hurt. or. is : - suffering a medical problem. ~ Garbutt: says people, often become claustrophobic: locked up