A Tough Lesson | Teen Ink

A Tough Lesson MAG

By Anonymous

It was the end of my junior year, the weekend before prom. I was riding around that night with some friends, and a bottle got passed around the car. Everyone was taking swigs. Then the bottle got to me. With it in my hand I thought, What will I do? I took a swig. That was the biggest mistake of my life – I had to drive home later that night.

We arrived at my friends’ house and watched a movie. About an hour later I asked them to bring me back to my car. Not thinking, I got in and drove off.

At a stop sign I realized a cop was sitting in the parking lot across the street. When I saw his headlights turn on, I knew he was going to follow me until I got home. About a mile from my house, the cop turned his light bar on. All I could think was, Oh no, that swig!

I pulled over and waited for him to come to my door. It felt like forever. “Can I see your license and registration, please, Miss?” He took them and went back to his car for a while. When he returned, he asked if I had been drinking.

“Yes sir,” I said. He asked me to step out of my car.

“Walk heel to toe down the white line, please.” I passed the test. Next he had me stand on my left foot and lift my right foot six inches off the ground, and hold it for thirty seconds. Anyone who knows me knows that I’m not the most coordinated person. I can’t even walk and chew gum at the same time. So, needless to say, I didn’t do the best on that test. Then he had me look right while he shined a bright light in my eyes. I passed that one too. He then asked me to take a breathalyzer test.

That’s where I messed up. I told him I didn’t want to and didn’t understand why I had to. The officer asked me three more times, and I continued to refuse.

He told me to turn around and place my hands behind my back. I thought that he was going to pat me down, but I was wrong. All of a sudden I felt cold metal on my wrists. He arrested me right then and there. As I was sitting in the back seat of his car, all I could think was, God, I’m in so much trouble … my parents are going to kill me.

The cop drove me to a town twenty minutes from my home. Being arrested was so scary. The officers brought me into a little concrete room and asked me a bunch of questions. Then they called my parents and told them where I was and to come get me or they would take me to a children’s home until my court date. When my dad got there, I ran and gave him the biggest hug ever, and he whispered into my ear, “I love you so much. Everything will be okay. Let’s go home.”

If I had only known what would happen. The next week I got an attorney, and I went to court two months after that. I was charged with a refusal. I got $700 in fines, forty hours of community service, and had to attend a MADD meeting. I’ll be on probation for a year, and I have to take driver’s ed again. And I lost my license for a whole year!

This has been a huge learning experience for me. It opened my eyes to how easy it is to make a stupid decision. I want everyone reading this to know that it’s not right to drink and drive, and it definitely isn’t worth losing your license over.



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This article has 73 comments.


Fate98 GOLD said...
on Apr. 13 2011 at 10:36 am
Fate98 GOLD, Glasgow, Other
11 articles 0 photos 36 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Life isn’t about how popular you are… What girl or boy you are dating or who you know. Life is about always being true to who you are or what you believe in. Never let anyone convince you that their way is better than your way. In the end all we have is our hearts.. and our minds. This is the reason we sing.. this is the reason we cry… this is why we live." - Andy six"

Ye how come you didn't just take the test. Also i hope you know how amazing your dad is. My mother would never let me behind a wheel again so long as i live under her roof. And she would probs make me pay the fine

on Apr. 13 2011 at 5:45 am
PaRaNoRmAl627 GOLD, Mountainside, New Jersey
15 articles 0 photos 296 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Do what you want. If it's something you'll regret in the morning, sleep late."

I agree, One swig would have worn off fairly quickly. I'm glad you learned a good lesson, but the whole situation could have been avoided if you didn't freak outt

on Apr. 12 2011 at 3:53 pm
Odessa_Sterling00 DIAMOND, No, Missouri
87 articles 108 photos 966 comments

Favorite Quote:
All gave some, some gave all. -War Veterans headstone.

I'm confused on one part of your story though.  If you just took one drink and let it wear off for an hour or so, then you should have been fine.  And when that cop asked you, why did you say you did, it had been like a couple hours early.  The cop could have just been checking.  They do that a lot.  One swig definately wouldn;t have affected your driving.  And why couldn't you just take the breath test.  You would have come out clean.

on Mar. 22 2011 at 9:31 pm
littletipoftheshoelace GOLD, San Diego, California
15 articles 1 photo 14 comments

Favorite Quote:
Create like a god, work like a slave.

gosh, that's really moving. thank you for posting this, i'm sure it'll change many people's outlook on drinking and driving. it definitely changed mine. i know im not going to drink and drive EVER, no matter what, for sure. also, you wrote beautifully, which brought the message out even more. great job, and i'm glad that became a learning experience for you =)

on Mar. 22 2011 at 1:22 pm
The.King SILVER, Golden, Colorado
9 articles 1 photo 69 comments

Favorite Quote:
"A story's beginning is a sudden event. The start, a happy accident; the end, the fate for which it's meant. A story that never ends is a sad fate."-Miss Edel

Good writing, I completely agree with the message you are trying to bring out, it is highly dangerous to drink and drive.

 

However, I'm finding some difficulty in finding out how you were feeling effects from such a low volume of a1cohol. Unless what you were drinking was 190 proof Everclear or Moonshine (distilled grain a1cohol), you simply would not be able to feel the effects after an hour long movie (trust me, as an asian, I have a very low a1cohol tolerance). A breathalyzer would also not be able to detect a single swig of bo0ze.


on Feb. 28 2011 at 8:43 pm
SickImage SILVER, Klamath Falls, Oregon
9 articles 1 photo 74 comments

Favorite Quote:
The room was very quiet. I walked over to the TV set and turned it onto a dead channel-white noise at maximum decibels, a fine sound for sleeping, a powerful continuous hiss to drown out everything strange."

First of all, I think you write really well, but I would like to explain a couple things just for your sake so this doesn't happen again, or to anyone else. One swig doesn't even equal one shot. Honestly I don't see how any person would feel anything from one swig. Even if you did though, going and watching movies and then being driven to your car? Any kind of feeling would have completly faded. Any smell on your breath would be gone. When asked if you had been drinking you could have said no and been fine (and telling the truth). But a breathalizer test? It would not have shown ANYTHING! You would have been fine! I have been arrested and gone through that stuff and for you to have to have gone through that for nothing, man I feel really sorry for you. I feel sorry that you didn't have the knowledge that I have just provided you with. If you have any questions feel free to ask. I would gladly inform you of more ways to have avoided your situation with the police, police station, judge, and so on.

on Feb. 6 2011 at 7:58 am
WelshSam BRONZE, Caerphilly, Other
4 articles 0 photos 15 comments

Favorite Quote:
There are too many to choose from.

Great writing too

on Feb. 6 2011 at 7:55 am
WelshSam BRONZE, Caerphilly, Other
4 articles 0 photos 15 comments

Favorite Quote:
There are too many to choose from.

Really, really excellent that you feel that you need to help other people avoid this situation. This can almost be compared to the sort of people who start charities after they lose loved ones to illness or murder or kidnapping, etc.

on Jan. 15 2011 at 6:41 pm
jenniraffe BRONZE, Springfield, Virginia
1 article 0 photos 17 comments

Favorite Quote:
Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind--Dr. Suess

i think its great that you know what you did wrong. so many people would just keep it to themselves and deny what they did.

on Jan. 15 2011 at 11:19 am
kitkat95 SILVER, Lake Worth, Florida
5 articles 0 photos 22 comments
that is so true but too bad she did not hink of that 

on Dec. 2 2010 at 4:42 pm
Wes Hargrove BRONZE, Littleton, Colorado
1 article 0 photos 3 comments
I enjoyed how u weren't afraid to tell this experience and how u also taught a valuable lesson.  

on Dec. 2 2010 at 9:18 am
fashionlover16 SILVER, New Gloucester, Maine
5 articles 0 photos 49 comments

Favorite Quote:
I honestly don't know what my favorite personal quote is. I can tell u what i like, if u want that. I really like the twilight series. whenever my mom suggests that we should go shopping, i light up. I love shopping. well thats about it, byez!!!!! <3

wow thats such a good story. It is true, one little mistake can unravel into a big mess... one little swig can change your life. Good luck to u <3

LastChapter said...
on Oct. 20 2010 at 5:27 pm
LastChapter, Hempstead, New York
0 articles 0 photos 215 comments

Favorite Quote:
(couldn&#039;t think of anything better at the time) &quot;Take the first step in faith. You don&#039;t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.&quot;-Dr.Martin Luther King Jr.

that is such a horrible thing to have to happen to you! i'm glad you and your friend survived, but i wish it never happened in the first place. remember though, this emely j. chica is right. its not your fault

LastChapter said...
on Oct. 20 2010 at 5:23 pm
LastChapter, Hempstead, New York
0 articles 0 photos 215 comments

Favorite Quote:
(couldn&#039;t think of anything better at the time) &quot;Take the first step in faith. You don&#039;t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.&quot;-Dr.Martin Luther King Jr.

if it was just one swing, and you watched movies afterwards, which tend to last over 2 hours per movie, then by the time you were encountered by that cop, the alcohol would no longer be in your system. if only you had taken the breathalyzer test, none of that would've ever happened:(

on Oct. 14 2010 at 12:15 pm
missdiana BRONZE, Rincon, Georgia
2 articles 3 photos 5 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;Do you seriously believe what others tell you? Go find out for yourself!&quot;

arrest is one of the scariest things about being a teenager. Trust me! I also know.  I've made plenty of mistakes. (drunken driving, possesion of a controled substance, pregnancy,) but, every time, I manage to make it.

on Oct. 13 2010 at 9:06 pm
It did teach me a huge lesson!!!!!

carmal23 said...
on Oct. 13 2010 at 8:11 pm
I'm happy that you posted this hopefully it shows the readers what could happen over one simple mistake. Oh and I hope this taught you a HUGE lesson!

on Oct. 13 2010 at 11:17 am
I love the description that you put into this. It must of benn really scary to have been arrested.

on Sep. 27 2010 at 9:32 pm
Alice_in_Wonderland GOLD, San Clemente, California
16 articles 0 photos 620 comments

Favorite Quote:
&ldquo;I could give up, I could stay stuck, or I could move on, So I put one foot front of the other, No no no nothing&rsquo;s gonna break my stride, &ldquo; &ndash;David Archuleta (The Other Side of Down)

Wow! That must've been scary. What I find so outrageouse is what just one small drink did to you. At least you learned but, wow! Great Job!That was well written!

on Jul. 23 2010 at 8:45 am
deus-ex-machina14 BRONZE, Stewartsville, New Jersey
1 article 0 photos 439 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;There are two main tragedies in life. One is not getting what one wants, and the other is getting it.&quot; -Oscar Wilde

Very enlightening to new drivers:D Great job!