Bad day scary night.......

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AfterBurners

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Today I lost my job. A job that I enjoyed but for whatever reasons they let me go? I came home had dinner and instead of staying home I went out and had a coffee. I didn't want to go home so I went for a beer and after the beer I had a screwdriver. I was probably there a little over an hour. The bar is right around the corner from where I live and I next thing you know I'm getting pulled over. The cop ask if I have been drinking and I lied and said no, but he pulls me out anyway. Takes out a note a pad and asks me more questions while writing notes. He shines a light in my eyes and has me follow it. In between he ask if I have been drinking and admit I have. I told him I had a beer and where / what bar I was leaving from. I told him I lost job and feel depressed. I said I just live right around the corner less than a mile and I just want to get home. I said you can even follow me home. I was just be truthful. He continues to ask me questions from what I had for dinner and when I ate and how much sleep I got the night before and what time it was now. He also asked me the year and make of my truck and also if I knew the street location where I was at. I answered all his questions. He also asked me how long ago I stopped drinking and I said about 30 minutes ago.

So next thing you know I'm doing a field sobriety test. Glazing up with my eyes closed estimating 30 seconds and telling him when I feel I reached 30-seconds, which I just counted off in my head. All the while knowing this will be my worst day in my life. Next on to raising one leg and counting out loud until being told to stop. I think I got to 18 second before I had to put leg down because I lost balance, but raised it again and started counting. Last I walked in a straight line taking 9 steps and then pivot and turn (heel to toe) He sat me on the curb and had me follow his finger again which I did. He then walked away to talk to his partner. He came back and asked me to get up.

He handed me back my drivers license and registration and proof of insurance. He said "he felt I wasn't over the limit, but close and said to drive home and he wasn't going to follow". He said something to the affect that "things will get better and something else will come along" He also said "it's alright to have a drink once and awhile but don't drive" he said "It could have been a lot worse" I shook both their hands

Its nice to know that there are still cops out there that have some compassion. IDK? Maybe he just knew I was being honest with him.

I got in my truck and drove home. That is my last time I will ever do that again!! I'm not a big drinker I was just feeling down. but that still isn't a reason to drink and drive.
 
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I recommend that you never drink and drive. One is too many.

This would scare many to be sober.
 
Ouch on the job loss. I'd be shocked if 2 drinks had you over the legal limit unless they were large / contained more that 1 serving of alcohol.
 
I recommend that you never drink and drive.

THIS.

I have lost (3) people in my life to drunk driving, please don't partake.

Losing the job really blows, I am really sorry to hear that and best of luck to you! Network as much as possible! :)



Justin
 
Good luck on the search for a new job.

Keep in mind, the interaction with the constabulary could have gone much worse. If it had, that would make the job search that much more difficult.

Many moons ago, I spent a couple of years driving a tow truck with a now dearly departed uncle. Saw it too many times. Way too many.

Everyone... Please don't consume intoxicants and then operate a motor vehicle. The results can never be good.
 
Sorry to hear about the job loss - that just sucks, no matter how you slice it.

In regards to the other, stay safe -- nothing is worth putting yourself or someone else at risk.

-Kevin
 
I'll pray for you to find a job soon. Glad the cops A) did their jobs and thoroughly checked you over, and B) were able to show some compassion.
 
Wow...you are very lucky that a bad day didn't turn into something far worse! It's great you are sharing this, as this could be a huge help to make an impression on people right now, and possibly save a life at a later date.

People need to understand that the more you drink, the more your judgment gets impaired. You don't have to be falling down drunk to be too impaired to drive.

At my college dorm, many moons ago, we had a Indiana state trooper give a talk and at the end, they had two of my classmates (who I knew) take a breathalyzer after drinking a 6-pack (they started drinking before the talk). Both of these guys seemed normal, maybe a slight bit sillier than usual, and one blew a .10 (officially "drunk" at that time) and the other blew a .08, which is legally drunk in California now. That made an impression on me!

Due to motor and cognitive impairment starting even after just one drink, there are people now pushing to lower the BAC to .05 for a DWI, so people need to be careful! Don't drink and drive.
 
You were looking for a job when you got the last one........ (that's what people keep telling me)
I am thankful that I never learned to drink to excess. I drink about a case a year, and generally at home.

Yep losing your job is a downer. Wrecking your car &/or hurting/killing someone would be a big downer. Some people drink to escape, wake up the next morning and find out their wallet is a lot lighter, then drink a little more to escape that, and the cycle continues.....

Today is a new day. Learn from the experience and move forward. Maybe take today to reflect and think about where to go from here.

Tomorrow, your job is looking for a new job. Remember that a job is just what you do to pay the bills & put food on the table, it can be temporary until you find better.
 
It doesn't take much to go over the limit in most states. 3 drinks will put most well over the limit, and I would even say that there are enough impairment when you had one drink that you shouldn't be driving after 1 drink, even if it's legal.
 
Thanks guys for all your input. To be honest I hardly drink and let alone drive while drinking. I know better but was in a bad place. I felt bad about what with my job and yet I know that isn't the right answer. I loved my job and the money was good... they just recently extended my contract until July and yet I guess what happened. It was an email more than likely taken the wrong way.

I would like to post it if you guys would offer honest feed back
 
There's lots of reason to let people go... a lot of time it's either the company's downsizing, and if you worked in a large company/franchise your employer don't even have much say in keeping you, because the decision was made by some bean counter a long ways away and many levels up. Other time it's just a "you outlived your usefulness". But if you got experience it shouldn't be hard to find a job at their competitor....
 
I recommend that you never drink and drive.
Years ago, I was driving home from visiting my father when I noticed a car coming up a side street too fast to make a stop. Everything seemed to go into slow motion and I hit the brakes and had time to think, "I wish I had my seat belt on" when the car came into the intersection, swerved my way, crossed over the center line and hit me head on.

The girl driving the car was a minor and had been at a party where she had just a little too much to drink. She wasn't drunk but did have impaired judgment. She was unfamiliar with the road she was on and didn't realize until too late that the road ended and there was a stop sign. By the time she hit me, I had slowed to almost a stop and she had slowed when she tried to make the corner so it wasn't as bad as it could have been. I smacked my head on the steering wheel which resulted in a mild concussion and banged my knee on the dash but escaped without serious injury.

The thing that bothered me the most about the situation was that when the cops arrived, they didn't bother to check to see if I was alright because they were "too busy" arresting the other driver and they wanted me to find a ride home because they were having a "busy night". I told them my head and knee hurt but they didn't call for any medical assistance and one of them just drove me home.

I always wear a seat belt now, but that was a lesson to me about drinking and driving.
 
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Thanks guys for all your input. To be honest I hardly drink and let alone drive while drinking. I know better but was in a bad place. I felt bad about what with my job and yet I know that isn't the right answer. I loved my job and the money was good... they just recently extended my contract until July and yet I guess what happened. It was an email more than likely taken the wrong way.

I would like to post it if you guys would offer honest feed back

I would be open to reading it, but keep in mind that without knowing the people involved or the surrounding details, I probably won't be of much help.
 
Dan-thanks so much for the Christmas card. Hang in there, buddy-you're a valuable asset and I'm sure something will come along. I was down and off work for almost a month and I can appreciate more now that there are no gaurantees in life. You have an awesome grilfriend, so focus on spending a little time with her and your friends. The next reload is on me at ROC. Merry Christmas!
 
I'm sorry to hear about your job and your close call. That's terrible. I hope you get another position soon. In the meantime, try to enjoy some time off during the holidays, relax, rest up, and get your energy up for a job search.

About the email, I think you might not want to post it here for feedback. If you think you need someone to look at it and give you feedback about it, I'd share it with some trusted friends in confidence, not post it to a public forum. If for any reason it got back to your former employer or your future prospective employers that you shared the email that you think may have played a part in your being let go, it would not help you in your job search. Often companies do a bit of research about prospective employees' online activities, and you would not want a reputation for airing dirty laundry online. Same goes for the story you already shared --- talking publicly online about a close brush with a DUI is not the kind of story that helps get you hired. You post under a screen name, and you don't have identifying details in your profile, but you never know how this info might get connected to your real-life identity.
 
I'm sorry to hear about your job and your close call. That's terrible. I hope you get another position soon. In the meantime, try to enjoy some time off during the holidays, relax, rest up, and get your energy up for a job search.

About the email, I think you might not want to post it here for feedback. If you think you need someone to look at it and give you feedback about it, I'd share it with some trusted friends in confidence, not post it to a public forum. If for any reason it got back to your former employer or your future prospective employers that you shared the email that you think may have played a part in your being let go, it would not help you in your job search. Often companies do a bit of research about prospective employees' online activities, and you would not want a reputation for airing dirty laundry online. Same goes for the story you already shared --- talking publicly online about a close brush with a DUI is not the kind of story that helps get you hired. You post under a screen name, and you don't have identifying details in your profile, but you never know how this info might get connected to your real-life identity.

Yeah that's a good point you make. I won't share it. I look at all of you as brothers from different Mothers. When I come on here I know I'm not judge and I can honestly about myself. I guess its a trust you gain with quality people like yourself(s)
 
I can seriously relate to your feelings. I was laid off from my job almost exactly 6 years ago (18 December 2008), exactly 1 week before Christmas. I too felt like crap, and didn't know where to go. Now, 6 years later, I'm looking back at it as one of the best things that happened to me. It was a good spurring to get in gear and go for better things.
You drinking / driving experience is a great "let that be your warning." It could have been very much worse!
You'll get something better. Keep your head up!
 
That is a scary episode you had with the law . . . glad it turned out ok. Good luck with the job hunt and I hope you find a job you like even more than the one you lost; more pay would also be a nice thing.
 
Sorry for your job... that sucks. It's never easy to lose a job, even one you may not be particularly fond of. I know I was in the dumps for MONTHS after the school let me go from my bus driving job, even though I was about 90% ready to quit on my own because the working conditions and lack of backup sucked so hard... Turns out the dipsh!t they hired to replace our boss about a year before I got canned (I was the third one he canned in about a year) has since run off about half the drivers they had when I was still working there. Pretty much says it all...

Anyway, you were VERY lucky with the cops... usually the instinct is to "arrest and ask questions later". Course if you DO turn out to NOT be intoxicated, you have grounds for a lawsuit, and most departments don't want that. Doesn't do you much good when you have to go through all the rigamarole of defending yourself anyway, let alone a civil action for an improper arrest...

Chalk it up to experience, learn something from it, and move on. That's the best thing you can do...

Best of luck to you. Something better will turn up. I know after being in the dumps for months, losing that job was one of the best things to happen to me in years...

Later! OL JR :)
 
Sorry for the job loss...
I had a bunch of encounters like that one before I finally had to make a choice. For me, getting loaded became more important than my safety, my family, my... You name it.
Clean and Serene for over three years. Nearing number four.
What kind of work do you do and where are you located? I'll bet someone here knows someone who knows someone who knows someone who needs someone like you.
 
Thanks guys for all your input. To be honest I hardly drink and let alone drive while drinking. I know better but was in a bad place. I felt bad about what with my job and yet I know that isn't the right answer. I loved my job and the money was good... they just recently extended my contract until July and yet I guess what happened. It was an email more than likely taken the wrong way.

I would like to post it if you guys would offer honest feed back

If you are under contract, and you did nothing to break it on your part, are they not responsible for wages and benefits until your contract expirers?
 
Sorry to hear about your job loss and the aftermath.

I am an Entrepreneur and run my own business, partly because I have always pursued my own dreams but also because I became disillusioned at a young age with how companies made, what seemed to be, cold decisions. These are decisions I have witnessed, as well as been a victim of (not to be overdramatic), but also had to make myself. Personally for me, in most cases, they were hard decisions as I know it may have a negative effect on someone or even a family. As others have said, don't beat yourself up for the loss or the fact that you made a bad choice...take a bit of time to put it into perspective.

Having said that, you need to believe that this is an opportunity for you to take stock of your situation and try to initiate some positive changes. Take a bit of time to think about what you enjoyed and didn't enjoy about your last job, employer, sector, etc. and try to shed some of the negative aspects by using this as criteria for your next opportunity. If you just look for the same-old same-old, then you may find yourself in the same situation sooner than later.

As an example, looking at the sector you were in, was it on a downward trend or upward trend. If downward then look for a related sector that is trending upward, one where you can still leverage your strengths, experience, but keeping in mind your likes and dislikes list.

If this makes sense to you then write it down, it will be a worthwhile exercise; likes on one side, dislikes on the other; strengths on one side, weaknesses on the other; etc.

Good luck
 
it depends on what the contract says. Most likely they can break it with penalty (meaning they pay you for breaking it). Or if it says "we can terminate the contract at any time" then you're SOL....
 
It was an email more than likely taken the wrong way. I would like to post it if you guys would offer honest feed back

My wife lost her job a few years ago mostly due to "an email taken the wrong way". It sent her on a spiral downwards that was frankly, worse than what you posted above. It's natural to think to yourself "I don't think what I said was that bad!?" or look for confirmation from other people that you said something truly bad. However, rumination on this is only going to lead to more misery and bad self introspection. I understand it's devastating, but the best you can do for yourself is to try again at a different job, hopefully not moving "down the ladder" too far. I wish you the best of luck, and am sorry for what happened to you.
 
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All of you have been very helpful. Its time to take some time off and spend it with me and do some things I've been wanting to do. No job is worth the worry when we don't know if either of us will be around to see tomorrow? There are other jobs out there I'm sure and I will write down my likes and dislikes and pro and cons and what I want from my next position and be much more selective.
 
All of you have been very helpful. Its time to take some time off and spend it with me and do some things I've been wanting to do. No job is worth the worry when we don't know if either of us will be around to see tomorrow? There are other jobs out there I'm sure and I will write down my likes and dislikes and pro and cons and what I want from my next position and be much more selective.

I think that is an excellent plan!
 
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