Can't figure this out.

[Lou Girardin]

I got breath tested on my way to work in Newton this morning and blew a fail on the sniffer. My last drink was a wine with dinner at 8.00PM. Now, unless there's alcohol in toothpaste, there's something wrong with that guys sniffer. The second test was a pass. If the sniffer was faulty there'll be some worried people around today.
The other possibility is that I have a continuous blood alcohol level. But it might have been true 15 years ago, I doubt it now.
Very strange.

[FROSTY]

could ya maybee wear afte3r shave. I wear Kuros and thet definitely sets the sniffer off

[Keystone19]

some asthma inhalers can get it going too

[eliot-ness]

The wife failed the breath test a couple of months ago. She never drinks alcohol. Passed the second test and the cop said the first fail was probably due to the last guy tested being a "heavy smoker". WTF has smoking got to do with alcohol??? and if there is a link can nicotine in the bloodstream affect the blood test??

[Drunken Monkey]

Exhaust fumes can cause false alerts, so I was told by an officer once when I had the same result as you (fail then pass), although I hadn't had an alcoholic beverage for a few days.


some asthma inhalers can get it going too

It has been demonstrated the effects of the inhaler last no longer than 2-3 minutes maximum, and typically shouldn't register from around 30 seconds after an inhale.

[Sniper]

I have have that happen to me when all I had was a bit of pizza. I blew a pass on the second time around but the officer enlightened me to the fact that sometimes the equipment can still have breath residue left from the previous blower and that often can cause a fail. Leaves alot to be desired though

[Joni]

some asthma inhalers can get it going too
Yup they do, and so does my perfume... so Im pretty much poked the first test...

[Lou Girardin]

Anyone for zero tolerance?

[Beemer]

My husband doesn't drink at all and he got pulled up once on the bike and failed the breath test. He and his mates laughed and the cop said "I fail to see what is funny about failing a breath test" and he said "but I don't drink - at ALL!" He passed the second one, but he still has no idea what caused it to go off - it's not like it was inside a car where someone else was drinking, this was in the fresh air and he had his helmet off.

So no, I think I'd be a bit worried about zero tolerance - poor guy was a bit shaken!

[skidz]

Anyone for zero tolerance?
No thanks Lou.

[Storm]

Ditto to what he said (10 %&&* characters)

[merv]

You have your helmet on at the first sniff?

That happened to me in Upper Hutt one day and I hadn't had a drink for days at the time. Had to get off the bike, go into the booze bus so took the helmet off and all was fine.

Could be fumes, aftershave or anything else accumuating in the helmet I guess.

[mikey]

ive been pissed as a rotten skunk an got past those things. there a joke!

[Biff]

Mouth wash is a bugger for causing a fail. Been there, shat my pants, and walked away again.

[idb]

Anyone for zero tolerance?
Yep, better 100 innocent people get dealt to than one transgressor be missed.

[Lou Girardin]

You have your helmet on at the first sniff?

That happened to me in Upper Hutt one day and I hadn't had a drink for days at the time. Had to get off the bike, go into the booze bus so took the helmet off and all was fine.

Could be fumes, aftershave or anything else accumuating in the helmet I guess.

Flip front.

[F5 Dave]

My partner was on a ride along (when she thought she might become a cop, very civic minded lass) & they pulled some women, she failed, quite surprised, took her in & tested her with proper machine. Well under. Sent her on her way & proceeded to go back out, testing with the same bit of kit.
[Sez my girl]: ‘Erm, . . . shouldn’t we get a new tester?’
‘Why?’

:oi-grr:
That’s pretty much when she decided she didn’t want to join.


On the flip side, they are cheap enough so that they can do tests quickly, just they can’t be relied on. How many bikers have been killed by arsehats (©Jim2) driving while drunk? Heaps. I have no sympathy for DIC.

[raster]

Friend was involved in a DIC accident in Papakura recently.
Hit by a woman who stole mothers car drove up from Tauranga, got piss and was heading back home, went through a red light.

Luckely my friend didn't have her 2 kids in the car at the time as the child seat was smashed.

Dog hit the dashboard and was the only injury thankfully.

[BNZ]

ive been pissed as a rotten skunk an got past those things. there a joke!

Might wanna keep that one quiet. I can already picture the shit fight thats about to begin....

[curious george]

Hate to say it, but hows your breath?
Acetone breath due to keto-acidosis might have triggered it :yes:

[Lou Girardin]

Nah! Did the big exhale into the helmet to check. Did an armpit sniff test to double check.

[Lou Girardin]

Aha! I was just told that toothpaste can trigger the sniffer. If true, that'll make early morning checkpoints a bit pointless (geddit?)
Unless, cynic that I am, having many failed sniffer tests somehow looks good on the statistical returns to LTNZ.

[scumdog]

Anyone for zero tolerance?

No problem.

BTW the sniffer is only a kind of electric nose, most times if I have any inkling the dude driving has been drinking I go straight to the 2nd stage, that clears up any doubt one way or the other.

Even beer fumes in the car can give a fail reading.

As the 2nd stage gives most people on this thread a pass what's the problem?? - the first virtually doesn't count, - when has anybody EVER had to go to Court 'cos they failed the sniffer test??, it's just an indication that there is something akin to alcohol on your breath.

[scumdog]

Aha! I was just told that toothpaste can trigger the sniffer. If true, that'll make early morning checkpoints a bit pointless (geddit?)
Unless, cynic that I am, having many failed sniffer tests somehow looks good on the statistical returns to LTNZ.

Not sure on that - they don't record them all and don't HAVE to either, even if the stat guys prefer it.

[spudchucka]

A decent fart makes the passive test on a sniffer read fail, (don't ask me how I know that). So does mouth wash, freshly brushed teeth, cigarette smoke, fumes from a passing truck, after shave, bad breath,aliens flying over head & the second coming of christ.

The test to be concerned about is the one where you blow into the tube, which Lou passed with flying colours, god bless him. That test will detect alcohol content where the passive test simply detects foreign substances that might be alcohol.

[Lou Girardin]

Gee thank you Spud. I haven't reached the point of having to be pissed to face work yet.
The other point which I didn't go into, was where they were testing. A short narrow street in Newton where there's no parking, so that all drivers having to give a second test have to block a driveway. Much to the delight of the lovely young lady who had to wait in the middle of the road while Officer Dibble did two breath tests, checked my reg and wof and made notes about the owner of the bike.
She was so happy, so were the 4 or 5 drivers behind her.

[Marmoot]

Lou: if you're confused with your story, try mine:

After more than 3 months of not drinking a single sip of alcohol, one morning I decided to have McDonald's hot cake combo for breakfast before heading home after driving my wife to work.
Yep, got the sniffer test on the way home and it said clearly FAILED.
I didn't know that McD makes Irish Coffee for breakfast combo..... :wait:

[Marmoot]

A decent fart ...,aliens flying over head & the second coming of christ....

ah, that explains....I knew that day was somewhat special....must've been one of those three :yes:

[FROSTY]

sorry lou --Im missing a bit here.
I think we all want to keep drunks off the street. That sniffer thingie lets the cops test heaps of people very quickly--surely that makes them more effective.
Yea When its somebody like you then its a pain in the ass I agree

[Lou Girardin]

Read the post again frosty. I wasn't complaining about the testing in itself, just the unreliability of the device.
The time and location of the testing is another issue. But then you wouldn't mind if the cops were processing drivers across the entrance to your business, would you?

[unhingedlizard]

I remember reading about the second coming of the christ. Everyone was to busy watching NZ Idol to notice...

[spudchucka]

Read the post again frosty. I wasn't complaining about the testing in itself, just the unreliability of the device.
The time and location of the testing is another issue. But then you wouldn't mind if the cops were processing drivers across the entrance to your business, would you?
The device isn't unreliable at all. The passive test picks reads fail if it picks up any substance that might be alcohol. All it is is an electronic nose. The second function of the device is accurate and reliable. I have never processed anyone that gave a fail general result who wasn't at or above the adult limit. The Drager crystal tube kits are still used as well when a sniffer isn't available.

Regardless of where the police deploy check points there will undoubtedly be someone who is inconveinienced by it. However, most reasonable people are willing to put up with it in the interest of public safety and don't moan on internet forums simply for the sake of blowing their own trumpet.

[unhingedlizard]

isnt the point that with the sniffer device it will pick up 100% of people that have been drinking. It will also pick up innocent people from time to time but they will be cleared with furthur testing. I would rather be pulled and cleared on every one I meet that have someone drunk get away and kill someone. The only other way this could be accomplisehed is by using the second test as a standard. The downside is you would wait 15 minutes everytrime you came to a test.

I think the methoud they use is good.

[Lou Girardin]

OK I'm not going to turn a simple question into a shit fight with the defenders of the one, true faith.

[idb]

OK I'm not going to turn a simple question into a shit fight with the defenders of the one, true faith.
That'll learn ya!

[scumdog]

The only other way this could be accomplisehed is by using the second test as a standard. The downside is you would wait 15 minutes everytrime you came to a test.

I think the methoud they use is good.

The second test takes less than 10 seconds, I use it as a matter of course a lot of the time.

I put a plastic 'spit trap' on the sniffer, you blow for about 5-6 seconds and it will give one of three results: PASS, FAIL YOUTH or FAIL GENERAL.

The action you take after this test is based on what reading you got.

A FAIL YOUTH when you are 20years or over may trick you into thinking you are O.K. but it COULD be that your level is up at about 380 or so, over the youth level but under (just) the adult level, BUT for all you know the level could still be rising so a wise person would bugger off home tout-suit just in case.
Not like some bozos that don't take the advice, say "ya can't make me go home, I was under", drive around and 30 minutes later get pulled over and hey-presto, they're over the limit. "but the last cop said I was O.K." - no he didn't sunshine and bad luck!!

[froggyfrenchman]

had a sober fail and a pass when i was so pissed i fell outa my truck and couldnt light a smoke. drove away though. think they are just pretty crappy

[gixxer rider]

ive been pissed as a rotten skunk an got past those things. there a joke!

I to have been in that situation pissed as passed the the first time (don't know how) Haven't done it since. :drinkup:

[gixxer rider]

I got breath tested on my way to work in Newton this morning and blew a fail on the sniffer. My last drink was a wine with dinner at 8.00PM. Now, unless there's alcohol in toothpaste, there's something wrong with that guys sniffer. The second test was a pass. If the sniffer was faulty there'll be some worried people around today.
The other possibility is that I have a continuous blood alcohol level. But it might have been true 15 years ago, I doubt it now.
Very strange.

Maybe the cops just need to sort there shit out for sure.

[scumdog]

Maybe the cops just need to sort there shit out for sure.


I think you mean "their" don't you?? :whistle:

[gixxer rider]

I think you mean "their" don't you?? :whistle:

yeah cause I do,must of been excited at the time :yes:

[scumdog]

yeah cause I do,must of been excited at the time :yes:

And I think you mean "'course" or "of course" :rofl: :rofl: :devil2: :whistle:

[texmo]

I alwase fail them on my scooter has something to do with a 2stroke oil being emmited