r/BeAmazed • u/rotomato30 • 2d ago
Miscellaneous / Others Three friends in China pushed their car home so they don't get arrested
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u/Resident_Rain_6566 2d ago
Where I live, all it takes to get a dui is having the keys in the ignition.
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u/digost 2d ago
Where I live there is a service called "Sober driver". For 5$/h an insured driver will drive you wherever you want to in your car and park it where you tell them to leave the car.
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u/whitedsepdivine 2d ago
New Mexico used to have the highest DUI rates. So after midnight, all cabs are $3 from the bar to anywhere. The state pays the difference.
Not sure if they still do this, but they did 15 years ago.
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u/Extension_Use_1991 2d ago
Back when they actually cared about the community’s
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u/CockMartins 2d ago
I’d bet almost anything Uber and Lyft would lobby local governments to drop that program so fast and send those sweet subsidies their way instead.
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u/Erroneously_Anointed 2d ago
My university did this! A small cab company in town would drive students for free. It was the same gentleman who served an elderly client at the care home where I worked. Knowing the driver made college life a LOT less stressful than Uber does, these days.
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u/digitalscavenger 1d ago
The Tavern League pays for the Safe Ride program in Wisconsin and provides free cab rides home from the bars. If you remembered to ask, the bartenders can also provide a voucher to give a cab driver to take you to your car the next day. Not sure why more people don't utilize it (I'm looking at you Tony Romo).
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u/Individual-Ad4311 2d ago
At my local bar in New Mexico they have a sign with a number, sign says it's a completely free ride home but I don't know if that's true.
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u/adeadbeathorse 1d ago
China has something called dàijià (substitute driving) where you get drunk at a restaurant or bar and request a driver through an app, they arrive on a tiny folding electric bike or scooter, fold it up and put it in your car's trunk, drive you home in your own car, and ride off to their next customer. It may be more suitable to urban areas, though.
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u/balanced_views 2d ago
Where’s that at
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u/digost 2d ago
Mongolia
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u/ma33a 1d ago
Its in the UAE as well, its called ZOFEUR. It works out cheaper to drive to the pub, and get driven back in your own car than to take a taxi both ways. You can also get them to do things like take your car to the service station, or pick it up. Or pick it up from the airport when you go away and park it back at your house.
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u/Cosmic_Meditator777 2d ago
so how do they get to your car in the first place? if they drive their own, do they just leave it there?
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u/whatsthatguysname 2d ago
In China, it’s typically two dudes who will come to you on one scooter and one of them will take your car.
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u/NevesLF 2d ago edited 2d ago
Hey we have that in Brazil too!
Except you don't get your car back.
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u/whatsthatguysname 2d ago
Lol. But isn’t half of the country off duty police officers and the other half pro footballers?
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u/Alldaybagpipes 2d ago
Generally, with these services there’s two drivers that show up in a car, one drives your car and you to your destination, the second car follows and then picks up the other driver before heading off to the next call.
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u/neverspeakofme 2d ago
Some of them use an electric scooter, then they put the electric scooter in your boot.
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u/jakezhang94 2d ago
There are similar services in china as well (not in all areas i guess), it's rather expensive (2x ~ 3x the price of taxi).
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u/minato3421 2d ago
Ha e a similar service in my city as well. Used it a number of times when I had no plans of having a drink but had some after
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u/CCCCLo0oo0ooo0 2d ago
I knew a guy who got a DUI for sleeping in his SUV with the keys thrown in the far back. Dude's GF problems, left party he planned to sleep at, too drunk, slept it off. Cops at sun rise. This was long before Uber and such.
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u/gaspronomib 1d ago edited 15h ago
This (sort of) happened to me! I had a few too many so I asked the bar tender if it was cool to crash in my car in their parking lot. He said OK but made me hand over the keys so that I wouldn't get charged with DUI.
Sure enough, the cops showed up around 4AM and tried to nail me. Did they believe it when I said the bar tender of the (closed) bar had my car keys? Of course not. They searched the fuck out of my car, looking for the keys. About an hour and two different sergeants later, they decided that I couldn't be hauled in for DUI because I didn't have "control" of the vehicle any more than a passenger sleeping it off in the back seat did.
Funny coda to this story: I still got cited for refusing a PBT, though. Pleaded not-guilty. Charges dismissed. Total damage to my wallet was around $1,500 after all was said and done.
EDIT: Got this question in a dm and thought I would answer everyone instead just the one person.
Question: "How did you get your keys back if the bar was closed?"
Answer: The bartender was a friend. I had his number. Sadly, the cops didn't want to hear that, nor would they call him to verify it.3
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u/Jellicent-Leftovers 2d ago
Simply having the keys and being near your car here in Canada.
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u/ItWearsHimOut 2d ago
Same in most of U.S. You could be sleeping it off in the back seat, but as long as you have access to your keys it's an OUI.
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u/ubiquitouslyAbsent 2d ago
Where I live, all it takes is having your keys while you're near your car
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u/CockMartins 2d ago
I think it’s crazier than that even. I’ve heard of people getting DUIs on bicycles. Might be one of those urban legends that spring up around college campuses though.
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u/scrotumsweat 2d ago
I got a dui on a bicycle on a bicycle route. I contested and won. Such a bullshit law.
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u/MelbaToast604 2d ago
Where i live even being i the vehicle with the keys is a dui. If you say sleep in the backseat with keys inside the car its considered intent to drive if youre over .05
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u/The_Frog221 2d ago
Shit, in many places in the US you can get in the backseat, keys in your pocket, lie down, and fall asleep, and get a dui because you were "in control" of the vehicle.
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u/hundreddollar 1d ago
Where i live (UK) you just have to have the keys "accesible". IE - Anywhere in the car. Sleeping off the booze after the pub? Better make sure the keys aren't with you.
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u/endofworldandnobeer 2d ago
Yeah, but if this happens in US they might have a case, because of their intent not to drive. You can get a DUzi on a horse, in the back seat of your car if you have the key within reach, but these 3 guys had an intent not to drive home, but push the car home. I am genuinely curious now. Worked with court for a few years back when cellphone was a brick.
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u/imuniqueaf 2d ago
In the United States the term is "actual physical control". This would actually be a DUI in the USA.
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u/Sad-Error-3984 2d ago
Endangering other drivers by pushing a car while drunk is a thought they might be too drunk to think
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u/beastmaster11 1d ago
As it should be. These guys are pushing a car drunk down the middle of an active road. This probably is safer than driving but in the same way as smoking cigarettes is safer than smoking crack
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u/imuniqueaf 1d ago
Definitely. They are even in the passing lane (if that picture is even real, which I kinda doubt)
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u/SheriffBartholomew 1d ago
Which is broadly interpreted and used in a predatory manner. I know someone who got a DUI for realizing they were too drunk to drive and deciding to sleep in their car. A cop woke them up in the middle of the night and arrested them for DUI. It ended up having a substantial negative impact on their life. The argument was "he had his keys in his pocket, so he could have chosen to wake up and drive at any moment". Welcome to pre-crime prosecution.
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u/Trick_Succotash_9949 1d ago
if you were in the UK you’d still be drunk in charge of a vehicle.
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u/wart_on_satans_dick 1d ago
It looks like the lights are on so the keys are likely in the ignition. Even if the engine isn’t on, that’s a driving while intoxicated charge in the US. Depending on where they are, it’s not impossible a cop could give them a lesser charge but with for-profit policing these days I would highly doubt it. Either way, just walk wherever you’re going and leave the car.
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u/Ok-You4214 1d ago
I came here to say basically this. Drunk in charge of a vehicle can theoretically be just you sitting on a bench by your car holding the keys.
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u/Lifeabroad86 2d ago
In Japan, if the driver is drunk. Everyone in the car gets a DUI as well
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u/The-Big-Sadness 2d ago
How's that work for something like a cab. The driver could be intoxicated even if slightly and the passenger couldn't tell
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u/manavcafer 2d ago
Oh shit. Passengers loose license too? I mean suspended
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u/69_CumSplatter_69 2d ago
yes they get suspended and lose their passenger licenses, they are not allowed to be passengers in any vehicle during this period, including ambulances.
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u/syncopegress 2d ago
False, no such thing as a "passenger license." Passengers who knew they were with a drunk driver face criminal penalties, they aren't banned from transit and won't automatically lose their license. Obviously no ban from emergency medical services
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u/BeGoodToEverybody123 2d ago
Some people just abandon their car, while these guys are more responsible about it
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u/wildcardbets 2d ago
They intentions were good, but it’s 100% more responsible to leave their car parked somewhere and getting a taxi back. Drunkenly pushing a car down a night time road is kinda asking for either someone hitting you, or you discovering a hill you didn’t expect.
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u/procrasturb8n 1d ago
That's exactly what happened to two guys from my high school. They were pushing their car in the road and a car came over the hill and clipped them. They both lost their legs.
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u/Exact_Temperature526 1d ago
since they were drunk, they might have lost their logics and ended up in this situation, lol
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u/UnremarkabklyUseless 2d ago
Responsible but also very irresponsible due to the risk involved in pushing a car in the middle of the road.
At night time, there could be ditracted drivers and also drunk drivers on the road.
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u/Kodak333 2d ago
If the owner of the car was so responsible he wouldn’t have drunk enough to the point where his car needed to be pushed home.
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u/BeGoodToEverybody123 2d ago
You're right. I was just thinking of a New England Patriots football player who abandoned his car on I-495 to escape the po-po. I was comparing to that. Lol
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u/hangonreddit 2d ago
This is a drunk person’s idea of being responsible. I applaud their intention but as many people have pointed out there are many alternatives that are far safer. In fact, in China there are services that you can call where a guy arrives on a fold up scooter to drive you and your car home.
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u/Ms74k_ten_c 2d ago
Once upon a time, humanity was amazed at the nature, the sky, the milky way. Now we are "amazed" by 3 people pushing their car home.
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u/TheRealOvenCake 2d ago
i think we're still amazed at the first 3 things too tbh
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u/BandicootSolid9531 2d ago
What, you mean CIA directing, Vatican, flat earthing, CGI and so on...? Do not underestimate present stupidity..
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u/pm_your_nudie_booby 2d ago
This does not avoid DUIs kids. Don’t do this. I have a friend who was pushing his car with the help of a friend. They were both charged with DUI. A better move, if you have AAA, is to call a tow truck, tell them there’s something wrong with the car and you’ll fix it in the morning, just ask for the tow home.
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u/DunkeyColdMedina 2d ago
I mean it does seem very unlikely But you are saying a bunch of united states stuff and this purports to be in China.
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u/wrnrg 2d ago
AAA is going to start asking questions when I call for a tow every Friday and Saturday at around 2 a.m.
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u/IvoryWhiteTeeth 1d ago
In China it does, as long as the front seat is empty AND engine is off. They may still be charged with impeding or unlawfully occupying traffic though.
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u/LVRaiders2026 2d ago
The better move would be to uber it home and uber it back in the morning to pick up your car.
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u/TheRavenclawCommonRM 2d ago
Honestly, just weigh the cost of two uber rides and any parking tickets you might get against the cost of towing your car home and riding in the cab.
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u/Temporary-Truth-8041 1d ago
That's very sound advice, though I very seriously doubt that these CHINESE are AAA members.
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u/Able_Green_6812 1d ago
I remember reading about how in Japan, they actually consider the whole group responsible if someone's driving drunk, no matter whose car it is.
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u/MenstruatingBear 2d ago
Good way, better than those so call friends who know you were not supposed to do but still enticing you.
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u/iforgotmyoldnamex 2d ago
Pretty good, but still not as good as the drunk guy who had his blind friend drive while he gave directions.
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u/itspassing 2d ago
Its a no-win situation that we have created. When you are too drunk, there is no legal way to commute. ( at least in aus)
Bike, scooter, stakeboard, rollerskates can all land you with a DUI
Walking home or catching the bus can get you with Public Intoxication.
Uber or taxi? Right to refuse you if you are plastered, and they will
Sleeping in your car with the engine off to avoid going home? Yup DUI
Getting your sweater out of your car and have the keys in your pocket? DUI again!
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u/valcatrina 1d ago
They could also call for driver service. You hire a driver on the phone, he comes by bike, put his bike in your trunk, drive you and your car to a destination, and then leave by his bike. It’s a service in China major cities.
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u/kittysworld 1d ago
Wouldn't be easier just walk home? Walk back when sober and get the car later. Guess they don't live far
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u/PoopsMcScoots 2d ago edited 2d ago
Cops give people in wheelchairs DUIs.
They won’t give two shits they are pushing the car,
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u/TheDoseMan 2d ago
Relative of mine got a dui on a bicycle in Virginia. Yup, standard pedal bike. Cops dgaf.
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u/PridePresent2386 1d ago
In China, the penalty for DUI is like two weeks in jail but no severe penalty other than that. You don't even lose your license, I think. It happened to my friend's uncle, and everyone just talked about it like it was hilarious and they made fun of him when they picked him up upon release.
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u/Training_Guide5157 1d ago
What? That's not true at all. The DUI laws here are really severe.
The Chinese driving system runs on a 12-point system. A DUI results in a 6-month suspension, a monetary fine, and a full 12-point deduction which requires the person to take a bunch of courses to reinstate the license.
That's for a first-time offense.
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u/zx190195 1d ago
yes,vary serious. like Government employee can easily lose job due to dui .never dirve after drink.喝酒不开车
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u/phonartics 1d ago
a “dui” in china is a bac between 0.02-0.08%, i.e., legal in the US, and you lose your license for 6 months + a fine.
a US equivalent dwi (BAC over 0.08%) is a 5 year suspension of your license and up to 3 years prison.
and as other person said, yeah, if you hit someone, GL. permanent license revocation and whatever crim charge you get.
it’s much more serious in china. and why there’s a big industry of drivers who drive your car home for you
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u/Weekly_Finish1960 1d ago
This is not true. There are two levels of punishment in China, one is DUI, and one is drunk driving. DUI will cause you lose your license for 6 months, but drunk driving will cost you up to 6 months in jail. If severe accidents happened, you could be jailed more than 3 years. Also, you'll lose your drive license for years. Another consequence is that these will be considered as criminal records and not only you but all your close relatives will be banned for applying any government and official jobs.
It is clear that the three friends here know exactly the severe punishment if they choose to drive the car. How can you claim you ever lived in China without knowing these rules?
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u/Aquadian 1d ago
If you cause a wreck that injures or kills someone, you can also get your license permanently revoked
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u/metaslaves 1d ago
Lmao not true at all. Maybe it was lax 10-15 years ago but China now takes drunk driving very seriously.
Drinking & driving is a fine + license suspense for 6 months, and requires you to retake your test which you can only do after like 2 years.
Drunk/intoxicated driving is literally criminal offense and can land you in jail for a month + criminal record. My parents have a coworker that took his own life because he got fired from his job after getting caught for drunk driving.
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u/SometimesIBeWrong 1d ago
that's horrible lmao, DUI kills people regularly.
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u/koolaidismything 1d ago
You’ve been to jail? It sucks pretty hard. For a DUI I only had to do one night but the next three years of classes and all my extra money was the hard part.
I deserved it. But I’d still probably take that over two weeks in jail. I’d have lost my job
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u/metaslaves 1d ago
Horrible because it’s not true.
China takes DUI/drunk driving much more seriously than the US.
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u/Current_Finding_4066 1d ago
2 weeks in jail seems way more serious that most countries punish it.
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u/Shotay3 1d ago
I would have preferred 2 weeks in Jail over 1 year loss of licence, the 4000€ I had to pay, have visual testing/first aid testing, register for all documents, re-register my driver licence, do psychological pre testing for my "Medical Psychological Screening", drug testing for over a year and the sheer strain and punishment that was put onto me, for having a little bit of cannabis left in my system and I was simply tested in a routine control... No reason what so ever, no indication of "bad driving". Wrong time, wrong place, wrong outfit.
Made me lose jobs and a lot of money. 2 weeks of jail anytime over this.
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u/FlyingTractors 1d ago
What they failed to mention was that the alcohol level for DUI in China is not even considered DUI in the US…that already costs you jail time and your job if you work for any state controlled entities. The alcohol level of DUI in the US is considered drunk driving in China which suspends your license for at least 5 years and will imprison you for at least a year.
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u/Radiant-Ad-3134 2d ago
I think it still violates some regulations or laws in China.
But hey... at least they were not driving under the influence.
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u/-AG-Hithae 1d ago
rip the transmission
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u/Nomnom_Chicken 1d ago
Passat CC's were available with a manual gearbox as well, so could be just fine.
Also nice coincidence, I drive a CC as well. Mine is a pre-facelift version with the same color. Thought something about the car looked familiar until I zoomed in.
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u/can_i_get_a____job 2d ago
Not amazing but I will give credit for being responsible by not drinking and driving
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u/HenryNeves 2d ago
Update: they were executed by ICE 0.5 miles down the road because one of them had a tan from dental work in Tijuana
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u/UnusualSpecific7469 2d ago
I don't understand why they did it because you can literally hire someone very easily to drive them back home, this kind of service has been existed for very long time in China.
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u/d3willi3 1d ago
Uber ? Maybe Lyft ? Shiiiiit call a horse
https://giphy.com/gifs/XpJFlRyhyD4YQGXKmd
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u/RadioWeak1118 1d ago
Lol, as if doing this will make everything legal… What kind of laws do they have in China? You’re drunk, just push your car home, and everything will be fine…
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u/matthewpepperl 1d ago
Man the concept of a bar is so stupid. Give people a place to become intoxicated then they cant go home without waiting a while potentially a very long time. Yea great idea.
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u/Virtual-Entrance-469 1d ago
that's actually so dumb in the most adorable way, like why not just let one person drive sober
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u/Stunning_Code3233 1d ago
that's actually a really smart way to avoid trouble, wish i had friends like that when i was younger
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u/Spiritual_Bug1907 1d ago
I think "pushing the car so they don't get arrested" is a surprisingly creative solution to avoid a DUI.
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u/Senior_Effect_5421 1d ago
I feel like this is more dangerous than operating the vehicle regular style.
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u/Palanki96 1d ago
Why not just leave the car there and walk home? This just seems dangerous for anyone who use the same road
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u/enigmaticsince87 1d ago
Or "so they don't kill anyone"... We don't all just think about ourselves ..
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u/Material-Truth5457 1d ago
Well pushing drunk isn't the same as driving drunk, I think they found a loop hole.
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u/MonotoneJones 1d ago
DUIs are so dumb. You shouldn’t drink and drive but if you get home safely I don’t understand why you should get in trouble for that. Why not just make the penalty of hurting someone while drunk much more severe than when sober?
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u/XxShakallxX 1d ago
Not ride shares in China or they are just having a drunken moment? Because that was dumb.
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