seems pretty simple. It wont be a problem anywhere here until you get in an accident. if you are drunk, you will probably be at fault by default and you can expect to lose in any court battle and insurance likely wont cover you. Cops will probably not give 2 shits unless you make a scene.
I see drunk people on bicycles every other day, sometimes i see ambulances helping old men that are plastered to the side of the road, i see cops doing the same. Have not ever heard of, never mind seen, anyone get in trouble being intoxicated while riding a bike ( or walking), just expect all your legal rights to now be void if drunk and trouble occurs. And frankly, i like it that way. Be dumb, suffer the consequences. Hurt someone while being dumb, get your ass handed to you and rightfully so. But seems you still have the right to do some stupid shit here.
At least in the area i live in, riding (a bike)/walking can be treated the same as far as being drunk goes.
that i can see happening, though i have found my being white has gotten me out of things more than its gotten me into things, though i have never been drunk while driving…
last night i was coming back form a nice night out in the mountains under stars and campfire. about 4-5am in the middle of the mountains i ride by an old lady (70s?) absolutely plastered and happy as can be riding down the hill with a fishing rod. I love Taiwanese that are cheerful and dont give a fuck, lets me realize how uptight we tend to be in the “civilized world”. i offered her a ride as she looked liek she would take a dive any second, but it seemed i was making her nervous and interrupting an otherwise truly blissful bike ride in the hills, so left her be.
Isn’t it Uganda where there are NO! repeat offenders? The coppers simply take them to the side of the road and shoot them in the head. However, in Uganda that may also apply to jaywalking.
EDIT: If you have money, the money is gone and unless you have some heavy political power at your immediate disposal, you are still shot in the head. While living in Mexico near San Jose del Cabo, I used to carry a $5.00 bill in my left pocket and a $50 in my right, the rest in my sock. If the fiver doesn’t work, use the $55 and if that doesn’t work, you better have a friend willing to post bail because your ass is off to the squalid cells.
This probably shouldn’t have made me laugh, but I can almost picture the bored cop sighing in the middle of the night because he has to use his limited English to call the dumb dead foreigner’s parents half a world away.
I doubt cops care, at least not in Taipei. I wasn’t aware it was illegal until a couple of years back, and I had been riding past cops with ubike multiple times with a beer in my hand. But, it being illegal, could be a good idea to stay away from the major roads
I never heard of any drunk on a bike being stopped by the police. I know of a drunk riding bicycle stopped by a street light. That was much celebrated at the office.
Yes,they can be.
Usually charged after an actual accident occurs. A person I know (local) was riding drunk (license was revoked for both scooter and car due to previous duis.) He wobbled and swerved his bike into an oncoming car. Car and occupants were fine. His bike was totaled and he was in hospital and physical therapy for months. He was charged with a DUI. Had to serve some jail time too.
About 2 years ago there were some announcements and news reports about the illegality of driving a bicycle while drinking and even a couple news stories about people being arrested but seems it was usually because they did something wrong like bumped into someone but at least one story where they were just roadblocking people on the sidewalk at night.
1989 I was charged with being drunk in charge of a horse and cart.
1872 Licensing Act, which states that it is an offence to be ‘drunk while in charge on any highway or other public place, of any carriage, horse or steam engine’.
I had missed last train so went and got my horse and cart to get home.
Fined £25.
