Posted on 02/06/2013 3:57:49 AM PST by WesternCulture
A 61-year-old caught driving with a blood-alcohol level five times over Sweden's legal limit walked free after a court in southern Sweden cited his high tolerance for alcohol.
The man, who works night shifts in Ystad, southern Sweden, told the court he had been drinking heavily on the day he was pulled over by police in November last year, wrote the Skånskan newspaper.
He had downed the contents of six small snapps bottles and a full-strength beer during the day leading up to his shift, but this was nothing unusual, he claimed.
The 61-year-old explained that he drinks every day, even before work, and that the additional 200 millilitres of mulled wine (glögg in Swedish) made no difference to his mental state.
But when he was pulled over, the man had a blood alcohol content of exactly 1.0 promille, five-times over Sweden's legal limit of 0.2 promille and enough to warrant stiffer charges of aggravated drunken driving.
He claimed, however, that he didn't feel under the influence at all while driving to work.
He also blamed the glögg for putting him so far over the limit, but pleaded with the court that he shouldn't be convicted because he thought the traditional Swedish mulled wine he had been drinking was simply an alcohol-free variety.
The court agreed, stating in its ruling that as the man drinks alcohol every day, even before heading to work, he must have a high tolerance for alcohol, Skånskan wrote.
The court therefore threw out the charges altogether and the man was set free.
BUT, it is a fact that we Vikings have a higher tolerance for alcohol than weaker mortals like Russians, Latinos and especially far-East Asians. A lot of Japanese and Chinese etc. suffer from a certain genetic disorder which makes them extremely sensitive to alcohol. From Wikipedia: “Acetaldehyde dehydrogenases (EC 1.2.1.10) are dehydrogenase enzymes which catalyze the conversion of acetaldehyde into acetic acid. (..) Some people of far-Eastern descent have a dominant mutation in their acetaldehyde dehydrogenase gene, making this enzyme less effective.”
However, I haven't come across any scientific explanation to the fact that when inebriated;
- Latinos dance on tables
- Brits turn into football/soccer hooligans
- Germans invade France
- French invite Germans
- Russians still can't do nothing right
- Americans become John Wayne
WKRP’s Johnny Fever?
- I watched WKRP in Cincinnati on Swedish television back in 1979.
Thanks for reminding me of sweet memories, fellow Freeper!
Not a Ping?
The Irish sing sad songs that make you cry and like to do jigs (I can say that... my Dad’s side is Irish).
Don’t even get me started on the Alaskan Tlingit indians (in)tolerance of “firewater”, I witnessed it first-hand.
I wish I could get so drunk on so little!
The glögg made me do it.
Maybe he don’t exist anymore ... eh ?
- It’s only February and already I’m dreaming of a glögg Christmas..
My grandfather was just like Winston Churchill; he drank alcohol all day long and still did a good job.
He was appreciated among colleagues, business associates and neighbors and died rich.
I’m not rich for being a Swede (however, I’d say I’m a rather decent citizent), but today I don’t have to go to work so I’ll just enjoy myself. I’m fully aware many Americans dislike football, but today there’s a match between Argentina and my Sweden.
Plenty of free time, vodka and watching Messi and Zlatan on TV in the very same match - Scandinavia sometimes is paradise. Even wintertime.
But I miss glögg.
This begs the question;
Why was he stopped by the local constabulary? Did they smell mulled wine on his breath as he drove by? Or was it something more mundane like erratic driving? If so, that would cast doubt on the veracity of his statement.
Plus, it would make his assertion that he didn't "feel" intoxicated immaterial. If he was driving erratically, he was impaired.
Guilty as charged.
How many Irishmen does it take to change a lightbulb?
6. 1 to hold the bulb and 5 to drink until the room spins!
I can say that beause I am Irish. My Dad hated that joke, though.
LOL. However, 1.0 promille (that's 0.1 percent in amerispeak) isn't really that much, especially for a regular drinker.
Used to be that most countries in Europe had a limit of 0.8 promille (0.08 percent) so he was just a little above that.
Of course, FIVE TIMES OVER THE LIMIT sounds soooo much more impressive...
Some people do seem to have a high tolerance for booze. Sweden’s definition of impaired driving seems rather strict.
football - - you mean soccer?
Enjoy you day off. I’m working & temps supposed to be mid 70’s.
FMCDH(BITS)
Here is one my Mom use to tell (I think to tick my Dad off). Seamus O’Flaherty was a known drunk. His wife finally got him to talk to Father O’Malley. The priest said, “Seamus, if ye’ keep on a drinking, you are gonna get smaller and smaller and smaller. One day, mark me words... you’ll turn into a mouse”. Well, Seamus went home, kissed his bride, Fiona, on the cheek and said, “Promise me one thing, my Fiona. If you ever see me getting smaller, kill the damn cat”.
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