You 100% can. People have gotten DUIs for operating a Zamboni while drunk, which is a vehicle that drives entirely in a closed environment not on the roadway.
You can get a DUI for driving anything while intoxicated that requires a drivers license to operate, regardless of where you are operating it. That said, people who get blasted and drive around their own privately owned fields are not likely to get caught. That doesnt mean that just because they dont get caught that its not illegal to do
qualia@lemmy.world 11 hours ago
Yeah, unfortunately you can get a DWI for pulling over and napping in your car on the side of the road because you didn’t feel safe driving. Because they argue how else did you get there if not by driving. And I suppose no one sober would choose to start drinking on the side of the road in a car.
A good challenge to this might be to use an acceptable BAC testing model right out of the box to record your BAC of 0.00, driving to the side of a road police travel by, retesting BAC of 0.00, removing alcohol from trunk, drinking and testing your BAC until an officer arrests you, then using the video and data for visual aids in the jury trial in your defense.
You’ll likely still get some fine for being considered to have wasted the states’ time & money, and may even lose if you’re unattractive and/or arbitrarily considered a public nuissance. But you’d likely be among the most cited case law for cases involving the dumbest college kids (e.g. me, based on how much time I’ve spent on this).
bitjunkie@lemmy.world 4 hours ago
You underestimate me.
grue@lemmy.world 5 hours ago
And guess what: having an open container of alcohol in a car is it’s own separate crime, just to make sure all those bases are covered.
KoboldCoterie@pawb.social 11 hours ago
It’s even worse than that. You can be parked right outside of a bar and still get a DWI, because if you’re in the driver’s seat and could conceivably access the keys, you’re considered to be ‘in control of the vehicle’, which is all it takes. So if you’re going to do this, make sure the car isn’t running, the keys aren’t anywhere near the ignition, and you’re in the back seat.
cobysev@lemmy.world 11 hours ago
Back around 2005 or so, I was stationed in Japan with the US military. A buddy of mine parked his car on the shopping strip in front of the military base’s main gate and then walked to a bar. Later that night, intoxicated, he stumbled back to his car, intent to sleep it off in the back seat before going home.
A gate guard saw him drunkenly ambling toward his car with a key in hand and ran after him. Busted him for a DUI on the spot. Dude didn’t even get into his car and he got a charge on his permanent military record for intent to drive under the influence of alcohol.
I dunno how things work in the civilian sector (I don’t drink at all), but the military doesn’t play games.