Very Upset

LegacyUser

I was out Saturday night and was picked up by the gardai for being drunk in public. I hadn't drank in a long time and got very ****ed up. I was in a real state. They kept me until I sobered and then let me go. The truth is I'm afraid I might get a summons or something for my behavior. I feel like scum and I feel ashamed. More for my parents than anything. I asked them if I would and I was told by right that I should by the way I acted. I feel sick.

cormthechippy

Upset1661 wrote: »

I was out Saturday night and was picked up by the gardai for being drunk in public. I hadn't drank in a long time and got very ****ed up. I was in a real state. They kept me until I sobered and then let me go. The truth is I'm afraid I might get a summons or something for my behavior. I feel like scum and I feel ashamed. More for my parents than anything. I asked them if I would and I was told by right that I should by the way I acted. I feel sick.

what did you get up to? moderate your drinking... there's no need to be drinking twice as much as you can handle... and just take control of your actions.

JuliusCaesar

Upset1661 wrote: »

I asked them if I would and I was told by right that I should by the way I acted. .

Asked who, the gardai? If they said they should be right summons you, it saounds as if they won't in your case.

Toots

What did u to to make them pick you up OP? Were you being disorderly or were you just really plastered and falling around the place and they took you in? Mate of mine was picked up by the Gardai while on his way home from a serious drinking session, absolutely legless he could barely stand and the Gardai picked him up and took him to the staion and kept him there until he sobered up then let him go (he was 18 at the time). Nothing happened as he hadn't actually comitted an offence, but they rang his mam to come and pick him up so he was murdered when he got home. It really all depends on the reason they picked you up TBH. Can u give us more info?

estar

Upset1661 wrote: »

I was out Saturday night and was picked up by the gardai for being drunk in public. I hadn't drank in a long time and got very ****ed up. I was in a real state. They kept me until I sobered and then let me go. The truth is I'm afraid I might get a summons or something for my behavior. I feel like scum and I feel ashamed. More for my parents than anything. I asked them if I would and I was told by right that I should by the way I acted. I feel sick.

alcohol doesnt suit everyone. and sometimes people find this out the hard way. you didnt harm anyone, i hope, except yourself.

it isnt the end of the world. i would suggest that you find out the name of the guard that took you into protective custody, and pay him a visit.
tell him exactly what you posted here, that you are totally ashamed, that
this is not typical behaviour and that you would like to know what the consequences are going to be.

apologise for wasting police time, which is really what you did.
they actually did you a favour. the worst case scenario of this is
that you assaulted or hurt someone, cause an accident or hurt yourself.
by taking you into custody they could have saved your life. thank them.

this is unlikely to be very serious, but its very very important that you realise
1. it isnt normal for people to react this way to alcohol. possibly you are someone who should never stray into heavy drinking territory again. one or
two drinks, max.

2. that you should explore why you drank yourself into this state. what was
going on in your head. is there something bothering you, dont you care enough about yourself not to put yourself into personal danger,

you need to respect your personal limits. you have learned a limit that you
have the hard way. visit the guard, say your piece, see what happens, although its unlikely to be serious, and respect what you have learned.

its serious, but its a learning curve. this happens to more people than
you will ever know about, and they got on with their lives. just learn from it.

Barlow07

Upset1661 wrote: »

I was out Saturday night and was picked up by the gardai for being drunk in public. I hadn't drank in a long time and got very ****ed up. I was in a real state. They kept me until I sobered and then let me go. The truth is I'm afraid I might get a summons or something for my behavior. I feel like scum and I feel ashamed. More for my parents than anything. I asked them if I would and I was told by right that I should by the way I acted. I feel sick.

What where you drinking? If you where drinking spirits and mixing your drinks, not something you should do especially if you havent drank in a while.

I wouldnt worry to much about, i would say the Gardai did for your own saftey to be honest. Everyone once in there life has experienced this at one stage or another, just be careful next time.

This is something you will look back and laugh about in a few months, years.

Dizzyblonde

All you can do now is learn from your mistake and move on. Everyone makes mistakes and it could have been worse, at least you feel ashamed of your actions.
I'm sure your parents are disappointed in you at the moment but it won't make them love you any less. You'll probably have to earn their trust again though.

LegacyUser

I don't believe I did anything bad. I was just very plastered and they picked me up. It's not the first time I've drank to excess and ended up in a state though. I tend to become depressed. I freaked out a little bit in the holding cell as well, I was thinking far from straight. I hope this hasn't given me a record or something...

TouchingVirus

Toots85 wrote: »

Mate of mine was picked up by the Gardai while on his way home from a serious drinking session, absolutely legless he could barely stand and the Gardai picked him up and took him to the staion and kept him there until he sobered up then let him go (he was 18 at the time). Nothing happened as he hadn't actually comitted an offence.

It is an offence

I have been summonsed to court over this. A few years ago I drank an entire bottle of Jack Daniels in less than 3 minutes by downing 2 pints of the stuff straight. I thought I could hack it and was completely unaware as to how it would affect me.

20 minutes later I was completely osscifed. Didn't know my own name. Refused from pubs and my friends left me be - I staggered home and fell over in a car park and decided to have a bit of a rest while I was down. I was robbed of my phone and money and was spotted by a patrol car, who brought me to hospital. I don't believe I was pumped but when I came to I went home.

The next day I apologised to the Garda and ambulance driver who assured me I wasn't abusive or violent but was in a pretty bad way.

2 months later I got a summons delivered to my home address (not my college one). Public order (1994) - An offence to be so intoxicated in a public place that you pose a danger to yourself or others.

If you are taken in for your own safety by the Gardai then you fall into the possible-summonsing realm.

My case was dropped on the day after I made a donation to the Garda Benevolence fund (€75) and had somebody (another senior Garda) speak up on my behalf. The garda who found me was determined to see me punished with €125 of a fine.

It is a criminal record, but it's only a public order offence / misdemeanour. It's akin to getting caught urinating in the street. It'll not stop you visiting the US or anything but if you aspire to getting a job with the Department of Justice or something it might raise a few eyebrows like it did for me at interview time (they still offered me the job but I never took it)

LegacyUser

Do you think if I go back in and talk to the gardai there might be less of a chance for me to get a summons? I don't care about myself but I haven't said a word about this to my parents. I don't want them to know. The guards took my address just before they let me go. I'll never live this down.

TouchingVirus

Upset1661 wrote: »

Do you think if I go back in and talk to the gardai there might be less of a chance for me to get a summons? I don't care about myself but I haven't said a word about this to my parents. I don't want them to know. The guards took my address just before they let me go. I'll never live this down.

Summonses usually go up to the senior Garda of the station to see what he thinks. Put it this way,It'll do no harm to go in and have a chat with him and say you're sorry.

It's not the end of the world either so relax

LegacyUser

Thanks for the support. I still feel sick to my stomach. I'm going to try to get some sleep but I feel so guilty. Things haven't been going well for me. And now this.

Overheal

I don't think you have anything to worry about OP: it sounds like protective custody. Basically they were holding you until you were no longer a danger to yourself, ie. intoxicated.

If you want I'd suggest delivering a Thank You card into the station, actually.

Edit: well I suppose you might have to be fined for protective custody; in practicality it sounds like a service fee to me. I'd still send the card though: gives off good vibes

Placebo

TouchingVirus wrote: »

It is an offence

I have been summonsed to court over this. A few years ago I drank an entire bottle of Jack Daniels in less than 3 minutes by downing 2 pints of the stuff straight. I thought I could hack it and was completely unaware as to how it would affect me.

20 minutes later I was completely osscifed. Didn't know my own name. Refused from pubs and my friends left me be - I staggered home and fell over in a car park and decided to have a bit of a rest while I was down. I was robbed of my phone and money and was spotted by a patrol car, who brought me to hospital. I don't believe I was pumped but when I came to I went home.

jaysus, a state. My 'friends' would never leave me be.
OP Upset1661 atleast you ended up safe. You might get lucky, gotta wait it out i guess.

estar

Upset1661 wrote: »

Thanks for the support. I still feel sick to my stomach. I'm going to try to get some sleep but I feel so guilty. Things haven't been going well for me. And now this.

of mine. they went in and explained. and nothing happened.
it was totally out of character to be fair. you should care about yourself.
its good to feel sick also. it means you are unlikely to repeat it.
go and explain - dont ask to be let off. just say - look, i just wanted
to say that im so sorry for wasting your time, and for not being responsible for myself. this is totally out of character, and im dealing with it by seeing a
counsellor (perhaps see one) to find out why i put myself in that dangerous situation. might not be a bad idea to explore why this happened with someone. not everyone drinks so much they cant care for themselves.

life is about dealing with the hand dealt to you. this is a little warning from the universe. take the lesson and use it, and move on. there is no need to
totally beat yourself up over it. that will just get you down and make you
more likely to engage in more destructive behaviour.

i know your family will be disappointed. it would be worse if they didnt care.
at the end of the day the most important person in this is you. your welfare.
and how to prevent this or any similar situation happening again to you.

you can get over this.

Toots

Perhaps I should have re-phrased my post. What I meant was, he wasn't picked up for causing damage to property, fighting with someone, urinating in public, etc.

OP, are you underage or are you over 18? I would agree with touchingvirus, going down to the Garda Station can't hurt. Worst case scenario they will be able to confirm whether or not you will get a summons, in which case you will know for sure and can then decide whether or not to tell your parents, or deal with it on your own.

Karen_*

Op I think you'll be fine. They as good as said they weren't going to take it further. Maybe to put your mind at rest go and talk to the garda. You made a mistake and you've been having a hard time. Now forgive yourself and move on. You're not the first person who's done it and you won't be the last. Just learn from it. I know you feel horrible but its not the end of the world.

WhiteWashMan

OH! A real bona fide con on boards.ie

I wouldnt worry too much about it. Worse case scenario, which is unlikely to happen is you will get a summons and fine and a misdemenour.

Pj!

It happens mate.
Happened me, twice! Never got summonsed though.

Well worth going and apologising to them though. I did. Showed em I was genuinly sorry and before I went even cracked a joke about it and we had a bit of a laugh (though this probably depends on ur personality and how the cop seems, worked for me anyway).

But seriously though, it happens. Every cop station in the country has lads in for being plastered Saturday nights. Just dont make a habit of it.

Bottle_of_Smoke

If you get a summons wear your best suit & make it clear how upset you are at what happened & acknowledge how you wasted police time. Could cut your fine in half.

Perhaps tell your parents now. I know a guy who got his summons 11 months after the event. Say you didn't realise how much you were drinking & just had a bad night. Unless you're really sure that won't help things. In fairness I don't know your parents.

Toots

Bottle_of_Smoke wrote: »

Perhaps tell your parents now.Unless you're really sure that won't help things. In fairness I don't know your parents.

+1 Your parents will probably be angry when you tell them, but it'll be so much worse if you tell them 6 months down the line after you've gotten your summons and have been ordered to pay a fine or something. Honesty is the best policy here. They may also be able to help you speak to the Gardai if you need someone to go with you for moral support.

Davei141

You would swear the OP just scarred somebody for life. Chill out "ill never live this down"...god help you when you ever do something even remotely bad.

daveirl

This post has been deleted.

TouchingVirus

Placebo wrote: »

jaysus, a state. My 'friends' would never leave me be

I'm an understanding guy. I was walking along behind them from the Roost to Brady's and they crossed at the lights before me so I told them to go on ahead and I'd cross in a minute and be up. Needless to say the Brady's bouncer didn't let me in, I was too stupeified to use my phone and about 5 minutes later I was in the ambulance on the way to Blanch - there's not much they could have done. Besides, I was only friends with maybe 3 of them and the rest were friends of friends - ultimately you're responsible for your own actions.

mc23

Go back to the station and find out the name of the guard who arrested you. Find out when he is working and arrange to meet him. Once he see that you are a decent sort and regret your actions, he will be able to tell you if the summons will go ahead. Once you apologise you should be able to nip this in the bud.

LegacyUser

Hey everyone. I have decided to let my parents know myself. All I did was get very drunk. If a summons comes after that I think I might just deal with it. I feel better than I did yesterday about the whole thing but the uncertainty is still killing me. The only concern after that really is , would going in maybe make the officer think he should make an example of me? Would I simply remind him that I was ****ed up? Or that I was looking for an out? No one told me I would get a summons, should you be expected to be told on your way out, so to speak? I think I'll go back in although others I've spoken to have told me to forget it and hope for the best. There doesn't seem to be a proper course of action.
Sorry for the legal-ish questions.

estar

Upset1661 wrote: »

Hey everyone. I have decided to let my parents know myself. All I did was get very drunk. If a summons comes after that I think I might just deal with it. I feel better than I did yesterday about the whole thing but the uncertainty is still killing me. The only concern after that really is , would going in maybe make the officer think he should make an example of me? Would I simply remind him that I was ****ed up? Or that I was looking for an out? No one told me I would get a summons, should you be expected to be told on your way out, so to speak? I think I'll go back in although others I've spoken to have told me to forget it and hope for the best. There doesn't seem to be a proper course of action.
Sorry for the legal-ish questions.

hi - you want to know whats going to happen. if the guard sees you
in front of him sober, scared and apologetic, he is unlikely to suddenly
want to punish you. if they have already recorded the issue there is nothing
that can be done, but going in and having a chat can only help or at the very least do nothing but ease your mind.

perhaps it may be a good idea to bring a parent with you if you
are going to tell them anyway. that would look even better. especially
if said parent looked really angry and said that you were in serious
trouble at home and that you had never done anything like this before. the guard might look even more kindly on you then!!

TouchingVirus

At 18 years of age you are responsible for your own actions, I think it'd look a tad ridiculous if you showed up with a parent to be honest. I was never told what I did was an offence either, so I was shocked when I was summonsed. The Garda might choose to make an example of you, he might not. It's kinda his call, you're only going to influence him by apologising genuinely. I know the one who arrested me was determined to make an example of me and my apology (which while very genuine and humbling) did nothing to sway him.

Sorry to be harsh but the proper course of action is to speak to the Garda, admit you made a mistake and try to convey that it won't happen again (and make sure it doesn't). Don't belittle your offence to the Garda either, because while it was only a little misdemeanour and there is a good chance they did just take you so you didn't get up to any drunken mischief, it is still an offence.

Don't worry about the folks. Don't worry about "living this down". This is just one of those things that happens a few people so chalk it up to experience. Trust me when I tell you there is nothing like eating humble pie and apologising to a Garda for being a drunken fool to set you on the straight and narrow (at least for a little while )

Take care OP and remember to know the one that's one too many next time

DublinWriter

Upset1661 wrote: »

It's not the first time I've drank to excess and ended up in a state though. I tend to become depressed.

If I were you, I'd be more concerned about my relationship to alcohol.

The main characteristic of an alcoholic is someone who once they start drinking, cannot stop until they are physically unable to.

I know plenty of guys who like a lunchtime pint everyday. You might say these are alcoholics but although they consume alcohol everyday can walk away after a single pint.

I also know guys who drink maybe once a fortnight, but can't stop when they do and end up in similar situations to yourself. These I know to be alcoholics.

Consider yourself lucky OP and think about how bad the situation could have been. You got away with life and limb intact. Maybe someone 'upstairs' is looking after you and decided that you needed a wee bit of a wake-up call.

tbh

Upset1661 wrote: »

would going in maybe make the officer think he should make an example of me? Would I simply remind him that I was ****ed up? Or that I was looking for an out?

What you are trying to prove by going to the guards is that you are genuinely determined to try and make amends, even if doing it is mortifying and uncomfortable for you. Not going shows that you don't really care one way or the other.

myself69

Do you only get a summons if you get arrested? What happens when they just take your name and address on the side of the street?

Bluefox21

TBH I think you should go into station before telling your parents if your not gonna get a summons you may aswel try avoid getting in trouble with the folks.

Karen_*

I'm sure its all sorted out now since the thread was posted in January.