SHAMOKIN - Wow.
That's the best way to describe my eye-opening, stomach-turning, headache-induced experience as a participant in Friday's Standardized Field Sobriety Testing conducted by the Institute for Law Enforcement Education at Shamokin Rescue Squad behind the city's police station.
I've been known to have a beer or two or three before, but nothing could have prepared me for what I en-dured Friday.
The sobriety testing, hosted Thursday and Friday by Shamokin Police Department, Northumberland County District Attorney Tony Rosini and the North Central Highway Safety Network, involved volunteer drinkers downing either rum and Coke or vodka and orange juice in 16-ounce cups until they reached various points of intoxication producing blood-alcohol content levels of .08 to .14 percent. The free "drinking binge" began at 8 a.m. with participants filling out paperwork for instructor Ashley Heiberger. Volunteers were then asked to walk across the room to another instructor, John Trindle, who operated a very expensive Breathalyzer to
determine the alcohol content in each of the participants.
Following periods of drinking, watching television, card playing and humorous conversation, the nine volunteers were allowed to munch on chips and pretzels around noon. The group was later summoned to the sally port area of the rescue squad quarters, where 16 police officers from Northumberland County and other counties took turns conducting a series of tests that involved walking, balancing and following the movement of a pen with your eyes.
Pizza and training
After the multiple tests were completed to detect impairment, volunteers were treated to pizza and water in an attempt to bring down their alcohol levels. The nine of us then headed for an adjoining classroom, where training program coordinator Tom Winters had provided instruction to police officers in alcohol detection and testing for three days.
Each of the nine volunteers had their respective Breathalyzer tests taken at different intervals announced by Heiberger. The officers who conducted the field sobriety tests on the participants were then asked if they would have arrested the volunteers based on the results of their walking, balancing and eye contact.
Unfortunately, none of us would have avoided arrest. But I had the fewest officers raise their hands in regard to arresting me. One local officer said he would be apprehensive about arresting me in fear I'd write a bad story about him.
Getting down to .05
After receiving our evaluations, we went back into the squad recreation room to see if he could get our breath tests below .05 percent, which was a requirement to be released from the program. Some of us made it no problem, while others, including myself, had to drink more water to reduce my level. I checked out about 4:45 p.m. and received a ride home from Shamokin Patrolman Mark Costa. A few others weren't so lucky and remained at the station "shaking the webs" while lying on couches.
I paid the piper the rest of the night as my head felt like a boulder hit it, and my stomach kept on gurgling.
I want to thank my boss, editor Andy Heintzelman, for allowing me to participate in the unique sobriety testing. In my case, it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience because, at age 51, I was feeling my oats and have no intention of drinking any more rum and Cokes.
I also would like to commend Shamokin Chief of Police Edward Griffiths, who recommended me for the event, David R. Everly, regional coordinator for the North Central Regional DUI Enforcement Program in Pottsville, and the three instructors who were cool, courteous and caring throughout the long day.
Heiberger and Trindle are police officers in the Bethlehem and Philadelphia areas, respectively, while Winters recently retired from Lock Haven Police Department.
The Institute for Law Enforcement Education, which employs the instructors, is part of the Pennsylvania Department of Education.
I also extend gratitude to my table mates, Paula Deitrick, Karen Smith and her daughter, Lauren Smith, all of Elysburg, who held nothing back in their conversations in making the day enjoyable. Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on how you felt after the program, Lauren Smith got to be the "wild card" for the day, which meant she only had to drink soda while helping the other participants get through the training.
There were only six participants in Thursday's training, including Kathy James of the infamous James' Pizza gang, who was entertaining throughout the day, according to the three instructors. Knowing Kathy for many years, it doesn't surprise me that she was the life of the party.
Lesson learned
As the primary "police beat" reporter for The News-Item for 29 years, I've written about many people who were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or a controlled substance. Now, I know first hand how it feels, but thank God it wasn't for real. I'd be a hypocrite to say I've never been drunk or driven drunk in my life, but I made a vow after Friday to always turn the car keys over to someone else once I start "feeling good."
Stay thirsty my friends. If you have to drink alcohol, stick with beer. Liquor will kill you. And never drink and drive.