re: You can't get a DWI riding a bike can you?

Maybe not but you can get a public drunk

The statute in LA is vague about a bike, but the Supreme Court has interpreted it to mean motorized conveyance.

Heard a State trooper bragging one time about how he almost wrote a guy a DUI for operating am elevator drunk.

Correct. The state Supreme Court actually recommended amending the law to include bikes, but the legislature has never done that. As it stands now, you can't get a DUI on a bike in Louisiana. Other states definitely give you DUIs on a bike.

I prefer to ride my bike to the bars. If I get loaded though, I might still cab or public transit it home. Not real safe to ride when you're loaded.

A LA appellate court held back in 1984 that "other means of conveyance" does not include a horse. They interpreted the statute to apply only to motorized vehicles.

Not sure if the LA Supremes have ever addressed that issue, but their bike case should cinch a win for a drunk equestrian.

These cases will not necessarily prevent you from getting arrested when drunk on a bike or horse. Cops often do not know or care what the courts say the law is. See the unconstitutional EBR arrests for homosexual acts in private. You could get arrested, have to post bail, get name in paper, etc. Then you hire a lawyer to move to quash the charge. You will "win," but at a cost.

I've heard of a dude riding a bike home instead of driving, because he had been drinking.

He got stopped by a cop who told him it was illegal to ride his bike on the sidewalk. Then the cop decided he was drunk and gave him a DUI. He spent two nights in the slammer and had to pay the cops a lot of money.

This was in denham springs.

If the question is whether some overzealous law enforcement officer might arrest you for DWI on a bicycle (or a horse - see later), the answer is, "Probably." If the question is whether you can actually be convicted of DWI for either of these two things, the answer is "NO." A more probable arrest with be Disturbing the Peace by appearing Intoxicated in Public.

I think there should be a completely different charge for it. It is indeed dangerous, but no where near as dangerous as driving a motor vehicle while intoxicated. Therefore, the punishment should not be as harsh as that given to idiots who actually drive a 1,200 pound vehicle around town while drunk.

BWI ftw

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I thought whatever you were driving / riding had to have a motor to get a DWI.

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nope. Same buddy who got threatened with a DUI on a skateboard got one for falling asleep in the back seat of his car while drunk. The keys were in his pocket and he had gone out there to fall asleep while waiting for someone else to get ready to leave. Cops woke him up and arrested him.

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Read that link.

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I'm in the usual tl;dr crowd but it took all of 5 seconds (I read slow).

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Precedence says bikes don't get DUIs in LA.

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