17 March 2008

New Alcolizer thingy-a-me-jig testing machines

| Joe Canberran
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Alcolizer

The ACT Police seem to have some new hand held alcohol breath machines, I believe the Alcolizer, made by (or sold by at least) Queensland company. It’s my understanding that it has a “passive”; being you just talk near it, and a “active” test; using a tube you blow threw.

Has anyone seen these in action yet? Or used them? either as a testee of tester? If so, opinions? etc?

Oh, and as usual I couldn’t find anything on the AFP’s ACT Media release webpage as yet. You’d think they’d be proud of a new piece of kit.

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I’ve heard that it’s not a good idea to say “I hate the f%#king cops” or “Why aren’t you out catching murderers, you tossers?” into one of these things.

Purely hearsay, of course! 🙂

Hearsay is being a bit kind, methinks.

It actually sounds like complete and utter crap.

I heard that some of the country NSW cops love to use the new talky breathalysers on their friends as further you are away from the face to get a reading, the less the alcohol will show 😉

Purely hearsay though…

The talkie style ones aren’t so good when your a bit tongue tied at the impression of a lovely blonde with a very voluptuous front end of an ‘arrest me, please’.

As it turned out she is used to a number of people stammering in a perplexed silence kind of way as they stare at these corkers shoved in their window.

** Disclaimer **
She ain’t in the ACT, you’ll have to go looking up NSW way for the officer I am mentioning.

Yep, these are great, much quicker at RBT’s and no plastic tubes for most people. If it does record a positive reading then a tube is produced and used in the traditional way to give the reading.

The old ones are still around but eventually all will be in the new style.

I got tested by a “talkie” style one in the ACT years ago (at least 4, maybe 5). I would imagine that this may be the reason that there’s no recent media release announcing them…
I had no problems with it, other than that it seemingly got it wrong during the talking part because the cop asked if I’d had anything to drink recently (“not for about 2 weeks…”), so we went to the “blow” part, which obviously worked a bit better.

They have been around for ages, and I prefer them (no stupid ritual with white tube in plastic bag). At the end of the ski season, I used to have a floor-full of those white tubes, rolling around.

Had one of these presented to me ages ago. I must say I prefer it to the white tube.

had to blow into one these on Saturday Night. Seemed to work perfectly, i.e. I didnt get pinged, good result for all concerned say I.

Qbn survivor , I can’t tell if your BS’ing or not but you do realise that these things don’t actually use your speaking to tell if your drunk they still test the air that comes out of your mouth just like any other breathalyser.

Any how I think they have been using them in NSW for a while, I got tested with one just out side of Goulburn about 3 years ago.

I got tested with one of these in NSW 3 years ago. I think it was around March/April 2005.

I always have difficulty breathing long enough for the other testers so I definitely preferred it.

Joe Canberran10:39 am 17 Mar 08

Cool, an admin fixed up the image I mucked up and someone has given me 4 stars! This star thing almost makes me want to improve the quality of the stories I submit…

Almost.

Qbn survivor10:38 am 17 Mar 08

I got tested with one of these in NSW about 4 months ago. Pretty easy to use, all you gotta do is talk. Obviously less waste than the old testers (i.e. no little plastic thingy that then floats around in your car for the next six months :-P)
I did wonder though – what if you have a lisp, or other speech impediment? Would you get hauled in for a blood test, or would they then use the breath testing apparatus?
Call me cynical, but I don’t think it will be too long before someone cries ‘discrimination’ and we go back to the old system…

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