A Tough Lesson | Teen Ink

A Tough Lesson MAG

By Anonymous

It was the end of my junior year, the weekend before prom. I was riding around that night with some friends, and a bottle got passed around the car. Everyone was taking swigs. Then the bottle got to me. With it in my hand I thought, What will I do? I took a swig. That was the biggest mistake of my life – I had to drive home later that night.

We arrived at my friends’ house and watched a movie. About an hour later I asked them to bring me back to my car. Not thinking, I got in and drove off.

At a stop sign I realized a cop was sitting in the parking lot across the street. When I saw his headlights turn on, I knew he was going to follow me until I got home. About a mile from my house, the cop turned his light bar on. All I could think was, Oh no, that swig!

I pulled over and waited for him to come to my door. It felt like forever. “Can I see your license and registration, please, Miss?” He took them and went back to his car for a while. When he returned, he asked if I had been drinking.

“Yes sir,” I said. He asked me to step out of my car.

“Walk heel to toe down the white line, please.” I passed the test. Next he had me stand on my left foot and lift my right foot six inches off the ground, and hold it for thirty seconds. Anyone who knows me knows that I’m not the most coordinated person. I can’t even walk and chew gum at the same time. So, needless to say, I didn’t do the best on that test. Then he had me look right while he shined a bright light in my eyes. I passed that one too. He then asked me to take a breathalyzer test.

That’s where I messed up. I told him I didn’t want to and didn’t understand why I had to. The officer asked me three more times, and I continued to refuse.

He told me to turn around and place my hands behind my back. I thought that he was going to pat me down, but I was wrong. All of a sudden I felt cold metal on my wrists. He arrested me right then and there. As I was sitting in the back seat of his car, all I could think was, God, I’m in so much trouble … my parents are going to kill me.

The cop drove me to a town twenty minutes from my home. Being arrested was so scary. The officers brought me into a little concrete room and asked me a bunch of questions. Then they called my parents and told them where I was and to come get me or they would take me to a children’s home until my court date. When my dad got there, I ran and gave him the biggest hug ever, and he whispered into my ear, “I love you so much. Everything will be okay. Let’s go home.”

If I had only known what would happen. The next week I got an attorney, and I went to court two months after that. I was charged with a refusal. I got $700 in fines, forty hours of community service, and had to attend a MADD meeting. I’ll be on probation for a year, and I have to take driver’s ed again. And I lost my license for a whole year!

This has been a huge learning experience for me. It opened my eyes to how easy it is to make a stupid decision. I want everyone reading this to know that it’s not right to drink and drive, and it definitely isn’t worth losing your license over.



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This article has 73 comments.


Polythene GOLD said...
on Jul. 23 2010 at 7:43 am
Polythene GOLD, St.petersburg, Florida
15 articles 17 photos 37 comments

Favorite Quote:
"living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding all you see."

wow that was great!

on Jul. 17 2010 at 8:41 am
HOPEfully SILVER, Clayton, North Carolina
6 articles 1 photo 30 comments

Favorite Quote:
My Cinderella. She is real. She exists. I pray for her constantly. May God satisfy the desires of her heart, draw her close, consume her. May He claim her passions, her identity, her refuge, her hopes, her strengths and weaknesses -Adam Young

wow. great writing. fate taught you a lesson that you can teach many other people.

on Jul. 13 2010 at 12:55 am
DannyKid33 PLATINUM, Pleasant Hill, California
34 articles 2 photos 81 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Don't ever let the media tell you what to look like. You're beautiful the way you are. Stay beautiful, keep it ugly." - Gerard Way.

my older brother just did this and finally got caught for it by the police, and i have no clue how long it has been going on for. im scared for him; he's going to court and i hav no clue what is going to happen to him. i hope he can learn a lesson like you did

on Jul. 1 2010 at 8:46 am
K9_Typical_Islander SILVER, Koror, Other
7 articles 0 photos 47 comments

Favorite Quote:
Hours of boredom followed by moments of excitement (and adrenaline)- that's fishing

I wrote an article somewhat like this, but the person actually died. The irony was that he and his family do this alcohol-free driver programs; then one night, he was cycling home then got hit by his own cousin who was drinking and driving downhill. Sometimes, lessons are learned the hard way, and other times, the person doesn't even live to learn the lesson. You were fortunate yet unfortunate simultaneously. You're piece is insightful. Thanks!! ~ though i can't drive yet, not a car.

_Mags_ SILVER said...
on Jul. 1 2010 at 7:36 am
_Mags_ SILVER, Somewhere, North Carolina
9 articles 7 photos 436 comments

Favorite Quote:
- I stare danger in the face and giggle
- Never argue with an idiot, people might not know the difference
-R.A.P (Retards Attempting Poetry)
-Tip Cologne ryhmes with alone

weird, where i live there are parties with drugs and achoal and the police know about it - i don't do any of that stuff. I think your town is more sane, and you did learn a good lesson the hard way which is sometimes the only way to get it.

kksme SILVER said...
on May. 18 2010 at 6:46 pm
kksme SILVER, Greenvale, New York
9 articles 0 photos 11 comments
Someone in my town just died because of a drunk driver, it's good people are taking this seriously.

on May. 18 2010 at 6:32 pm
chartothalatte GOLD, Cleveland Heights, Ohio
10 articles 1 photo 62 comments
wow! kinda of harsh! but you did learn a big lesson.

on May. 13 2010 at 5:11 pm
wow, thats terrible. I hope your parents aren't too mad. Seems like the court kinda overreacted. Well, lets just hope it doesnt happen again. Thanks for the insight.

EmelyJ GOLD said...
on May. 5 2010 at 8:02 pm
EmelyJ GOLD, Bronx, New York
10 articles 0 photos 23 comments

Favorite Quote:
"A mistake is not a mistake if you learn from it. If you learn from it, it's not a mistake, it's a lesson."

It's good that you learned your lesson, and don't blame yourself. Everything happens for a reason. If you think about it, because you learned your lesson, you made a big impact in many lives, because now, we're one step closer to ending drunk driving. Good luck!!!

iheartyou said...
on May. 2 2010 at 6:20 pm
wow...my friend had a party a while back and everybody was there and a lot of people were drinking one but her parents told everyone cops couldnt come on there property...well state troops could and they did and one of my friends had refused to take it and she only got ten hours of community service and thats all they did the parents didnt get in trouble at all...and last year a girl died at my school she was drinking at a football game and the princpal told her to leave since she was drinking he shold have called her a safe ride home but just let her drive of herself and she recked and died she was with two others but they only got injured but i think the princpal could have got her a safe ride if he knew she was drunk but he didnt get in trouble at all

Cutiegurl said...
on May. 2 2010 at 6:11 pm
My friends were drinking and driving and I was in the car with them.I didnt drink,I kept telling them to stop and then.....we got into a car crash!Me and one of my 8 friends survived,but badly injured.Me and Kimm,my friend,spent 6 months in the hospital.The worst part was,I couldnt make it to their funerals.I really learned a lesson,Don't be friends with people unless they are friends with you.

on Apr. 23 2010 at 7:31 am
sk8terboi SILVER, Deltona, Florida
5 articles 0 photos 14 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Love is like a rainbow you will never find the end." I wrote this quote myself.

This is Awsome!!!!

Check mine out itz called Linda my first love.

 


on Apr. 4 2010 at 10:42 pm
Robkingett PLATINUM, Tallahassee, Florida
24 articles 0 photos 86 comments

Favorite Quote:
When I was little they called me a liar, but now I'm grown up, they call me a writer.

she told the cop.

on Apr. 4 2010 at 10:33 am
sydneeharris16 DIAMOND, Auburn, Maine
76 articles 4 photos 32 comments

Favorite Quote:
we the willing, lead by the unknowing, are doing the impossible for the ungrateful. we have done so much for so long with so little, we are now qualified to do anything with nothing.

i see where you went wrong, but, if you only took one swig, why didnt you just take the breathealizer test??

on Jan. 6 2010 at 9:49 pm
Melonn PLATINUM, Phoniex, Arizona
25 articles 3 photos 26 comments

Favorite Quote:
change your life

Democracy... while it lasts is more bloody than either aristocracy or monarchy. Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There is never a democracy that did not commit suicide.
John Ada

i am glad you got in that much trouble so maybe youll learn a lesson you got lucky not being in a car crash i have no sampthy for someone drunk who would have killed me or people i love

on Jan. 6 2010 at 7:39 pm
Yousmell-likealoser BRONZE, Belgium, Wisconsin
4 articles 5 photos 43 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Life may not always be what you want, but life is all you've got; so stick a flower in your bellybutton and be happy!"

I didn't realize there was so much punishment with just taking a swig & then driving off. To be honest, all that work would kill me, although I'm not lazy at all.

EmelyJ GOLD said...
on Jan. 6 2010 at 5:32 pm
EmelyJ GOLD, Bronx, New York
10 articles 0 photos 23 comments

Favorite Quote:
"A mistake is not a mistake if you learn from it. If you learn from it, it's not a mistake, it's a lesson."

It doesn't matter. There's no telling what that 'one swing' could of cost her. Thankfully she learned her lesson. I really hope you do too.

EmelyJ GOLD said...
on Jan. 6 2010 at 5:29 pm
EmelyJ GOLD, Bronx, New York
10 articles 0 photos 23 comments

Favorite Quote:
"A mistake is not a mistake if you learn from it. If you learn from it, it's not a mistake, it's a lesson."

WOW...I know how you feel, trust me. I lost several friends a while ago because they were smoking some marajuana at school in the boys' batheroom. Since our classroom was right next to the bathrooms, we smelled it right away. I didn't find out right away that it was my friends who did it. And when I did, I didn't believe it . But when I saw them get arrested and driven from school in a police car...it was difficult. Just please remember that mistake is only a mistake if you haven't learned from it. If you did, then it's not a mistake, it's a lesson.

on Jan. 6 2010 at 9:03 am
Crystal_McMillion GOLD, Peach Bottom, Pennsylvania
12 articles 0 photos 5 comments

Favorite Quote:
Love hurts worse than hate because when you love some one you have to love all that comes with them.

my names laura im 13 and i use my sisters account on here a lot. i read your story just now and i think its good but Hardly scary, my sisters boyfriend is in jail now but before he could walk, talk, and drive drunk without most people knowing he had been drinking. never got busted for drinking while driving and he got pulled over at least three times while they were driving to the store and got off with a warning even with him in the drivers seat.

on Jan. 6 2010 at 8:16 am
She took one swig, it's not that bad. Why is everyone freaking out if she took one swig like she said. That cop was not taking consideration, although you could have drunk a lot. If you passed most of the tests you shouldn't have to take the breathlilizor test. It's a shame.