Stay Safe, Boulder – Avoid the DUI

Stay Safe, Boulder – Avoid the DUI

boulder dui

Maybe New Year’s Eve festivities won’t come soon enough for you today. The end of one year, the dawn of the next. Here’s Your Boulder’s wish for you: we want you to avoid walking (or stumbling) into the New Year with a DUI on your record.

Boulder is a sleepy town for crime. We like our bar fights and hate the bike thieves. Doors to homes around town are left unlocked because we know and trust our neighbors and love our neighborhoods. That means our police department doesn’t have much to keep it busy — a blessing and a curse. We honor those who dedicate their lives to public service on the police force, protecting our homes, businesses, and families.

But we’ll be honest — we don’t really want to contribute to the revenue side of the whole serve-and-protect thing. DUIs are big business in Colorado. Before you even contemplate drinking and getting behind the wheel of a car — or even IN a car with someone who’s been drinking, how about a few sobering facts about the penalties for DUI in Colorado?

We thought you weren’t too fond of the 1%. According to BoulderColorado.gov, there were 708 DUIs in Boulder County in 2012. Whenpopulation statistics hover around 99,000-100,000 people, DUIs are approaching 1 for every 1000 residents. For a community that sure likes to talk smack about the 1%, here’s a 1% you don’t want to join.

What it takes to get a DWAI or DUI. The legal limit in Colorado is a BAC content of 0.08%. For some people, that’s 2 drinks in an hour. For others, it’s 3 to 4. Our bodies handle alcohol differently every day. Here’s what you can count on: If an officer thinks you’re operating a vehicle in an impaired state, they will (without doubt) demand that you submit to testing to verify. And guess what? You can’t refuse in Colorado. Well, you can, but refusing is an automatic suspension of your license for one year. We know you love the Boulder bubble and the Hop, Skip, and Jump, but seriously — why not skip the drama?

What a DUI costs in Colorado. As we said, they’re big business. First, you have to get out of jail. Got bail money? Hope so, because posting bond is nonrefundable. At least bail money can be applied to your fines. Then you’ll have to get your car out of impound. Cash. Attorney fees will run you between $5,000 and $10,000. Then there are state surcharges (yeah, good luck getting out of these) in the range of $1,500 from the State of Colorado — and that’s in addition to any fines you might be required to pay. Then (the list keeps going, doesn’t it?), you’re going to have to take some classes for a few months. More cash. Oh, and then there’s the in-house arrest period that you could be required to comply with, complete with ankle bracelet. To top it all off, you could be required to place an interlock device on your car. This means you get to pay to have a breathalyzer installed on your ignition and you have to blow to start your car and periodically while driving to continue operating your vehicle. You get to pay for this device yourself and pay the monthly fee for the privilege of having this device on your vehicle. This is all sounding super sexy, isn’t it?

For a full, unfiltered look at penalties and expectations if you’re pulled over, here’s a Colorado attorney with a solid list of realistic resources. Bottom line? We hope you have between $5,000-$12,000 lying around. How’s that walking or hotel thing looking now?

We just want you to be safe. $5,000 to $12,000 can go a long way. In Boulder, we have a higher cost of living so that money is pretty precious. So when you’re out and about — tonight or any night — just think about what a DUI or DWAI could cost you. The New Year is the time for things to go right and Boulder — well, Boulder isn’t that big at all, is it? Walk. Wait for a cab in the freezing cold. Tell a doorman, bartender, waitress (hell, tell anyone) that you need a cab and to please get one to you. Maybe you’ll wait an hour. But it sure beats waiting a year to drive your car and it’s definitely better than potentially killing someone because you “were okay to drive.”

Stay safe on New Year’s Eve, Boulder, and raise however many glasses you’d like — responsibly. Your community thanks you.

 

 

John Marcotte
Marcotte Real Estate Group
720-771-9401

john@boulderhomes4u.com

Search for homes on my website @ www.boulderhomes4u.com

When thinking of Real Estate, think of John Marcotte
I’m never too busy for your referrals.

 

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New Years, Moneypenny: The James Bond Ball at the Boulderado

New Years, Moneypenny: The James Bond Ball at the Boulderado

new years boulder

Well, that’s behind us. Christmas — we’ve all survived another year of family squabbles, food not turning out quite as we imagined, running short of one ingredient or another at the last minute, and tidings of comfort, joy, and please stop playing that music.

Your Boulder hopes you had a brilliant holiday season, no matter how you chose to celebrate. But on to more important (and apparently, covert) matters.

Years. New Years, that is.

If you’re looking to stay local this year and still live it up, The Boulderado is probably where you want to be. And while I know I’m crossing spy genres here, your mission (should you choose to accept it) is a New Years party where even the hipest of hipsters can get their swank on. It’s the James Bond Ball — and all of Boulder (and Denver) is invited.

New Years in Boulder is generally lacking for bigger, glossier parties. This year, why not blow 2013 out with a bang and hit a real party? Skip the rave at a cold warehouse where you’re only going to end up crying wearing someone else’s sweater after tripping on things that are less than legal. There are a few ways to enjoy the James Bond Ball, so here’s everything you need to know:

Music

Two live bands for the evening: Dressed in Black and The Fever.

Dinner

You can make an evening out of it with a six-course dinner. $140 per person for a community table and $175 per person for a private table. All dinner packages come with general admission to the Dance Party beginning at 8:30pm. To check out the menu for the evening (ummm, YUM), have a look here. Seatings for the community table are at 8:30pm and the private tables at 8pm. All dinner packages include a champagne toast at midnight.

If you want to book a dinner reservation, be sure to call (303) 440-2880. You canbuy tickets online for the Dance Party via Open Table (this link wasn’t working last we checked, but it said to check back — so…check back).

Dance Party

Get your best Bond and Bond Girl on and head to a rockin’ dance party at the most elegant destination in town. Tickets are $85 (inclusive of a 20% service charge) and include access to the dance party along with “Bond Bites” to keep your stomach from rebelling when you’ve had one too many shaken (not stirred) martinis. Per the Hotel Boulderado website, doors open at 8:30pm and the party runs until 1am — or until you stumble home to sleep it off.

Sleeping it Off

You could just stay at the Hotel Boulderado. They have an overnight package for $249 that includes a room, 2 tickets to the dance party, and valet parking. To purchase this package, call (303) 442-4344. Seems wise to sleep it off where you plan to party it up.

Whatever your plans for the New Year, we’re wishing all of Boulder a grand celebration in whatever style you choose. Stay safe, and as always, stay Boulder.

 

 

John Marcotte
Marcotte Real Estate Group
720-771-9401

john@boulderhomes4u.com

Search for homes on my website @ www.boulderhomes4u.com

When thinking of Real Estate, think of John Marcotte
I’m never too busy for your referrals.