The end

Well, the end finally has come and gone. This journey was mostly just written with some details on what some others of you might go through, if you end up putting yourself in a bad situation. From October, last post, until now, I submitted my paperwork for another face to face hearing, got together with my lawyer, which is highly recommended you get one, and had my hearing. After a few weeks, I got the letter I was both hopeful for and dreading, and thankfully, it was a full reinstatement! I've had no problems with my Simple Interlock device in that time frame, worked like a charm, followed all the rules, made SURE I was following the speed limits, traffic signs, etc. You'd be surprised how much more in-tune you are to your surroundings and traffic signs when the paperwork tells you "No Violations, period." Yes, that includes a speeding ticket, or rolling through a stop sign, or making a right turn when it's no turn on red. Be careful out there, your independence counts on it! From the day that I got my paperwork to having my license in hand was just one day. I was very happy to find out I could pay my fines at the local Secretary of State, and with proper insurance was immediately issued a temporary license while the main SoS printed and sent my new one. Just a note, if you time things right and you get into the SoS, pay your fines, have an approval letter, and get everything taken care of within a year of your last driving test for relief, you don't have to take the driving test again. Kind of nice, but I of course was very interested in moving forward safely, and putting this behind me. I can't stress enough if you are revoked, to hire a lawyer. It made the entire process that much less worrisome. If you get a good one, they will help in a major way to review your case and make sure you've done things properly. The SoS in Illinois are experts at seeing through BS, so I caution you not to lie to them. It's much better to admit the truth which may make you sound bad, than to try to lie your way through it. Good luck to anyone who has read this blog, and was looking for help. I know it's stressful, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel if you're dedicated to making the right choices, and hard work. Don't Drink and Drive!

October

Could freedom be coming soon? I hope so. No fails, all passes, of course that's easy to do when you don't drink. I heard from my installer just through listening in over the visits each month, about some of the problems people tend to have with their BAIID. They can't get the BLOW BLOW BLOW - HUM/Blow, Hum/Blow timing or sequence down. Some others have emphyzema from smoking, so their lungs aren't strong enough for the device to register their blowing. I fortunately didn't have any of those issues up to this point, aside from just not paying attention or taking a big enough breath. In that case it just tells you to blow harder and you start over. Only issue was still the bad curly cord in August. Haven't had my battery die, I even let it sit for almost 9 days one time while out of town. I'd say the quality/age of the battery has a lot to do with that. Mine didn't need replaced, my car had about 35k miles on it when I started this Journey, about 5 years old, but I replaced it with a Duracell Ultra Gold anyways. My lawyer is prepping for my final hearing in Illinois sometime in the next 2 months, that was another fee both to the lawyer and the $50 state fee. I had to go back to my education facility and get an updated report from my counselor, that was another $150 fee. I have to get three more letters of recommendation. All in all, a process, but not one I can't work through. It IS expensive to get your license back. I don't have to have a lawyer, but it's my bit of security as my lawyer is one of the best in the area.. this is all he does. It will be nice to not have the Secretary of State taking pictures or video of me every time I drive my car, hopefully in the near future.

Not too much going on

It has been awhile since I've posted an update. Not a lot more to report, as my BAIID time has been going fairly well. I did have a problem with my device in August. The head on the device kept resetting depending on how you held it. It didn't cause a problem or a failure, but I called Simple Interlock and asked them for options. The agreed upon option was to tape the cord in the direction that keeps it fixed with Electrical tape. Worked OK for the month of August, and the curly cord was replaced on my Sept 1st appointment. Disaster averted -- last thing I wanted was a 5500lb vehicle 'stuck' 20 miles from my closest service center, that tow bill would've been a blast, not. All in all, still working through my time. It's still an inconvenience but hey, I did the crime, time to do the time. Things could be a lot worse than dealing with an Interlock. I consider myself very fortunate that I've been given another chance.

Day Five

Nothing new to report, device works so far so good. Haven't had any malfunctions or problems yet.

Day Two

Today I got to use the device again, this time to take my daughter to school. She's in her early teens. I think it is important to be honest with your children, and told her what it was, and what it was for. As I got my DUI a long time ago, she didn't know about it previously, but was very open and accepting to why it was there, and life went on. Again, important, don't make things up, just be honest, it just seems to work better. I explained I made a mistake and this was one of the punishments for my mistake. Our conversation moved onto the school day, and that was that. No fuss.

I will say, the more I think about the device and what it does, the more I read, I am a little disheartened at what a violation really is. My kids all play sports for school, if I take them to practice, is that a violation? My RDP allows for education for my kids, and for a work permit. There is a really grey area on the education portion in the actual IL law. Also, my device has a GPS and a camera on it. I know what the camera is for, but what exactly is the GPS tracking? How is it used? I couldn't find anything relating to how the GPS unit can or could be used against me in IL law. My work requires I drive all over, I'm on 24 hour call at my job, am I going to have to fill out a violation explanation form every time I go somewhere that isn't my main business address? Only time will tell. The device is still distracting while driving, but no WARN/FAIL issues yet, hopefully that remains the course and the unit continues to operate as it should.

Contract Terms

One thing I noticed in the huge lineup of contract terms, is that you're agreeing should the device get stolen, you're responsible for the replacement, in this case, over $2k. Now, I have a background in electronics, and while this device may be fairly advanced, you can't tell me the technology in this thing costs more than a Macbook Pro, or iPad Pro. I'd say price gouging at its best. But, you're at the mercy of the companies Illinois decides to pick.. so.
Also, keep a bottle of water handy, it has in bold print 'You agree to rinse with water before using the device' .. not sure why something this advanced would need it, but, it's easy to keep a bottle of water handy and just follow the rules. All I can say is be careful and pull over if needed. It beeps, you have 6 minutes to give a sample. So grab a quick drink of water, give it a few seconds and then give the air sample. Seems easy enough, but it's a lot to juggle. Again going back to this device is more distracting than a cell phone, in my opinion.

Day One

Day one of my Ignition interlock journey. I had my 'Simple Interlock' installed by Xclusive AutoSound of Belleville, IL. There is a company closer, about 3 minutes away, but they currently don't have a certified tech on staff to do the install. So I went to Belleville to get it done, then plan on having my monthly rechecks done at the closer place. With Simple IID there is no lockout fees if for some reason you miss an appointment, though I don't plan on missing any appointments. Here is XCLusive's waiting area, the entire install was quick, about 1.5hrs. The guys there seemed indifferent, almost like there was an elephant in the room, they know why you're there, you know you made a mistake, just get through it, it's just one more step towards getting back your license.

IL now requires that you get your picture taken and be GPS recorded, I understand why, it's actually there to protect you if someone else blows and fails on your IID, though doesn't mean I have to like it, it's an invasion of privacy, and you don't know how often or when the device is recording you. But, I suppose we lost that right along with our license. Also, one humorous statement you agree to on the contract is to wear decent clothing for the pictures. Wonder who broke that rule that it had to be added to the contract?

Last but not least the IID. Judging by the condition of this IID I'd guess I got a brand new, never used one. It isn't inconspicuous, but, you're driving, right? Be thankful like I am. First blow to get the car started, worked first time. I drove out on my new journey. About 10 minutes in, it beeped at me again for a retest. I was coming around a sharp curve and it kind of startled me a bit, I can see how this thing could be more distracting than a cell phone, but I blew, I hummed, and got the 'Pass' I was hoping for.

Made it all the way home, about another 15-20 minutes without another retest request. The device allows you to have a restart without blowing for up to 2 minutes. For a little while after exiting the screen remained on and it was ready to go, I could see how this would drain the battery, but it turned into some type of sleep mode after about 5 minutes. Since I don't drive much (my SO and I carpool) I can see myself throwing the trickle charger on the battery if I go more than 2-3 days without driving. I was told by the technician that doing this / charging the battery is not considered tampering.. That said, I also invested $120 last week on a new Duracell Ultra battery for my car. Better safe than sorry, the old one was 5 years old and had some corrosion on it.
Last, here is my backup device. I've read so many horror stories online about these devices failing, I wanted to have a high end fuel cell breathalyzer as a backup -- Illinois doesn't play around, you fail or have a violation, you'll be hearing from them.. I bought the bactrack s80 due to its high reviews, fuel cell technology (same as the IID), and while expensive, was not completely out of line. If I get a violation/fail, I plan on taking a timestamped video with the S80 to prove something malfunctioned on their device. Just peace of mind I guess.

Here's to a successful, quick journey.