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.