FL
If that is the case, and I have no reason to doubt you, then I can't defend it and wouldn't try to do so. If he was co-operative, not lightly to leg it, then handcuffing will only serve to wind the prisoner up. Personally I wouldn't do it. I wonder if the Health and Safety Maffia have taken over the asylum and its now policy to handcuff all prisoners. If that is the case it seems pointless????!!!!
Zippy2004
I can understand your point. Yes, its possible that someone could see you have blood shot eyes and call the police. That alone would probably not lead to you being breath tested, although it may do, depends on the officer who attends.
The hope is that if aircrew are breath tetsed, it is done in private, the cockpit is ok, theres a door between that and the public, they have no idea whats going on. Its fairly regular for police to go on aircraft at Heathrow, for all sorts of different reasons, so no inference would be drawn by most of the public. Any that did would be guessing.
I doubt its very newsworthy for the press to report a passed/negitive breath test. It doesn't happen to clebs in cars, why should it to aircrew?
It has to be said that the same thing could happen over any offence, to any one at any time and always could have done. Upset someone and they can claim any manor of crimes.
While I am sympathetic to what you say (I have had false complaints made against me, while I was a Policeman) There isn't much you can do to stop it.