I want to write all this down so I have a record for anyone who may be interested in my problem with this Interlock device.
Back on 9/7, I made the mistake of eating an overripe banana before driving to the Offender Work Program at 7:00am. The car started fine. At the 5 minute retest, the alarm went off with the instruction to turn off the car. I did and five minutes later, the car started fine. I went to OWP and reported this to my probation officers on duty. I also called and informed my Probation officer assigned to 'monitor' me.
That very afternoon, I called the Interlock place and told the guy what happened. He asked me if I had drank the night before and I told him No, the car started fine. It failed at the 5 minute retest and then started fine again, 5 minutes after shutdown. He told me I couldn't come in that day. I asked about first thing Monday; no. First thing Tuesday? Please, I didn't do anything wrong other than eat a damn banana!!! I also should state that I had five days from the time of 'violation' to get the unit reset to avoid lockout. He relented and said if I could be down there within 45 minutes, he would take me in. I went, he downloaded the info and saw what I stated above was truth.  He took a statement and told me it might trigger a required appointment with traffic safety/counseling. That afternoon reset with Interlock cost me $37.50.  I did receive a letter necessitating an appointment with traffic safety. I chose to make the appointment with Manatee SCF location to avoid the Sarasota office that I had previously dealt with for my DUI school. The person in charge at Sarasota is a older man who has a perpetual 'guilty with no chance EVER of proving any innocence,' attitude. Much to my chagrin, who do I see when I show up for my appointment 10/01/2012 at SCF offices but the above man. We exchange 'pleasantries.' He asked why I was there and I told him about eating the banana. His first response is, "Sure, that can happen; especially when you peel the skin down and fill it full of vodka."
I go into the office with him and ask him about being at Manatee. He is there every Monday. I tell him what happened but he continues to attempt to put "violations" all over me. He failed to see the chain of events as to the lockout. Luckily, I brought the download printouts with me and pointed it out to him as to pass to start, fail at 5 minute rolling, and then pass to start again. He couldn't "find" that information on his papers... He has the wrong information on how long I need to have the Interlock device; ie until 2017 and it should be 2014. He corrects that.  He repeatedly brings up the DUI I received 25 years ago and, of course, my BAC from the 11/11 DUI, that I attended counseling etc.  He asks me about my drinking now. I tell him the truth in what I do. I drink imported Russian beers on Friday with my son, and will drink one or two glasses of wine occasionally with a GOOD/fine meal, not burgers or any kind of 'run of the mill' weekly quick meals. I tell him I enjoy paring a good wine with a good meal. He then asks me if I can reduce that wine to only ONE glass. Sure, why not?? Don't rock any boats here with this guy...
He writes up the 'report' of my VIOLATION of eating the banana and I read it carefully before signing to check it's accuracy. The report states that I had "one rolling fail violation and 1 rolling retest fail violation,  1 rolling retest fail violation." (This is how the report was written.) I bring this to his attention that I had NO rolling retest violations and that he had also stated that twice on the report. He then retyped the report to show 1 rolling retest fail. Period. No information on this report whatsoever, that I had eaten the aforementioned banana. He gave me a paper that shows what can 'throw' this machine which includes pizza, onions, car deodorizers including hanging 'trees,' perfume, cologne, among other things.  If I get another 'violation,' I will be forced to be 'monitored' once a month in addition to the Interlock download requirement. This appointment cost me $25.00. That's a total of $62.50 for eating a banana...Needless to say, I cannot even stand to look at a banana anymore. I should also state, that every morning I left to go into work early I ate a banana and had a cup of coffee with never a problem.
I was informed I should eat NOTHING in my car, ever, and to wash my mouth out with water anytime I go to start my car.
There. Done. Put it behind.