Drunk driver used ‘legal fiction’ as argument he didn’t need a licence, B.C. RCMP say

An RCMP epaulette is seen in Edmonton, Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson

A man who was allegedly driving drunk recently told police that he didn’t need a licence to drive, nor does he drive at all, according to Mission RCMP.

The detachment said officers received a report of a possibly impaired driver in a liquor store parking lot on April 8, and found a 54-year-old man in the driver’s seat.

“Upon speaking with the man, he refused to provide a driver’s license, saying that he didn’t need a license to drive, because it was not a ‘legal fiction,’ and that he doesn’t drive – he only ‘travels,’” Mounties wrote in a statement Sunday.

Police said they could smell liquor on the man’s breath, but when asked to perform a breathalyzer test he refused and told officers, “I am not a legal fiction to provide a sample to you.”

As the man would not reveal his identity, police arrested him on grounds of obstructing a peace officer and took him to the detachment, where he remained until police confirmed it.

According to police, the man was found not to have a valid driver’s licence. He was handed a 90-day driving prohibition and a 30-day vehicle impound.