T
Posts: 53,533
Washington, District of Columbia, US
I would like to share an experience with you about drinking and driving.
As you well know, some of us have been known to have had brushes with the authorities on our way home from the odd social sessions over the years. A couple of nights ago, I was out for a few drinks with some friends at the Marriott Hotel and had a few too many beers and some rather nice red wine. Knowing full well I may have been slightly over the limit, I did something I've never done before: I took a bus home.
Sure enough I passed a police road block but as it was a bus, they waved it past. I arrived home safely without incident, which was a real surprise; as I have never driven a bus before and am not sure where I got it.
T wrote: I would like to share an experience with you about drinking and driving.
As you well know, some of us have been known to have had brushes with the authorities on our way home from the odd social sessions over the years. A couple of nights ago, I was out for a few drinks with some friends at the Marriott Hotel and had a few too many beers and some rather nice red wine. Knowing full well I may have been slightly over the limit, I did something I've never done before: I took a bus home.
Sure enough I passed a police road block but as it was a bus, they waved it past. I arrived home safely without incident, which was a real surprise; as I have never driven a bus before and am not sure where I got it.
Around here, we have what is called the designated drunk guy for those times when the cops are waiting outside the bar's parking lot.
One guy comes out acting absolutely shitfaced drunk, stumbling and fumbling his keys and acting like hes barely above passing out.
While this charade is going on, his friends come out one by one, get in their cars and drive away.
After the last one is gone, the designated drunk (who is, in reality, as sober as a judge) gets in his car and drives away.
If he gets pulled over, he blows clean.
Koryn Locke
Posts: 31,842
Boston, Massachusetts, US
I think every person who drinks at all has (technically, by law definition) driven drunk at some point, but most people just won't admit it.
I bet if you put 300 people in a room together, 275 of those people have driven drunk at least a few times in the past few years. 250 of them drive drunk, or right at the limit a few times per month. 25 of them never have, because they're smart like that, and 12 of those 25 non-drunk-driving people don't drink alcohol at all, so they don't really count. Maybe my ideas about it are skewed by my own experiences, but that's just a guess...
I work in bars, have been working in bars for the past three years. I will tell you that cops drive drunk. Firefighters drive drunk. People in the military drive drunk. People whose jobs are to depend the population --- they drive drunk. All the time. One of my favorite regulars at a place I worked in 2010 was a firefighter with something like 20 years on the job. He'd saved so many lives at work, he had lost count. Pulled puppies out of buildings, and little kids too. He was a really good-natured man, but he tottered out the door of the bar, to drive home shitfaced, at least 4 nights a week.
People always act like "oh it's not me. I don't do that" .... but they mostly do, and just lie about it.
Koryn Locke
Posts: 31,842
Boston, Massachusetts, US
I'm NOT implying you lie about it, OP. Not at all. Your anecdote was a good motivator/reminder to people who do go out drinking and overdo it - which was likely your original objective.
Just saying that I think driving drunk is a much larger problem than anyone wants to admit, so commonly accepted preventive measures do not really seem to discourage it much, if at all.
T
Posts: 53,533
Washington, District of Columbia, US
ShivaKitty wrote: I'm NOT implying you lie about it, OP. Not at all. Your anecdote was a good motivator/reminder to people who do go out drinking and overdo it - which was likely your original objective.
Just saying that I think driving drunk is a much larger problem than anyone wants to admit, so commonly accepted preventive measures do not really seem to discourage it much, if at all.
T
Posts: 53,533
Washington, District of Columbia, US
ShivaKitty wrote:
....you know, I read your whole post through when I first read it, so I have no idea why the punchline flew right over my head.
It's all good
I had my husband to build me a huge deck, we bbq and party and drink at home. I even encourage my girls to have their gathers here. DC wants to pass a law, first offense you get 6 months in jail. That's scary.
I had my husband to build me a huge deck, we bbq and party and drink at home. I even encourage my girls to have their gathers here. DC wants to pass a law, first offense you get 6 months in jail. That's scary.
Koryn Locke
Posts: 31,842
Boston, Massachusetts, US
T wrote: first offense you get 6 months in jail. That's scary.
Jerry Nemeth wrote: That is excessive!
holy shit.
I do think the consequences for police, firefighters and public servant people caught drunk driving should maybe be more serious than for others.
I've heard a few local stories of people getting off completely from drunk driving charges, JUST because they are a public servant, and the police department or fire department or whatever, doesn't want the story to get out into the community and embarrass their department. Not cool at all.
T
Posts: 53,533
Washington, District of Columbia, US
Jerry Nemeth wrote: That is excessive!
D.C. is looking to crack down even more on drunk drivers, implementing new, stricter penalties.
Starting today, the maximum fine for a first offense goes up from $300 to $1000. The maximum jail time on a first offense is now six months, up from just 90 days.
Those caught with a child in the car face a fine of a thousand dollars per child and a mandatory 5-day jail term.
Those caught for the second time will also face harsher minimum sentences.
DC is a nightmare to drive in stone-cold sober, in broad daylight, in light traffic. Possibly THE worst place I have ever driven- and after the first time I refused to ever do it again. I drove to a place where I could catch the public transit and walked from there.
Blue Cube Imaging wrote: Yep, 6 months sounds like a good start.
According to the guy that killed my brother in law and his dad "it was the first time I ever drank and drove".
I said over the limit and "nothing else"!
The punishment should be appropriate for the infraction that is committed.
What you are talking about is completely different.
T
Posts: 53,533
Washington, District of Columbia, US
The Original Sin wrote:
DC is a nightmare to drive in stone-cold sober, in broad daylight, in light traffic. Possibly THE worst place I have ever driven- and after the first time I refused to ever do it again. I drove to a place where I could catch the public transit and walked from there.
I said over the limit and "nothing else"!
The punishment should be appropriate for the infraction that is committed.
What you are talking about is completely different.
Um... no it's not. Over the limit means over the limit... drunk... impaired to drive... it doens't matter if they were 'something else' as well, they are already over the limit and shouldn't be driving! I know of several people who have been killed by drunk drivers. Drivers that thought they weren't that drunk. Turns out they were wrong.
According to the guy that killed my brother in law and his dad "it was the first time I ever drank and drove".
Wouldn't be great, if you killed someone due to impaired driving, you got a lifesentence no questions asked... Cause really, you made the decision to get in your car and recklessly endanger everyone on the road. You chose to take the risk of killing someone, and it happened. Life in jail. Sigh, if only the justice system actually did justice...
Wouldn't be great, if you killed someone due to impaired driving, you got a lifesentence no questions asked... Cause really, you made the decision to get in your car and recklessly endanger everyone on the road. You chose to take the risk of killing someone, and it happened. Life in jail. Sigh, if only the justice system actually did justice...
I just had jury duty a few weeks ago, it was a DUII case... Think they let me on that jury?
Drunk driving is serious though. There is a 24 year old woman who is facing 15 to life for her third DUI which ended the life of an innocent man who died in the crash. http://www.ksbw.com/Reckless-Monterey-D … index.html What a waste!
And you would let the guy go with a slap on the wrist... just so he can do it again and perhaps kill someone... good for you, I'd rather be vindictive and save a life.
And you would let the guy go with a slap on the wrist... just so he can do it again and perhaps kill someone... good for you, I'd rather be vindictive and save a life.
I didn't say what the punishment should be but for that infraction 6 months in jail would be excessive.
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