The rather mundane world of Rikaitch
That's a tricky one, Rik. It's all too common here - blokey culture, some 18-year old without enough experience driving a car that is too powerful, after a few too many at a Sunday Sesh, and Monday morning, two families are waking up - one lost a daughter as she was too 'bulletproof', drunk or out of options to refuse a drive home with her obviously drunk boyfriend, and the other family, facing the round of police stations, court appearances and jail visits as their son is charged with dangerous driving causing death. Lose/lose situation.
And I hope never to be either one of those families.
"I'll just have one pint" is also unacceptable to me. The limit isn't a target that you get an award for coming closest to and not going over.
Why impair your ability even slightly? Yes, big elements of "I can take my drink", but imagine you end up killing someone, are you going to feel happy that plod says "you're ok son, you're just under"?
Or are you going to spend the rest of your life thinking maybe I would have reacted that bit faster and not hit them?
Yes but at that age you are immortal.
I find the worst culprits for drink driving tend to be those of the older generation, those who, when they were younger, it wasn't illegal to drink and drive. Granted they might not be as wreckless and cause so many accidents when they do do it but the percentage of those that do is much greater. They think they have been doing it for years and are absolutley fine, the alcohol doesn't effect them! I know back home, I often felt like telling the police that if they wanted to catch drink drivers forget hanging outside the local nightclubs but head for the social clubs instead!
On a happier note, quite a few clubs nowadays run a scheme where if you are the designated driver you hand your keys to them at the beginning of the night, and get given a wrist band, this wrist band then entitles you to free drinks all night and the staff will not give you your keys back at the end of the night if you have been drinking (this idea gets the thumbs up from me), or you could just do what me and my mates do, those who are drinking will buy the drinks for the designated driver all night, therefore, they get a free night out. I often take this option cos hey who needs alcohol to have fun, I'm often the only one on the dancefloor and that's when I'm sober!
I dont drink anyway, I remember once at a party this guy turned to me after about an hour and said, my god, you mean you're like this and you're sober???
I've had many, many people say that to me over the years!
Me too for the non-drinker's queue. It means I'm always skipper.
I believe it is time to raise the drinking age to 21 in this country, just like in the US (there is a call in some States to raise it to 25). Also in the US, the police will set up a road block at closing time, and every car and driver is checked. It works well, and the proceeds from the fines amply pay for the policing etc.
The other problem over here is that a DUI person gets fined a few hundred pounds and a ban for a year. In the US, The fines are typically $2,000, plus other fees, and the need to hire an attorney (mandatory) brings the bill to over $5,000. Mind you, this is not enough of a deterrent to many.
Or we could go like the French and have no drinking age at all, children have watered down wine with dinner etc. That way parents teach the children how to be responsible with drink and you don't get the crazy drunkeness when kids hit a certain age. This is the attitude I take with my kids anyway.
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