With the biggest drinking night of the year coming at us fast, I'd like to take a moment to rant...
This morning, I read a news story about a woman who ruined an entire family because she was too stupid to not get behind the wheel when she'd been drinking. The family was on its way to celebrate Christmas. And now the dad is dead and the mom and the daughter are injured. And she's facing manslaughter charges.
Drinking and driving is just stupid. Seriously.
Oh, I've done it. Although I never got caught. Looking back, I'm surprised I survived doing it and I'm damn lucky I didn't kill anyone or damage any property. That was 25-30 years ago. I've smartened up a lot since then. Cuz that was probably the stupidest thing I've ever done (and I've done some stupid shit).
Personally, I think one drink before you get behind the wheel is too much. One beer? One glass of wine? Well, maybe, but how do you know how that one drink is going to affect you?
I used to drink A LOT. My tolerance level was up there, lemme tell ya. One night I was out with friends and they convinced me to do a shooter. Within 15 minutes I couldn't stand up straight. I seriously thought I was having a brain aneurysm because I couldn't even remember doing the damn shooter and thought I'd only had my gin and tonic. It was seriously scary. Lucky for me, I wasn't driving that night. My friends took me home and got me inside, where I crawled to the bathroom and hugged the porcelain god for a while.
Hammered by one shooter. I wasn't even sure what was in the shooter. Was it schnapps or was it 151 rum? There's a big difference in the alcohol content of those two things. Plus, the shooter mixed with some gin in my belly. At least it wasn't mixed with any drugs - prescription or otherwise. And there's another thing people don't think about - how the alcohol is going to mix with whatever else they have in their system. Cold medicine, pain killers, etc. and alcohol can really mess a body up.
Then they get in their car and drive home. Or to another bar. Or to a friend's house for after bar cocktails. Woohoo.
Stupid.
So, do the world a favor. Don't drink and then drive. Don't get into a car with someone else who's been drinking and let them drive. If you have to drink, find someone who hasn't been drinking to drive you home. Designate a driver who won't touch a drop during your festivities. Call a cab. Get an Uber or a Lyft. And if you can't do any of those things, don't drink. It is possible to have a fun time without being pickled.
Don't make your fun night turn into a horrible night for you or anyone else.
Just sayin'.
I entirely agree. I don't go out on New Year's eve night just because of that. Not that I have anywhere I want to go. ;-)
ReplyDeleteMany years ago our office went out for a drink after work. One gal got plastered; I took her keys away. Somebody called her husband, who came -- and handed back her keys! Eek! She did make it to work the next day, but it seems like she didn't last much longer in our department.
Preach is, sister! I remember my light bulb moment. Driving home at 3 a.m. Luckily the roads were deserted. Luckily, I didn't get pulled over. Luckily, it was cold outside and hanging my head out the window helped clear my head. Luckily, I had sense enough to drive about 15 mph so I likely wouldn't have killed anyone. From that night on, I either partied close to home so I could walk or I rode with a designated driver--one who understand that meant NO drinking! Now I barely drink--a beer on a hot day with burgers, a glass of wine with dinner at the in-laws, but I never get behind the wheel. We had the same thing happen on Christmas Day. A couple and her mother driving home. A drunk swerving into their lane, head-on collision. The family died right there. The driver of the other car was ejected. He died yesterday from his injuries. Had he lived, it would not have been his first DUI offense. Stupid, people. Just f*cking stupid.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year! I'll be home with LG and the critters watching LIVE PD Crime Week. 😉