Please kind readers, I need help. Some where out there in this huge Blog -O- Sphere there must be a answer for this overwhelming delema.
I suppose I should begin this posting by explaining the problem, it seems like I would have a higher expectation of actually resolving the issue. DON 'T let friends drive drunk. On the surface that seems like a idea that has arrived none too soon. In reality it is a problem.
On five seperate occasions,with five different people,I spirited the keys for the vehicle, away from the inebrieated (seriously) person. ON five seperate occasions I ran into serious problems with the person who wished to take a two ton ,loaded,weapon of mass destruction on the highways and biways of America.They had in their hearts no thought of how seriously this could effect anyone other than their loudly voiced desire to drive as proven by the statement of "I`m ok . I can drive. I`ve been drunker that this and have driven myself home.
Options had been given these wonderfull, loving, otherwise normal family members and friends. Stay here for the evening, Ok I will drive you home. Ok I will drive you home and another sober person can drive your car home. Look your not going anywhere it is too dangerous. Come on I will walk home with you.
Objection s have been raised like so many democrats on a entitlement program the reason against anything acceptable poured fourth.I need my car there so I can sleep. I am afraid to leave my car here cause someone will mess with it( please don`t allow the fact that I have already told you 20 times you can take your keys home with you and I would pick you up as early as 5 am to comeback after your car if that is what you want.)
In a few cases I was able to actually get them to agree to let me take them home. How foolish I prooved to be when twenty minutes later they showed up in a cab with the spare keys to get the vehicle that was so rudely taken from their control.One got so angry he decided to walk home got as far as the highway and promptly fell asleep on the side of the road.
~ THE CHASE ~
How in the world do I get them to go along with my simple request because I don`t want to go to their funeral. I don`t want to watch any of these good people crumble because they have crippled or killed another human or perhaps a whole family of those same humans. I know it would crush them ,I know it would make them feel like their hearts were breaking every moment of every day. How do I get them to know this and accept this. I don`t want their car. I don`t want it parked in front of my house as a status symbol. I don`t wanna go for a ride to take them home, I just want to see them live another day. A day with a ray of sunshine because you didn't kill a family or deprive a mother of her hugs and kisses from her child for the rest of time? How do I do this? Please help me. How............
6 comments:
It is a serious problem George. I have seen statistics that here in Florida about 75% of drivers in private vehicles between one and five oclock in the mornings cannot pass a sobriety test. On Saturday and Sunday mornings the percentage is even higher.
I have driven when I was so drunk I don't even remember it. I was lucky-I never was in an accident and was never stopped and charged with a DUI. I should have been about five days out of the week. After I sobered up years ago and realized how reckless I was with other peoples lives it scared hell out of me.
But after all the rambling, my sugesstion is that if the drunk insists on driving call the cops ASAP/PDQ A night in the drunk tank will not kill them and a big fine might break them of sucking eggs. At a minimum they probably will have to attend alcohol counseling. They well may drive drunk again but they will have at least been warned.
I am going to try to blog roll you today. Wish me luck.
My suggestion would be the same as guyk's. Quietly explain to them that you love them; that you know that THEY feel like they can drive ok, but they can't; that you'll be happy to drive them or pay for a cab. If they choose to get behind the wheel anyway, explain to them that, regretfully, you will have no choice but to call the police and give them their license plate number.
Perhaps the fear of causing a wreck isn't enough to keep them from driving...but, I'll bet the fear of certain arrest IS.
I agree with Guy and Pam, but remember you can only do so much, DO NOT blame yourself if you can't do more!
I hate to say it, but the only answer to this is that there is no answer. Sad as it is, drunk people are argumentative, belligerent, and are never wrong.
You have done the right thing, regardless of what came in the aftermath.
I remember Daddy drinking after work and driving that big 1967 Impala home and falling into the door.
I swear to this day that car was on autopilot. First stop after the Steel Mill was the beirgarten and then up to Columbus Drive....and MOM! Ouch! No wonder he drank.
From my personal experience I drove so shit faced drunk that I do not remember how I got to Michigan! I was eating the fruit off of the bottom of a tank of Swamp Water at one of the PSU frat houses. Who knew the alcohol collected in the bottom with the fruit?
I had to wait for my gas credit card statement to come the next month to try to figure out how I got to Lake Michigan...with 2 of my best friends passed out in the back seat of my Javelin.
I swore never again. I haven't. But I have been in a few wrestling contests with friends I wouldn't let leave with their keys...and their KIDS for pete's sake.
Like Hank says, "Ice tea and cornbread has took the place of pills and 90 proof...all my rowdy friends have settled down"
Thank the Goddess, I don't think I could keep up with them anymore!
The problem is with the drunk driving laws here is they give you a ticket, perhaps take your license. BFD! I had my license taken from me and I still drove! You must take the offenders car away, sell it and give the proceeds to the family they hurt or donate it to drunk driving programs. Once they have no car, they will not be able to drive anywhere. There are busses and cabs to take them to work.
Sounds harsh? Wait until one takes out someone you love. You find they have been driving without a license.
They can't rent a car or buy a car without a license.
So it is time to get tougher on them.
If you have someone who you think you're going to have trouble with, it used to be easy with the older cars.
Just wait til they go for one of their many beer pees and slip outside and pull out the rotor from the distributor.
When they go to leave, the car won't start and they're too loaded to try to fix it.
I don't know about the new cars though.
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