Rural drink-driving
Discussion
Electrics not for me said:
NMNeil said:
cantstopbuyingcars said:
The most sensible thing to do is not to mix drinking and driving at all.
Then why do pubs have car parking?Pretty obvious tbh.
DonkeyApple said:
Cocaine hasn't been a middle class drug since the last century. 
And I'm not sure many are claiming a 'few pints' is OK!!
This is a thread about rural drink driving as in people who live in the countryside and drive while over the legal limit. Very few on this thread have come close to condoning that behaviour. There have probably been more insane posts about how it's middle class people to blame or that one pint of beer leads to incest than posts saying deliberately drinking over the legal limit should be allowed.
They're all down the pub getting pissed mate. Or right now, sleeping it off. Possibly in a cell.And I'm not sure many are claiming a 'few pints' is OK!!
This is a thread about rural drink driving as in people who live in the countryside and drive while over the legal limit. Very few on this thread have come close to condoning that behaviour. There have probably been more insane posts about how it's middle class people to blame or that one pint of beer leads to incest than posts saying deliberately drinking over the legal limit should be allowed.
TBF I've some thoughts on how the rules should be more graduated, as 11pm on a deserted rural B road doesn't carry the same risk to others profile as say a busy suburban setting at 3pm - we acknowledge that in different speed limits etc - but with the level of holy and righteous posturing on both the subject and on these forums in general I don't think the good-faith nature the discussion requires is possible or worth the effort of attempting to engage and play the devil's advocate etc. That probably explains your "very few", as most discussions in the real world tend to split people down the middle, so whenever there's a "very few" it's either the kind of really binary issue that disgusts normal people or an environment where many don't feel able to talk.
One of my most terrifying car journeys was back at uni, we’d been out for a very boozy dinner with our professor who lived round the corner from me.
At the end of the meal we were all completely pissed, he offered me a lift home and I tried to insist it was fine (literally a 20 min walk through town) but he wasn’t having any of it and at that age I didn’t really have the confidence to keep pushing it.
So we get in the car and he immediately tears off the wrong way down a one way street and continues at pace chucking the car round roundabouts, etc (have never seen anyone drive a c3 pluriel like that).
After that any time we went out for dinner with him a couple of us would say we were heading to a club after to save the drama.
At the end of the meal we were all completely pissed, he offered me a lift home and I tried to insist it was fine (literally a 20 min walk through town) but he wasn’t having any of it and at that age I didn’t really have the confidence to keep pushing it.
So we get in the car and he immediately tears off the wrong way down a one way street and continues at pace chucking the car round roundabouts, etc (have never seen anyone drive a c3 pluriel like that).
After that any time we went out for dinner with him a couple of us would say we were heading to a club after to save the drama.
bobtail4x4 said:
NMNeil said:
cantstopbuyingcars said:
The most sensible thing to do is not to mix drinking and driving at all.
Then why do pubs have car parking?We all know these blokes and we all know that for them only prison, death or disability will ever curb their behaviour because they devoutly believe that they know better and that everyone else is wrong. The sort of whalloper who uses the word 'sheeple' or is either an early adopter or never adopter.
You can't fix those people anymore than you can fix addicts but we can all see the immense impact the drink driving laws have had on halting and curbing the behaviour of normal society. I don't think anyone could argue that it hasn't been an enormous success that has manifestly and positively changed an entire culture while still permitting the civility of sensible freedom.
I was at a cousins wedding some 20+ years ago in deepest darkest Somerset and I’d had my single pint for the night. My other cousin was assuring me I’d be fine to keep drinking, whilst I explained I couldn’t take the risk of getting stopped. He laughed “what by Dave? He’s over there s
t faced”
The area had one local copper, who was in bed by 10pm. After that, or when he was on holiday, you could do as you please.
t faced” The area had one local copper, who was in bed by 10pm. After that, or when he was on holiday, you could do as you please.
bristolbaron said:
I was at a cousins wedding some 20+ years ago in deepest darkest Somerset and I’d had my single pint for the night. My other cousin was assuring me I’d be fine to keep drinking, whilst I explained I couldn’t take the risk of getting stopped. He laughed “what by Dave? He’s over there st faced”
The area had one local copper, who was in bed by 10pm. After that, or when he was on holiday, you could do as you please.
I find it strange that it seems many are more worried about being caught than what can happen if it all goes wrong.t faced” The area had one local copper, who was in bed by 10pm. After that, or when he was on holiday, you could do as you please.
It's still very common. As someone who's in the process of buying a house in a rural area (having grown up in a similar area), I'd completely forgotten.
MrsC and I went for lunch one weekend in the area (Norfolk). Beautiful gastropub in the middle of nowhere. I drank, she drove. Industry standard.
On the way out, I asked the bartender how the numerous old soaks who'd been propping up the lovely traditional bar at the front of the pub would be getting home.
His response? "Oh, they'll be fine. They'll just five and drive".
None the wiser, I asked MrsC in the car what he meant. Turns out it's perfectly normal behaviour to drink 5 pints over the course of the afternoon, get in the car, and toddle off a few miles down the road.
MrsC and I went for lunch one weekend in the area (Norfolk). Beautiful gastropub in the middle of nowhere. I drank, she drove. Industry standard.
On the way out, I asked the bartender how the numerous old soaks who'd been propping up the lovely traditional bar at the front of the pub would be getting home.
His response? "Oh, they'll be fine. They'll just five and drive".
None the wiser, I asked MrsC in the car what he meant. Turns out it's perfectly normal behaviour to drink 5 pints over the course of the afternoon, get in the car, and toddle off a few miles down the road.
Silvanus said:
bristolbaron said:
I was at a cousins wedding some 20+ years ago in deepest darkest Somerset and I’d had my single pint for the night. My other cousin was assuring me I’d be fine to keep drinking, whilst I explained I couldn’t take the risk of getting stopped. He laughed “what by Dave? He’s over there st faced”
The area had one local copper, who was in bed by 10pm. After that, or when he was on holiday, you could do as you please.
I find it strange that it seems many are more worried about being caught than what can happen if it all goes wrong.t faced” The area had one local copper, who was in bed by 10pm. After that, or when he was on holiday, you could do as you please.
Many will abandon the car, do a runner over the fields, go into hiding until sober and won't go near home. Charge of leaving the scene of an accident should be less painful.
This strategy is not from personal experience. But it is commonplace...
bigothunter said:
Especially when after the accident, the police arrive and discover you are drunk.
Many will abandon the car, do a runner over the fields, go into hiding until sober and won't go near home. Charge of leaving the scene of an accident should be less painful.
This strategy is not from personal experience. But it is commonplace...
I think as long as you report the accident within 24 hours you're actually ok to leave the scene.Many will abandon the car, do a runner over the fields, go into hiding until sober and won't go near home. Charge of leaving the scene of an accident should be less painful.
This strategy is not from personal experience. But it is commonplace...
DD is pretty common here in Aberdeenshire - I've had various lifts over the years from people who definitely shouldn't have been driving. The one thing they had in common was how ridiculously over cautious they were - probably safer than how most of them drive sober!
bigothunter said:
Especially when after the accident, the police arrive and discover you are drunk.
Many will abandon the car, do a runner over the fields, go into hiding until sober and won't go near home. Charge of leaving the scene of an accident should be less painful.
This strategy is not from personal experience. But it is commonplace...
I worked with a guy that used this approach. Rolled the car due to drifting off the road and hitting a ditch while drunk. Legged it and hid at a mates house for a couple of days, then turned himself in when he was definitely sober.Many will abandon the car, do a runner over the fields, go into hiding until sober and won't go near home. Charge of leaving the scene of an accident should be less painful.
This strategy is not from personal experience. But it is commonplace...
He was a selfish prat at the best of times, and would think nothing of drink driving.
Snow and Rocks said:
bigothunter said:
Especially when after the accident, the police arrive and discover you are drunk.
Many will abandon the car, do a runner over the fields, go into hiding until sober and won't go near home. Charge of leaving the scene of an accident should be less painful.
This strategy is not from personal experience. But it is commonplace...
I think as long as you report the accident within 24 hours you're actually ok to leave the scene.Many will abandon the car, do a runner over the fields, go into hiding until sober and won't go near home. Charge of leaving the scene of an accident should be less painful.
This strategy is not from personal experience. But it is commonplace...
DD is pretty common here in Aberdeenshire - I've had various lifts over the years from people who definitely shouldn't have been driving. The one thing they had in common was how ridiculously over cautious they were - probably safer than how most of them drive sober!
Anyone remember a TV show they did, probably 10 years ago now, where they took a load of people, asked them what they'd drink before driving on a typical night, and then tested them?
One old guy had like 3 large glasses of red wine before he'd drive home and he was actually under the limit, whereas there was someone else who had somehing like 2 pints and was over by quite a way.
Annoyingly I can't remember what the show was called.
One old guy had like 3 large glasses of red wine before he'd drive home and he was actually under the limit, whereas there was someone else who had somehing like 2 pints and was over by quite a way.
Annoyingly I can't remember what the show was called.
This sort of thing has no place anywhere for me regardless of where you live.
Many years ago, I had a friend who was killed by a drink driver, she was 3 times over the limit, and hit him around 80mph in a 30 zone, as you can imagine with the slap on the wrist justice system we have, she got 5 years and was out in less than that.
Many years ago, I had a friend who was killed by a drink driver, she was 3 times over the limit, and hit him around 80mph in a 30 zone, as you can imagine with the slap on the wrist justice system we have, she got 5 years and was out in less than that.
SpeckledJim said:
To address your 1)
No such thing. Alcohol is always key. Switch off the alcohol and nobody will go. The pub might be ‘food lead’ but without alcohol there is no business.
There are no zero-alcohol pubs. (Awaits link to one. Probably in Bristol or Brighton)
Our local kept serving minors so had their licence suspended - it was eerily quiet until they were allowed to serve again (the only thing keeping them going was their excellent chef) No such thing. Alcohol is always key. Switch off the alcohol and nobody will go. The pub might be ‘food lead’ but without alcohol there is no business.
There are no zero-alcohol pubs. (Awaits link to one. Probably in Bristol or Brighton)
James_33 said:
This sort of thing has no place anywhere for me regardless of where you live.
Many years ago, I had a friend who was killed by a drink driver, she was 3 times over the limit, and hit him around 80mph in a 30 zone, as you can imagine with the slap on the wrist justice system we have, she got 5 years and was out in less than that.
We had a drunk chap from Birmingham burn through the 20 zone in the little town a couple of miles away a few weeks ago. He was doing around 80 when he hit and killed a local. Many years ago, I had a friend who was killed by a drink driver, she was 3 times over the limit, and hit him around 80mph in a 30 zone, as you can imagine with the slap on the wrist justice system we have, she got 5 years and was out in less than that.
https://www.eveshamjournal.co.uk/news/20208528.man...
Plenty of locals would have been in the pubs that evening happily drinking more than one pint and intending to drive home. Most Sat and Sun mornings there will be hatchbacks in hedges dotted around the vicinity.
austina35 said:
I cant believe anyone thinks it's ok to drive a vehicle after having a few beers.
When you lose a family member through some pissed up tt, then you might start to understand.
True - but try to reconcile that with the willy waving that can go on here about the best crash some have had, from driving like a tWhen you lose a family member through some pissed up t
t, then you might start to understand. t when sober. .I have known two people die by bad driving ,one a passenger driven by an teenage idiot , the other a very close friend , who could not resist showing off his silly overpowered Audi . Nicked from elsewhere - just made me chuckle 
I would like to share a personal experience I had about drinking and driving.
This might save you the cost and embarrassment of being arrested for Drunken Driving.
As you know, people have been known to have unexpected brushes with the authorities from time to time, often on the way home after a "social session" with family or friends.
Well recently, it happened to me. I was out for the night to a party and had more than several beers coupled with a bottle of rather lovely whiskey.
Although relaxed, I still had the common sense to know I was slightly over the limit. That's when I did something I've never done before... I took a taxi home.
On the way home there was a police roadblock, but since it was a taxi they waved it past and I arrived home safely without incident.
These roadblocks can be anywhere and I realized how lucky I was to have chosen to take a taxi.
The real surprise to me was that I had never driven a taxi before. Not sure where I got it, and now that it's in my garage I don't know what to do with it ?
I would like to share a personal experience I had about drinking and driving.
This might save you the cost and embarrassment of being arrested for Drunken Driving.
As you know, people have been known to have unexpected brushes with the authorities from time to time, often on the way home after a "social session" with family or friends.
Well recently, it happened to me. I was out for the night to a party and had more than several beers coupled with a bottle of rather lovely whiskey.
Although relaxed, I still had the common sense to know I was slightly over the limit. That's when I did something I've never done before... I took a taxi home.
On the way home there was a police roadblock, but since it was a taxi they waved it past and I arrived home safely without incident.
These roadblocks can be anywhere and I realized how lucky I was to have chosen to take a taxi.
The real surprise to me was that I had never driven a taxi before. Not sure where I got it, and now that it's in my garage I don't know what to do with it ?
thecremeegg said:
Anyone remember a TV show they did, probably 10 years ago now, where they took a load of people, asked them what they'd drink before driving on a typical night, and then tested them?
One old guy had like 3 large glasses of red wine before he'd drive home and he was actually under the limit, whereas there was someone else who had somehing like 2 pints and was over by quite a way.
Annoyingly I can't remember what the show was called.
I vaguely remember it, but can’t think what it was called. Unlikely to ever be repeated, as it attempted to analyse - as opposed to the never drink (any alcohol at all) and drive messages that seem to be favoured now.One old guy had like 3 large glasses of red wine before he'd drive home and he was actually under the limit, whereas there was someone else who had somehing like 2 pints and was over by quite a way.
Annoyingly I can't remember what the show was called.
I think broadly speaking, my generation (over 60s) do drink and drive, but the vast majority do not compromise safety by doing so, as that drinking is likely to be a couple of pints at most during a two or three hour stay, often with a meal involved. Anything more would be walking, cycling, taxi or lift.
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