one of your best mates drink driving..a lot -
one of your best mates drink driving..a lot -
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Discussion

wilko001

Original Poster:

48 posts

262 months

Wednesday 18th August 2004
quotequote all
What would you do?

One of my best mates drinks and drives all the time, basically due to having a moderate alcohol problem. Me and several others have appealed to him to stop doing this but he continues to always sneak off and drive home etc.

I'm not talking about having a couple or 3 pints etc, this is more like 7-10 pints and then a 1 mile drive home if from the local etc that the rest of us usually walk to.

I've been tempted on several occasions to ring crime stoppers and in fact on 2 occasions another friend has phoned the police but both times they never seem interested to do anything about it although where we live is in an awkward policing area as it's right on the fringe of an area and since closing our local cop shop they are never to be seen! Which is probably why drink driving is epidemic where i live as everyone knows they can get away with it.

What would you do though? would you keep trying to shop him knowing he's got a wife, 2 kids and a job that requires him to have a car and the fact he's a good mate? I'm just worried that one day he will injure someone or kill someone and then I could have done something to stop this in the first place?

Podie

46,647 posts

298 months

Wednesday 18th August 2004
quotequote all
1) Tell him you'll shop him.
2) Take his keys from him.
3) Shop him.

One of my mates was killed by a drunk driver... I watched him get hit by the car. The lads knew the bloke that did it, and knew he was a regular drinker at the pub.. only none of us had the bottle to say anything.

I don't have too many regrets in life, but this is one of them.

Streetcop

5,907 posts

261 months

Wednesday 18th August 2004
quotequote all
"Cruel to be kind, in the right fashion......"

Street

wilko001

Original Poster:

48 posts

262 months

Wednesday 18th August 2004
quotequote all
[quote=Podie]1) Tell him you'll shop him.
2) Take his keys from him.
3) Shop him.

We've told him that...lots

He hides his keys and often parks around the corner and not in the pub car park so as to attract attention from any passing police.. not that they ever pass anyway

Shop him- tried it twice, should we just keep trying?? I don't get it. they advertise this on tele and must spend thousands advertising telling people to ring crime stoppers etc yet no one bothers to do anything about it!!

Cooperman

4,428 posts

273 months

Wednesday 18th August 2004
quotequote all
A difficult one for you, Wilko.
I had a very similar problem a few years ago with my best buddy. He got so bad one Sunday lunchtime that he and his wife, who is just as bad, left their daughter behind at the club where they did their drinking and someone took her to their home later.
The realisation of what could have happened to a 6 year-old girl was enough to stop the entire drink-driving thing. Lucky it was in time before a serious accident happened.
I knew what I should have done, but to shop your best buddy is a hard call and I just didn't have the balls to do it.

K4TRN

136 posts

261 months

Wednesday 18th August 2004
quotequote all
Keep trying - You'll have to hope he stops drink driving or gets stopped before it goes badly wrong!
I hope it's not the latter!

Mr E

22,709 posts

282 months

Wednesday 18th August 2004
quotequote all
I used to live with a French girl (as in house share with). Daddy was very well connected in france, and it was a few years ago when drink driving was pretty common over there.

She would have quite a lot to drink, and then drive home. I spoke to her about this, but she got offended and did it anyway.

So, I stole her keys in the nightclub we were in. She noticed about an hour later, and went *nuts*. Forced me to give them back and then went to the bar for another drink. I walked past her in her car about 2 hours later, trying to start it.

I'd popped outside ealier on. The dizzy rotor was in my pocket.

I drove her back the following day, fixed the car started it for her.

She never spoke to me again.

Car was written off 4 months later. Thick fog, she didn't slow down. Straight into a field.

Stupid bint.

Podie

46,647 posts

298 months

Wednesday 18th August 2004
quotequote all
Let all his tyres down...

medicineman

1,817 posts

260 months

Wednesday 18th August 2004
quotequote all
Damage limitation?

If he was pulled he would be banned.

BUT if he hit some one and injured or killed them he would be looking at time.

Its a tough call, have you spoken to his partner or any alcohol concern groups they might be able to help.

goodlife

1,852 posts

282 months

Wednesday 18th August 2004
quotequote all
Remove one of his wheels while he's in the pub?

No one buys him a drink when the rounds are got in?

Make it 'uncool' and rip the piss out of him constantly for doing it?

Flat in Fifth

47,939 posts

274 months

Wednesday 18th August 2004
quotequote all
You've not heard this from me but........

He'd get one chance!

One night when he's in the pub remove his car to a place of safe keeping like outside his own front door.

When he comes out with 7-10 pints inside what's he going to do, ring and report his car stolen?

Then while he's going through the "Oh shoot, no car, what the hell am I gonna do now, how to get to work? kids to school? shopping in from Tescbury's? see Mother in law? etc." tell him what's happened and to think how he'd get on with no transport.

Any idea on what is the risk that were he banned he'd just join the underclass of banned, uninsured, untaxed etc?

Having said all that previously in the best spirit of human kindness, my gut reaction is:-

any mate of mine who drinks and drives ain't a mate.

Full Stop, Rule off, Next Question.

FiF

wilko001

Original Poster:

48 posts

262 months

Wednesday 18th August 2004
quotequote all
I like that one, the moving his car back to his house idea! might try that but i dont think it will stop!

Are there any police on here who can tell me if i should ring them or crimestoppers if we need to shop him and when to do it etc etc? the crimestoppers thing doesn't work so is it better to ring the local police station?

i think i will give it a few more weeks anyway and try but last time that happened he just parks in the station car park and tells everyone he walked down!

Podie

46,647 posts

298 months

Wednesday 18th August 2004
quotequote all
Te law of sod states that you will get nabbed for nicking his car...

dubaiguy

356 posts

280 months

Wednesday 18th August 2004
quotequote all
We don't know the personalities concerned but how about a word with the Landlord of the Pub.

If he doesn't know - tell him the problem and when he arrives one night the Landlord could have a private word with him - "I saw you drink and drive off last night - if you do it again I won't serve you, nor will I let you consume alchohol on my premises." ...... Sorta thing.

edc

9,486 posts

274 months

Wednesday 18th August 2004
quotequote all
Tell his wife - that's got to get some sort of reaction or tell his kids their dad is a bad man

Dibble

13,257 posts

263 months

Wednesday 18th August 2004
quotequote all
Ring:

Crimestoppers
The local nick
999

Repeat until you succeed in getting him stopped, hopefully before he kills someone - which in my experience, won't be him, but an inncoent third party.

And tell him you're ringing the cops as well. In fact, do it in front of him, in the pub, on a mobile. That may stop him.

pies

13,116 posts

279 months

Wednesday 18th August 2004
quotequote all
Dont you know any coppers that could pop round and have a word in his shell like

wilko001

Original Poster:

48 posts

262 months

Wednesday 18th August 2004
quotequote all
I have 3 mates that are coppers, unfortunately they all seem to be the worst for this type of behaviour anyway and don't exactly set good examples when they all drive 4-5 miles home after 3 or 4 pints. Seem to think flashing their warrant cards will avoid them being on the Breath machine.

Streetcop

5,907 posts

261 months

Wednesday 18th August 2004
quotequote all
wilko001 said:
I have 3 mates that are coppers, unfortunately they all seem to be the worst for this type of behaviour anyway and don't exactly set good examples when they all drive 4-5 miles home after 3 or 4 pints. Seem to think flashing their warrant cards will avoid them being on the Breath machine.




Dreadful. Disgraceful. Disgusting (and any other words beginning in D)

Bet they are CID (Old culture of that sort of thing)

Doesn't go on in my force...they get sacked and any bobby who has assisted them in any way gets sacked.

Quite right too

Street

Dibble

13,257 posts

263 months

Wednesday 18th August 2004
quotequote all
wilko001 said:
Seem to think flashing their warrant cards will avoid them being on the Breath machine.

All this would get them if they tried it with me would be being taken to a nick where they don't work for the substantive station breath test procedure.