Beer and Drunk Driving

I do the math in my head, and when I can't anymore, it's time to go

 

In general, I try to take an Uber/Lyft to and from the bar/brewery I'm visiting. I'm in a bit of a unique category in that the only vehicle I own is a motorcycle.

Being intoxicated and driving is already dangerous, riding a motorcycle while intoxicated is even more dangerous. Riding already places you in a higher risk category, adding alcohol makes the increased complexity of operating controls & navigating and the balance component more problematic. Even if you don't get yourself killed, your risk of even minor injury sky-rockets.

https://one.nhtsa.gov/people/injury/pedbimot/motorcycle/00-nht-212-motorcycle/human25-26.html

• "45% of motorcycle operators killed in single vehicle crashes, and 62% killed in weekend-night, single vehicle crashes, were intoxicated."

That said, there have been two or three times I've had one 5%-ish beer, then set a timer for about 1-1/2 to 2 hours after I've finished the drink before I even consider hopping on the bike.

I think if you are going to drink and eventually drive, planning out what you're going to drink, what your hard limit is on the number and the time after you're done drinking to evaluate yourself on whether you're fit to drive, are pretty crucial.

If you drink and drive, you may end up in a non-fatal crash for yourself but someone else might end up dead because of you. Then you have to live with that for the rest of your life. It's not worth it.

 

I mostly drink at home now to avoid issues, especially because I am older and wiser. When I do go out and drink, my wife drives. She quit drinking years ago for medical reasons. When I was younger, I did stupid things like drinking and driving including riding around with a case in the car. We use to cruise in the 70's in our hot rods and often had a beer between our thighs. I thank my guardian angel for getting me through this period of my life.

 

Seriously, isn't the only real reason Uber exists is to not drive drunk? I think maybe I've been in 2 ride shares sober. It's too damn easy to not drunk drive these days. You kids have no idea how good you've got it.

 

Maybe sketchy, but at least you got a solid story out of it.

 

Shitty public transportation is not an excuse to drive drunk. Sorry, I don’t sympathize with that excuse. Do I agree that public transportation needs to be modernized pretty much nationwide? Sure. But I also need believe that people need to be educated from a young age to use that squishy thing between their ears. Not having a bus ride is not an excuse to put you and everyone else on the road in danger.

Cheers.

 

Riding drunk, another thing on the long list of stupid things I did when I was in college. Don't know how I survived. I even got hit by a Harley once, while standing in a bar. Needless to say, we were both drunk.

 

Here’s a guy who’s physically fit and enjoys walking at a brisk pace.

Seriously though, you would walk home 3 miles, presumably late at night if public transit is shut off?!?! What’s a Uber for that same situation, like $9 and 5 min?

 

Because fuck Uber. If the weather is really shitty, I'll cab it. But, here in the PNW, we wear waterproof shoes, have good rain gear, and don't let the rain stop us. If I lose track of the schedule, I deserve the walk for being a dumbass. I often make the walk both ways, so it's no big deal. Plus, fuck Uber.

 

Man, ease up. There are some perfectly tasty decaf brands on the market. And besides, Uber rocks. Or Lyft. Or whatever the hell it takes to keep me from behind the wheel when I've been imbibing. Cause there is no way I'm walking 5 miles home drunk.

 

Thanks for being my life coach, but I don't need decaf, because I hate coffee more than I hate Uber. Which is a lot.

Plus, fuck Uber.

 

I'm pretty careful. But I have to say, people using their phones while driving seems like at least as serious a public safety problem as buzzed driving.

 

To me, this epitomizes so much of where we are failing ourselves as a culture. Walking 3 miles should be a comfortable and pleasant physical experience for a healthy adult. When I was in my early 20s I would regularly walk close to 10 miles to get home after public transit had ended for the night. That was a lot but it was quite pleasant on a clear night, often with a bottle of whiskey or a couple nice beers in tow. Walking is a wonderful activity and we have been so conditioned away from it by our landscape design. Make America Walk Again! It's good for you, and good for the trees!

I'd wager worse, to be honest.

 

Well then you go on with your bad self. And btw, the life coach thing is $250 an hour, but that first hint is gratis.

 

You selling youself cheap. I'm at 1k/hour, for friends. Prices scale from there.

Jokes aside. Fuck Uber.

 

Right? Walking beers are not uncommon in my life.

 

Kinda starting to think you may be my role model. Except for the coffee thing.

 

I have a program for that. Message me for rates...

Plus, fuck Uber.

 

Don't skimp on yourself, @AWA is worth every penny.

the only thing worse than people not walking is people thinking that they can't enjoy beer while walking. Thomas Jefferson didn't defeat the ****s at Gettysburg so that my children could grow up thinking its too hard to walk home 5 miles from the brewery while drinking a crowler or 2!

 

So, a couple years ago, a friend and I were at one brewery, and decided to walk to another brewery, maybe a mile, mile-and-a half away. As happened, the directest route took us within a block of the local cop shop. Also, as happens, we had bought some cans at the first brewery. So, once we cross the one big street we'll have to cross, we each pop a can. We get just next to the city courthouse, and, as happens, a car was coming on the cross street. We stop, raise our hand (containing open containers mind you), and wave the car across. We weren't in any hurry after all. The car beeps at us, and waves us across the street. Very polite, so we toasted back with our beers. Well. It was a cop, in a fully marked car mind you, on his way back to the shop. We looked at each other, said FUCK!, looked back at the cop, and he's laughing, and gives us a thumbs up.

Maybe everyplace else ain't like here.

I woulda tipped him a can, but he never put his window down.