Drunk driving has always been one of those things that has peeved me, not because i’m annoyed at drunk drivers (which is an obvious given), but because i’m annoyed at those who have the power to stop it: the government. In Europe and most other places, drunk driving is barely a problem, simply because people have transportation options. Drinking? Cool.. i’ll take the subway/bus home! Here, that’s not an option, or at least not in Boston.. cabs cost a fortune and the T stops running, as if it were easily accessible to most places anyhow… So, all too often, i get to see folks drink & drive and pray that they’ll not hurt themselves or others.
I’m truly happy that the government is creating advertisements to persuade folks to not drink & drive, even if they’re disturbing as hell. But i really do wish that they would spend money providing alternatives, not just educating.. The former is definitely needed before the latter will be meaningful.
I have to agree. Its really horrible in other places like the midwest. You have no other options period. You have no options but to drink to pass time (and get your mind off the fact you are living in michigan) and you have no alternative transportation. And the governments actually looking into ways of cutting down amtrak, not the other way around…
Then the big question of course becomes, how the hell do we fix this? I mean, how do we convince officials that public transportation is good for everyone, except the capitalist assholes that pay their salary, and make them want to vote on our side?
The weird thing about london is that the subway is closed half the time because the drivers are on strike. They want more pay than the 33,000 UKP they get at the moment. Firefighters get 20,000.
The subway also closes at about midnight, but that’s not such a problem for drunk driving because the pubs all close at 11, ridiculously.
I went into some detail over at my blog too. Its a pet peeve of mine, the rail system. Actually I dont even understand why the rail cant be as capitalistic as the Air Industry. They get billions in subsidies and yet there is always a huge outcry when Amtrak comes up for funding. I personally think the car industry lobbies hard to prevent it so as to drive up sales.
Does the pubs in London closing at 11 have an impact on the number of drunk driving charges levied against drivers there? Arizona is considering keeping bars open to 3am in some places, and MADD thinks this will elevate the number of DUI drivers out there. I’m not so sure it will, but am looking for input on the matter.
I agree with the whole better transportation thing, but its also a matter of personal responsibility. The government doesnt have to take you home when you’re too drunk to drive. If you know the only way home for you is to drive, DONT DRINK. its that simple.
“You have no option but to drink to pass time..”-Booboo
want another option? try this: read a book.