Drink Driving: would you have done the same?

Blush_01

I'm not sure if Humanities is the best place for this, so if anyone can think of a more apt place for it, can they suggest it please?

A wee story: My brother's 21st was on Saturday night. Most people parked at our place, then walked over to the pub. Neither of my parents were drinking, so they ferried people back home when we were finished at the party, and we had a wee bit of a house party. Most people who were drinking gave my father their keys in order to avoid drink driving, which we all appreciated.

At about 6am one of the guys decided he was driving home. He'd stopped drinking about half an hour beforehand, and he hadn't handed his keys over. Two of his friends were asleep in his jeep, he was still very drunk, and so my sister and I tried to convince him to sleep for a few hours before heading home. He was having none of it. I tried to convince him to stay and not drive, and my father offered to drop him home and said he could come back to collect the jeep later, but he wouldn't listen. I had a blazing row with him about driving while drunk, but he insisted in heading home (nearly knocking me down in the process) so I went inside and called the Gardaí to report him for drink driving. They claimed they'd send a car out. Whether they did or not I don't know, but as far as I was concerned I'd done as much as I could to prevent anyone getting hurt or killed by someone drinking and driving.

However my brother, sister and some of our friends couldn't understand why I'd call the Gardaí, telling me it was bad form and a lousy thing to do. None of them seemed to grasp my justification for doing it, namely I couldn't stop him from driving, but I could attempt to stop him from injuring or killing someone on the way home. My sister is still livid that I reported him. I tried to explain why I did it to her and she won't even listen to me, but she claims that she strongly disagrees with drink driving. I can't fathom how she can condemn me for reporting him, but still considers herself to be completely anti-drink driving, but anyway...

I feel that their general reaction is indicative of a malignancy in Irish society - if you disagree with something you should do something about it if you can, otherwise you're just waxing lyrical. If you had been in that situation would you have been apathetic or would you have done something?

Zombrex

No, I think you were too hard on him, but I disagree with drink driving.

You did completely the right thing, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise

You have no legal power to physically stop your friend driving. Only the Gardai can do that, and the only thing you can do is call them before kills himself or someone else. And if your friend was as drunk as you say and still wanted to drive himself home he deserves the law book thrown at him.

Now they obviously didn't catch him in time, but that isn't really the point. THe priority for you at the time was to stop him driving and the only way to do that is with the police then and there to stop him.

In fact I would be really pissed off if anyone ever put me in that position, where I had to call the police to stop them doing something ridiculously stupid (I once had a drunk friend try to climb a bridge, and we called the Gardai on him once we realised he was actually going to do it)

In this day and age, with the carnage on the roads each weekend, for your friend to be so ridiculous stupid and brazen about the whole thing, turning down all alternative offers, I would tell him to go f**k himself. Putting the rest of you in that position, putting you in that position where you would even consider calling the police, is bang out of order.

Your friend sounds like a complete idiot and a call from the Gardai is exactly what he needs. Ask your sister how she would feel if he had killed himself or worse someone else? Would she then have equally been furious that you had tried to stop him. This ridiculous attitude to drink/drunk driving is why we still have being pulled over for day after day after day. When will people learn

Dave!

^
Seconded!

You did the right thing, I don't know if I would do the same though.

metrovelvet

Yep. You did the right thing. And a difficult thing to do too, calling the police on your friend. Good for you. That took backbone.

Heinrich

No, I think you were too hard on him, but I disagree with drink driving.

You did the right thing but I'm pretty certain that there will be criticism for your"snitching"! We live in a sad society where on one hand we weep after the road carnage casualties and decry the snitchers.

I would go to the Gardaí to complain and find out why they failed to turn up. They should have your call on record so that should also be confirmed.

Beruthiel

No, I think you were too hard on him, but I disagree with drink driving.

Blush_01 wrote:

My sister is still livid that I reported him.

Your sister needs to cop the fuk on.
You absolutely did the right thing, and I would have done the same.
Would your sister still be so livid if he'd killed someones parent or child?
People who drink and drive make me see red.

CiaranC

No, I wouldn't have done anything, it's none of my business.

Grass, tbh.

Zombrex

No, I think you were too hard on him, but I disagree with drink driving.

CiaranC wrote:

Grass, tbh.

Yes, because they are East London gangsters :rolleyes:

6ix

You were right. I'd like to think I'd do the same thing, but like DaveMcG I'm not sure I would. Once or twice I have seen people getting into the car outside pubs who I knew were definitely over the limit (didn't know them well or anything), but I didn't report them.

Fair play for sticking to your convictions.

stovelid

I think you were right. It's a tough one but what swings it for me is he was offered a lift home and still intended to drive..

I probably wouldn't have had the guts to do it myself but that's just a cultural aversion to "grassing" (which is my problem I concede) but I think you were justified in your actions and I'm surprised that anybody would question you for it.

Sangre

Would obviously try to stop him, probably to the point of physically taking the keys but I wouldn't ring the Gardaí. Don't think I'd condemn someone who did.

Wicknight wrote:

You have no legal power to physically stop your friend driving. Only the Gardai can do that, and the only thing you can do is call them before kills himself or someone else.

Citizen's arrest?

(2) Subject to subsections (4) and (5), where an arrestable offence has been committed, any person may arrest without warrant anyone who is or whom he or she, with reasonable cause, suspects to be guilty of the offence.

(4) An arrest other than by a member of the Garda Síochána may only be effected by a person under subsection (1) or (2) where he or she, with reasonable cause, suspects that the person to be arrested by him or her would otherwise attempt to avoid, or is avoiding, arrest by a member of the Garda Síochána.

Not sure if drink driving is an arrestable offence though. Pretty sure its not actually (doesn't meet arrestable offence criteria).

Dudess

OP, well done. You did a great thing. It's not as if the guy was a bit merry - he was drunk. Those who are disgusted at you are being idiotic if I may say so. Is the horror of road deaths - particularly in this country - lost on them?

johnnyskeleton

No, I think you were too hard on him, but I disagree with drink driving.

Your critics were in a position where they could have their cake and eat it too.

If this guy was in a serious accident they would rally around you saying "Blush_01 tried to stop him, even rang the gardai but there was nothing else we could do".

But since they now know that he didn't mow down an old granny out to get the morning paper, they can complain that you called the gardai and that it was bad form, safe in the knowledge that no one got hurt.

I think you did the right thing by yourself. I'm not sure I would have the stones to ring the gardai, and I'm not sure that they would do anything, but I wouldn't criticise you for doing everything you could to stop him.

seahorse

Blush_01 wrote:

My sister is still livid that I reported him.

Then your sister is a very lucky woman; I think so because I reckon her attitude comes from having never experienced deep and abiding emotional pain. She obviously has no personal experience of the irrepairable heartache of losing somebody she loves to a selfish drunken fool, and I reckon if she'd ever lost anyone she loved in any way at all she'd transfer that feeling onto this situation and imagine the damage that idiot may have been about to cause as he was walking out the door.

What absolutly solidified it for me, as another poster pointed out, was the fact that this bloke was offered a lift and refused it. The majority of drink drivers would accept a lift if it was on offer rather than drive drunk, I think.

You did the right thing. If I were you I'd tell my sister to shut her mouth and remember that the universe has a way of teaching people lessons; and why people should really not drink and drive is one lesson nobody wants to learn.

worded

A pall of mine once said "to drink and drive you need a car"

On a different topic - same sex marriages .... he says he has been having the same sex in his marriage for years now.

Seriously though, I remember a similar situation after a party. Driver req his friend mind the keys. Then very drunk in the early hours demanded them back. One person was in the passenger seat and two hung out of the machine. No messing it was a new Massey Fergusson tractor driven up the road on the wrong side of the road. Imagine the carnage of a machine that big. Lucky though, it was in the early 80s and there was very few cars on the road that night as no one could really afford to own one.

\m/_(>_<)_\m/

No, I wouldn't have done anything, it's none of my business.

Blush_01 wrote:

so I went inside and called the Gardaí to report him for drink driving.

by the sounds of it, you wont have many friends to call the guards on in the near future...
no i don't think you did the right thing, when you walk down the road do you check parked cars for roadworthiness, tax or insurance, do you try and stop people speeding or dangerous driving.

you only did this because you were drunk and wanted to be the center of attention with all the drama you caused...

but that is only my opinion

Ibjiba

You did the right thing. Saving lives is better than having friends who don't listen to you anyway.
Though not friend a friend of mine, I once found a man who had lost control of his car and had driven off the road. He didn't need first aid but I gave him a lift to the nearby house he came from. As he stepped in my car I smelled the alcohol and so after I dropped him off I alerted the authorities who came and picked him up. It was just pure luck that he didn't hit someone when skidding off the road.

maireadmarie

No, I think you were too hard on him, but I disagree with drink driving.

You were absolutely right, no more to be said. There is a local guy here who, I am told, still drinks a lot and drives, granted, a short distance from the local pub - I haven't seen him doing it yet, but when I do, I'll report him. I think the people who do see him should, but they don't....congratulations to you for caring.
Although we are all entitled to our opinions, this is about lawbreaking, and I would say that in this case, anyone who disagrees with what you did is an idiot.

stovelid

\m/_(>_<)_\m/ wrote:

you only did this because you were drunk and wanted to be the center of attention with all the drama you caused...

:rolleyes:

\m/_(>_<)_\m/

No, I wouldn't have done anything, it's none of my business.

maireadmarie wrote:

anyone who disagrees with what you did is an idiot.

first class social & debating skills, well done.

Beruthiel

No, I think you were too hard on him, but I disagree with drink driving.

\m/_(>_<)_\m/ wrote:

when you walk down the road do you check parked cars for roadworthiness, tax or insurance

Because lack of tax or insurance could cause the death of another human...?

do you try and stop people speeding or dangerous driving.

How exactly would he do that?

you only did this because you were drunk and wanted to be the center of attention with all the drama you caused...

That's a very strange thing to say and unless you have some sort of mental issues, I cannot understand why anyone would behave like that for those reasons. Unless your 12 maybe.

\m/_(>_<)_\m/

No, I wouldn't have done anything, it's none of my business.

Beruthiel wrote:

That's a very strange thing to say and unless you have some sort of mental issues, .

i feel you are trying to drag this off topic and into a slagging match, so here is my only rebuttal to you on this thread.
as you are not a medical expert, i hope you don't mind if i ignore your comments,
as for the rest of your post, make no sense what so ever...unless your 12,
It looks like the post was constructed by a child....

unlike other people on here,
i can only comment on the post not the poster....:D

Dudess

You're right, \m/_(>_<)_\m/. The OP should have let a pissed guy drive home. And if he killed someone, well, c'est la vie.

TheFlaps

Maybe, I'm not sure what I'd have done.

The guy shouldnt have driven home if he had too much to drink but to call the cops on him is really too much.

How do you know how much he had to drink? The odd time I get people telling me I can't drive home after drinking despite me having carefully calculated my 3-4 cans to ensure I was ok to drive. They are drunk themselves and get all self-righteous when you point out to them that they don't have a clue.

Dudess

Blush_01, you should have added another option to the poll: "Nah, it's bad form and uncool to be a grass".

TheFlaps

Maybe, I'm not sure what I'd have done.

So did your friend get home safely in the end? Of course he did...

\m/_(>_<)_\m/

No, I wouldn't have done anything, it's none of my business.

TheFlaps wrote:

The guy shouldnt have driven home if he had too much to drink but to call the cops on him is really too much.

that is exactly it, spot on...
and anybody who doesn't agree with you has the right to their opinion and have the full right to express it.

Heinrich

No, I think you were too hard on him, but I disagree with drink driving.

Dudess wrote:

You're right, \m/_(>_<)_\m/. The OP should have let a pissed guy drive home. And if he killed someone, well, c'est la vie.

Plutot la mort

Crucifix

\m/_(>_<)_\m/ wrote:

i feel you are trying to drag this off topic and into a slagging match, so here is my only rebuttal to you on this thread.
as you are not a medical expert, i hope you don't mind if i ignore your comments,
as for the rest of your post, make no sense what so ever...unless your 12,
It looks like the post was constructed by a child....

unlike other people on here,
i can only comment on the post not the poster....:D

I think she was saying only a 12 year old or someone with mental problems would call the cops for attention, not that you were a 12 year old or had mental problems for your post. I could be wrong though.

Beruthiel

No, I think you were too hard on him, but I disagree with drink driving.

\m/_(>_<)_\m/ wrote:

ias for the rest of your post, make no sense what so ever...

Perhaps you'd be good enough to point out which part you didn't understand?

unlike other people on here,
i can only comment on the post not the poster....:D

I'm unsure who you mean, but if you have a problem with someones comments, report the post.

Dudess

I wonder what a person who's lost a loved one to drink-driving would make of those who disagree with the OP's actions.

TheFlaps wrote:

So did your friend get home safely in the end? Of course he did...

Oh, that's all right then. It's worth taking the gamble so.

Heinrich

No, I think you were too hard on him, but I disagree with drink driving.

Beruthiel wrote:

Perhaps you'd be good enough to point out which part you didn't understand?

Maybe it's more a question of not wanting to understand!

It is difficult to imagine how anyone can condone drink driving or not reporting those who engage in this illegal activity. There is sufficient documentation and publicity to show that it is downright wrong!

golden

One of my work colleagues best friend was killed through a drink driver. She did not have enough money to get a taxi home as she had a few drinks walked home on the pavement well anyway a drink driver went up on the pavement and she lost her life. He (the driver) was sent to prison so basically there families affected now the driver has that on his conscious for the rest of his life. From what I have heard the driver lost his job, his family over drinking and driving.

So you have to do the right thing.

cold_filter

Wicknight wrote:

You have no legal power to physically stop your friend driving.

True but you can kick his ass for being an idiot!

similar thing happened in my place a couple of years ago. One of my friends decided after about ten bottles to drive home at 4 in the morning. He said he was fine so went to the back garden and said put your keys on the ground and if you can bend over on one leg and pick it up you can drive, the idiot fell and i kept his keys.

stovelid

Wicknight wrote:

You have no legal power to physically stop your friend driving.

That wouldn't stop me physically restraining a friend in that state.

Not that I know anybody who is thick enough to drink until 6 in the morning and refuse a lift to drive home, mind.

@ \m/_(>_<)_\m/ - you have taken the thread off topic, not Beruthiel. As has been pointed out; there are plenty of ways to seek attention when you're pissed. Ringing up the cops at 6 in the morning isn't usually one of them. Stop trolling.

\m/_(>_<)_\m/

No, I wouldn't have done anything, it's none of my business.

TheFlaps wrote:

So did your friend get home safely in the end? Of course he did...

i would say ex friend,:D

Dudess

TheFlaps wrote:

So did your friend get home safely in the end? Of course he did...

The friend's welfare is a concern, even though he was being a selfish idiot. But of a higher priority is the person or people he could kill.

\m/_(>_<)_\m/

No, I wouldn't have done anything, it's none of my business.

Dudess wrote:

The friend's welfare is a concern, even though he was being a selfish idiot. But of a higher priority is the person or people he could kill.

so the (ex) friend is alright and the people he could have killed are alright...

so everything is alright ... looks like it worked our OK for everybody.

Mr. Presentable

No, I think you were too hard on him, but I disagree with drink driving.

Blush_01 wrote:

If you had been in that situation would you have been apathetic or would you have done something?

You did the right thing. I have done the same, and suffered the fallout from friends, but will do it again if required. Well done.

Mitch Connor

\m/_(>_<)_\m/ wrote:

so the (ex) friend is alright and the people he could have killed are alright...

so everything is alright ... looks like it worked our OK for everybody.

So if i was driving home from the pub drunk, and got pulled in by the cops, my defence of "Ah sure come on, i've gotten this far without killing anyone, whats the problem", should be accepted and i should be sent on my way....

I could understand your reasoning if the OP called the gardai AFTER he had got home, but that is not the case.

\m/_(>_<)_\m/

No, I wouldn't have done anything, it's none of my business.

Tauren wrote:

So if i was driving home from the pub drunk, and got pulled in by the cops, my defence of "Ah sure come on, i've gotten this far without killing anyone, whats the problem", should be accepted and i should be sent on my way....

no defence for drink driving....if one is caught one should face the full punishment of the law... you were caught, face the music

im not here defending drink driving... i think its wrong...

now getting back on topic...the OP was wondering if he did the right thing when he rang the guards to report a friend of his....
my answer is i don't think he was right,
if the OP was genuinely worried about his friend, why didn't he stop him from driving by whatever means, possible... block in his car, let the air out of his tyers, remove the dis cap from the motor...the list goes on and on...
but what did he do instead, the sneaky and underhanded approach, wait till he is gone out on the road in that state where he could have killed somebody and/or himself and then ring the guards... ye are all going on about the people he could have killed on the road that night....was ringing the guards going to save those people he could have moed down....no, not at all.

if he was genuinely worried about his friend and other road users he would have stopped him driving... instead he let him go and then rang the guards...

horse has bolted my friend


i also believe that if the OP carries on like this he will have no friends until he goes for training in templemore

CiaranC

No, I wouldn't have done anything, it's none of my business.

Dudess wrote:

You're right, \m/_(>_<)_\m/. The OP should have let a pissed guy drive home. And if he killed someone, well, c'est la vie.

He did let a pissed guy drive home...

Dudess

Eh, no they didn't (why the assumption that the OP is a guy?)

Tauren wrote:

So if i was driving home from the pub drunk, and got pulled in by the cops, my defence of "Ah sure come on, i've gotten this far without killing anyone, whats the problem", should be accepted and i should be sent on my way....

Oh it exists all right. It's called the Hindsight Defence.

Heinrich

No, I think you were too hard on him, but I disagree with drink driving.

\m/_(>_<)_\m/ wrote:

but what did he do instead, the sneaky and underhanded approach, wait till he is gone out on the road in that state where he could have killed somebody and/or himself and then ring the guards... ye are all going on about the people he could have killed on the road that night....was ringing the guards going to save those people he could have moed down....no, not at all.

if he was genuinely worried about his friend and other road users he would have stopped him driving... instead he let him go and then rang the guards...

horse has bolted my friend


i also believe that if the OP carries on like this he will have no friends until he goes for training in templemore

From the original post!

At about 6am one of the guys decided he was driving home. He'd stopped drinking about half an hour beforehand, and he hadn't handed his keys over. Two of his friends were asleep in his jeep, he was still very drunk, and so my sister and I tried to convince him to sleep for a few hours before heading home. He was having none of it. I tried to convince him to stay and not drive, and my father offered to drop him home and said he could come back to collect the jeep later, but he wouldn't listen. I had a blazing row with him about driving while drunk, but he insisted in heading home (nearly knocking me down in the process) so I went inside and called the Gardaí to report him for drink driving. They claimed they'd send a car out. Whether they did or not I don't know, but as far as I was concerned I'd done as much as I could to prevent anyone getting hurt or killed by someone drinking and driving.

\m/_(>_<)_\m/

No, I wouldn't have done anything, it's none of my business.

Heinrich wrote:

From the original post!

sorry your point again...

\m/_(>_<)_\m/

No, I wouldn't have done anything, it's none of my business.

CiaranC wrote:

He did let a pissed guy drive home...

my point exactly...if the OP was that worried as as he clams to be he wouldn't have let him drive.
loads of ways to stop a person from driving a car by temporary disabling the car with out confronting the person, or the person even knowing until they try and start the car, seen it done loads of times...no problem no issue. that's what a half clued in person would have done,

but no, drive on my boy....... ill call the guards on you when your gone...ya great work on saving him and any potential victim,
well i suppose if their was a bad accident at least the guards would be at the scene to direct traffic

Heinrich

No, I think you were too hard on him, but I disagree with drink driving.

\m/_(>_<)_\m/ wrote:

sorry your point again...

Go figure! You seem to have a strange way of assessing things so I'm sure you don't need my help there.

The OP tried to reason with the drunk and was pushed out of the way so phoned the Gardaí. There is nothing wrong with that!

Stark

\m/_(>_<)_\m/ wrote:

i would say ex friend,:D

Big deal. In 3 years he'd probably have no contact with the guy anyway (the "friend" definitely sounds like someone you outgrow quickly). However, the consequences of what the "friend" could have done while carting around in a ton of metal while pissed would last a lifetime.

\m/_(>_<)_\m/

No, I wouldn't have done anything, it's none of my business.

Heinrich wrote:

Go figure! You seem to have a strange way of assessing things so I'm sure you don't need my help there.

The OP tried to reason with the drunk and was pushed out of the way so phoned the Gardaí. There is nothing wrong with that!

go figure what??? what are you on about man, never mind I'm sure it makes sense to you.

now for the part of the post i did understand...
the OP also said "but as far as I was concerned I'd done as much as I could to prevent anyone getting hurt or killed by someone drinking and driving."

my point is he didn't, he did the least he could do... he rang the guards when yer man had gone...what was the point of that, maybe it made the OP feel better, but he certainly didn't as he stated didn't " done as much as I could to prevent anyone getting hurt or killed by someone drinking and driving."
as i have said twice before, but people seem to ignore. loads of ways to stop a person from driving a car by temporary disabling the car with out confronting the person, or the person even knowing until they try and start the car, seen it done loads of times...no problem no issue.

Heinrich

No, I think you were too hard on him, but I disagree with drink driving.

\m/_(>_<)_\m/ wrote:

go figure what??? what are you on about man, never mind I'm sure it makes sense to you.

now for the part of the post i did understand...
the OP also said "but as far as I was concerned I'd done as much as I could to prevent anyone getting hurt or killed by someone drinking and driving."

my point is he didn't, he did the least he could do... he rang the guards when yer man had gone...what was the point of that, maybe it made the OP feel better, but he certainly didn't as he stated didn't " done as much as I could to prevent anyone getting hurt or killed by someone drinking and driving."
as i have said twice before, but people seem to ignore. loads of ways to stop a person from driving a car by temporary disabling the car with out confronting the person, or the person even knowing until they try and start the car, seen it done loads of times...no problem no issue.

The drunkard was reported to the Gardaí and had they come it might have served him a lesson. The OP did not state whether he/she had the mechanical ability to tamper with the vehicle or the strenght to restrain him. The drunkard should not even have considered driving and that will also apply to the next drinking session.

\m/_(>_<)_\m/

No, I wouldn't have done anything, it's none of my business.

Heinrich wrote:

the mechanical ability to tamper with the vehicle

let the air out of the tyres. get some body to block him in with another car. close the gate. ..:rolleyes:
come on now... give the OP some bit of credit, he is not a complete imbecile