Gay Byrne: Head of Road Safety Authority - Think he's just made a big gaffe.

JonathanAnon

Just listening to Mooney, who is interviewing Gay Byrne, head of the RSA.

Gaybo has just admitted that he used to drive home after a few pints from the Late Late Show every Friday night. He also admitted that he was certainly over the limit some of those occasions.

I think Gay is a bit naive in thinking that this sort of honesty will be condoned by the public. Could lose his job?

oscarBravo

JonathanAnon wrote: »

I think Gay is a bit naive in thinking that this sort of honesty will be condoned by the public. Could lose his job?

You're right, he should have lied. That's more the sort of thing we expect from people in authority in this country.

Riskymove

JonathanAnon wrote: »

Just listening to Mooney, who is interviewing Gay Byrne, head of the RSA.

Gaybo has just admitted that he used to drive home after a few pints from the Late Late Show every Friday night. He also admitted that he was certainly over the limit some of those occasions.

I think Gay is a bit naive in thinking that this sort of honesty will be condoned by the public. Could lose his job?

It depends on when this occurred really

is he talking about how things have changed and that 30 years ago he'd have a few pints and drive home but nowadays he wouldn't due to change in perception of this?

P. Breathnach

Riskymove wrote: »

... is he talking about how things have changed and that 30 years ago he'd have a few pints and drive home but nowadays he wouldn't due to change in perception of this?

Just that.

I remember there was a TV campaign saying "just two will do", with a photo of a couple of pints, meaning that it was ok to have 2 pints and then drive.

Riskymove

Deleted User wrote: »

I remember there was a TV campaign saying "just two will do", with a photo of a couple of pints, meaning that it was ok to have 2 pints and then drive.

the legal limit may have been 2 pints at the time!

seamus

The legal limit has never been "X pints".

If more people in the public eye were actually willing to admit to stupid things they've done in the past, then maybe we'd get somewhere.

Neo#

My dad told me he remembers an add from back in the day - 'four and no more'!:D

Darsad

I dont see any problem with his admission it was a cultural thing everybody i know including me drove drunk most weekends in the 80,s.I dont do it now or have i done so in the last 15 years .

Liam Byrne

Darsad wrote: »

I dont see any problem with his admission it was a cultural thing everybody i know including me drove drunk most weekends in the 80,s.I dont do it now or have i done so in the last 15 years .

There's a difference between one or two pints and driving drunk!

@OP : If Gay was under the legal limit at the time, then I don't see how it's an issue.

seamus

Liam Byrne wrote: »

I don't see how it's an issue.

I really don't see how it's an issue at all.

To a certain extent, it's an attempt to appeal to drink-drivers by showing that you're on their level;

"Listen lads, I've been there. I've been so gee-eyed that I could barely make out where the line was in the middle of the road and I bounced off many a kerb in those times. It was only through sheer luck that I didn't run over someone's husband, wife or child. I was f*ckin stupid, and I'm happy to admit that now. Don't be the idiot who ruins a lot of lives because you couldn't do without a drink."

Comes across with much more impact than, "Drink-driving is bad...mmkay?".

Liam Byrne

seamus wrote: »

To a certain extent, it's an attempt to appeal to drink-drivers by showing that you're on their level;

"Listen lads, I've been there. I've been so gee-eyed that I could barely make out where the line was in the middle of the road and I bounced off many a kerb in those times."

There's having one too many and there's being a COMPLETE idiot.

If he'd said something like the above then I would have questioned his suitability as Head of RSA.

But he didn't - he said he had "a few", which could be 3, and could be over a decent period of time, and could be after a big meal or something; meaning that you might be slightly over the old limit on the way home.

At least he wasn't so out of his head as to go the wrong way down a dual-carraigeway....now that WOULD be a firing offence for someone in offi...... oh, hang on, this is Ireland......

JonathanAnon

Just to reiterate, he admitted that on several occasions he was certainly over the limit. I think that he might be in trouble for admitting that he had acted so irresponsibly in the past.

Liam Byrne

JonathanAnon wrote: »

I think that he might be in trouble for admitting that he had acted so irresponsibly in the past.

As pointed out above, at least he admitted it, without the need for a tribunal or committee or dig-outs or whatever.

I'd reckon lots of people have driven while "over the limit", and while it's frowned upon in a big way now, I too would have no problem being SLIGHTLY over, and have done so in the past.

There's a massive difference between slightly over and completely bladdered.

Feckin' hell - if you're tired and/or haven't eaten you could be UNDER the limit and be dangerous.

In fact, you could be just tired and not be in a fit state to drive!

The "limit" is only there because lots of people don't have ANY cop-on when it comes to drink.

Factual version will be : he did what lots of people did - slightly over.
Tabloid version will be : he was completely ossified, couldn't see and barely made it home - fire him NOW!

TwoShedsJackson

Riskymove wrote: »

the legal limit may have been 2 pints at the time!

And it still is, for an averagely built man at least.

kmart6

Big deal.....he admitted to what every Irish man did 30 years ago.....get over it and move on!

hobochris

kmart6 wrote: »

Big deal.....he admitted to what every Irish man did 30 years ago.....get over it and move on!

+1

he never claimed otherwise so whats the fuss about?

He(like most of us) knows its wrong by today's standards, so obviously doesn't do it anymore.

deadhead13

"Just 2 will do" - was a anti-drunk driving campaign slogan of the time.

Micilin Muc

People of high stature like Gay Byrne admitting that they committed an offence is what we need more of. It makes it easier for people who still drink and drive to admit it to themselves and to stop doing it.

Wertz

seamus wrote: »

I really don't see how it's an issue at all.

To a certain extent, it's an attempt to appeal to drink-drivers by showing that you're on their level;

"Listen lads, I've been there. I've been so gee-eyed that I could barely make out where the line was in the middle of the road and I bounced off many a kerb in those times. It was only through sheer luck that I didn't run over someone's husband, wife or child. I was f*ckin stupid, and I'm happy to admit that now. Don't be the idiot who ruins a lot of lives because you couldn't do without a drink."

Comes across with much more impact than, "Drink-driving is bad...mmkay?".

I agree to an extent but to me it smacks more of "Do as we say, not as we did".
Obviously the situation has changed since Gaybo was driving home from the LLS; lower limit, wider faster roads, more traffic etc.

But this is the guy who said that all people (in relation to their driving) aged 18-26 have some sort of mental disease...this is the guy who cites speeding as being this big boogieman in relation to road deaths and this is the guy who acts as a figurehead for an association that continually bashes driving practices in this country without admitting that state of road repair, unrealistic speed limits and piss poor driver education/training are as much, if not more to blame than individual driving practices...

Stark

kmart6 wrote: »

Big deal.....he admitted to what every Irish man did 30 years ago.....get over it and move on!

Ah yeah, but he's perfectly willing to demonise everyone else in sensationalist fashion. (I for one am glad that I managed to turn 27 and my 18-26 disease didn't turn out to be terminal as he predicted). I say sacrifice him on the altar of public scorn