Drink Drivers, Would you Squeal?

Tail Wagger

If you saw a driver who was well intoxicated and attempting to drive their car, would you feel compelled to inform the Garda.?

Or would you just leave it to someone else and not bother and mind your own business.?

What if you knew the person, how would you react to them driving while intoxicated.?

If you didn't bother to report someone you knew, and next day you heard they'd had an accident with serious injuries.? how would you feel then.....

I would love to hear Your reply's.........

spurious

Yes I would report them and yes I would report them even if I knew them.

There is absolutely no excuse for drinking and driving. I would have no problem being called a 'squealer' for it.

Oisintarrant

Call the gardai and have a checkpoint waiting for them. If it were someone I knew (very well), Id force them to stop and get some key conviscation action! Unfortunetly, reporting people you know is like shooting yourself in the foot. Ya they should be nabbed for it, but it would take a right nob to report his mom for a doe!

MagicMarker

I would be absolutely shocked if I saw someone pissed out of their head trying to drive a car. If I knew them then I'd physical remove the keys from their possession.

It all depends on how intoxicated they are, a lot of people would drive after one or two, I couldn't see myself reporting them unless they were visibly drunk tbh.

kravmaga

Tail Wagger wrote: »

If you saw a driver who was well intoxicated and attempting to drive their car, would you feel compelled to inform the Garda.?

Or would you just leave it to someone else and not bother and mind your own business.?

What if you knew the person, how would you react to them driving while intoxicated.?

If you didn't bother to report someone you knew, and next day you heard they'd had an accident with serious injuries.? how would you feel then.....

I would love to hear Your reply's.........

I find the title thread offensive tbh............

What do you mean squeal, as if you are an informer/ rat.... is the perception you are suggesting to me if one reports a drunk driver.

Do you have anybody close to you who has been killed by a drunk driver?

Until that day happens I dont think you would

Drink driving is wrong full stop and against the law.

A car is a murder weapon in the hands of a drunk driver imo

I certainely would have no problem taking the keys of a drunk before he/she even attempted to drive in the first instance

MagicSean

There's someone around my area who reported their mother for drink driving because she was driving a school bus. Must have been a hard decision.

Tail Wagger

blueeyedboy wrote: »

I find the title thread offensive tbh............

What do you mean squeal, as if you are an informer/ rat.... is the perception you are suggesting to me if one reports a drunk driver.

Do you have anybody close to you who has been killed by a drunk driver?

Until that day happens I dont think you would

Drink driving is wrong full stop and against the law.

A car is a murder weapon in the hands of a drunk driver imo

I certainely would have no problem taking the keys of a drunk before he/she even attempted to drive in the first instance

There was no offence meant to anyone, I am just curious and all I'm trying to do is find peoples opinion in general. As I said no offence to anyone!
Thanks...

Bonito

Yes and have done in the past. Handsfree kits are a doddle when you catch them while driving behind them.

GTE

Tail Wagger wrote: »

If you saw a driver who was well intoxicated and attempting to drive their car, would you feel compelled to inform the Garda.?

Or would you just leave it to someone else and not bother and mind your own business.?

What if you knew the person, how would you react to them driving while intoxicated.?

If you didn't bother to report someone you knew, and next day you heard they'd had an accident with serious injuries.? how would you feel then.....

I would love to hear Your reply's.........

Yes.
No.
Id feel more obliged to get the keys off them.
Oh god, horrible. . .

Atlantic Dawn

I would, was nearly killed by a tool in a van who went passed me at around 4 am flootered, a mile or so up the road his van was wrapped around some railings, luckily he wasn't wearing a seat belt and his head was pumping blood. Was a while before he drove again me thinks

snappieT

I actually wouldn't know how to get in contact with the Gardaí in this situation. Is it a 999 sort of moment, or do you have to go and figure out the phone number of the local station?

Anan1

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

luckily he wasn't wearing a seat belt and his head was pumping blood.

There's no need for that.

GTE

snappieT wrote: »

I actually wouldn't know how to get in contact with the Gardaí in this situation. Is it a 999 sort of moment, or do you have to go and figure out the phone number of the local station?

It would be a 999 call for me.

Feck it though, where I am you have to get reconnected 4 times to a station that is about 15 miles away . . . .

Micky Dolenz

My love one's share the road with these people, If is my duty to keep them safe. Yes I would Squeal on these numbnuts.

jayok

I have called the Gardai on several occasions. Only once I've seen a driver leave a pub struggle to get into their car and wobble on take off. The other times it was just the driving style (slow, erratic, etc). Obviously I do not know if they are drunk, but their general driving style is erratic and quite dangerous.

On all occassions I've called 999 (or 112 from my mobile), reported the location, car make, model colour and the reg. The op recorded all details and assured me that they would notify units in the area.

The Gardai depend on the public to help them with this. Even if the driver wasn't drunk or over the limit, better to be safe than sorry.

Atlantic Dawn

Anan1 wrote: »

There's no need for that.

Yes perhaps a little rough for me to say it but it was how I felt on the night, shook me up a lot afterwards when driving in the early hours that I would have to be alert for such people.

DonJose

blueeyedboy wrote: »

I find the title thread offensive tbh............

What do you mean squeal, as if you are an informer/ rat.... is the perception you are suggesting to me if one reports a drunk driver.

I was thinking the exact same thing WTF OP. I would phone in 2 seconds (hands free ) and I would follow the scumbag drunk driver until the guards arrived.

All very well saying you would report them, what if they are a Guard themselves, I reckon they wouldn't take kindly to it at all.

bungaro79

i worked in a pub for years and used to take keys off some customers they were so drunk or threatened to call the guards if they drove off, they complained to the manager who in turn told us it wasn't our responsibilty. my next door neighbour was killed years ago by a drunk driver so i wouldn't think twice about ringing.
i know in oz though i know that if a bar man serves someone who gets totally langers drunk and they crash their car then they are partially responsible.

corktina

thats a wall to wall yes so far...i wouldn't hesitate.

Anan1

RoverJames wrote: »

All very well saying you would report them, what if they are a Guard themselves, I reckon they wouldn't take kindly to it at all.

?? Let them take it how they will, why should we care?

cullen5998

I'd try and stop the person if i knew them well. If i didn't know them well id squeal. You wouldn't want them killing themselves or one of your friends or family someday.
Been in the position where i had to take the keys from friends a few times because the feckwits were going to drive home pissed:mad:

robtri

no hesitation i would call them...

if someone i know.. i would take their keys, by force if needed... and have done this in the past...

scuby

would not think twice about it.... drunk ran my father over about 25 years ago, father was pinned under the car in a dyke, both legs broken to bits...guards found one of his shoes a hundred yards down the road from were he was hit, while walking the dog. dog killed.......father spent months in rehab, but made it...
either take the keys off the guy or call the guards... you would not forgive yourself if it was one of your family he crashed into on the way home..........

-Corkie-

Bonito wrote: »

Yes and have done in the past. Handsfree kits are a doddle when you catch them while driving behind them.

Well and even better again you dont need one if your making an emergency call which that would be classified as;)

MetzgerMeister

scuby wrote: »

would not think twice about it.... drunk ran my father over about 25 years ago, father was pinned under the car in a dyke, both legs broken to bits...guards found one of his shoes a hundred yards down the road from were he was hit, while walking the dog. dog killed.......father spent months in rehab, but made it...
either take the keys off the guy or call the guards... you would not forgive yourself if it was one of your family he crashed into on the way home..........

****en hell! Glad to hear he's back to normal again!

Anan1

Anan1 wrote: »

?? Let them take it how they will, why should we care?

Having a guard with a grudge against you is not fun. They would more than likely not be breathalysed anyway once they flash the badge. Sad but quite often true. One rule for us etc..

__________

robtri wrote: »

no hesitation i would call them...

if someone i know.. i would take their keys, by force if needed... and have done this in the past...

I'm gonna go against the grain and take issue with all these moralistic "high-horse" comments. Unless you have a fuel cell breathalyzer or are a member of an garda siochana and can prove the person is over the legal limit you have absolutely no right under law to confiscate someones keys "by force" :rolleyes:

Personally if you tried confiscating my keys "by force" where I had a few drinks taken (but was under the legal limit) I'd politely tell you to f**k off as it would be absolutely none of your business. Proving someone is over the legal limit is complicated (which is why the gardai use roadside breathalyzers coupled with a blood/urine test) and very hard to tell from just looking at someone and talking to them.

Indeed, by force if needed :rolleyes: Sounds like a decent tactic to get the sh1t kicked out of yourself to be honest, in fairness he did say that would be with folks he knows, friends and whatnot I would presume.

AgileMyth

I've taken keys off lads I didn't even know. Unfortunatly I've seen too many friends/family killed on the roads stone sober to allow this to carry on. Usually one of their fairly sober friends will get on your side and talk them out of it. Offer to pay for a taxi if you can't drive them yourself. I've never called the guards on someone so couldn't say if I would or not, it'd depend on the situation I suppose.

__________

AgileMyth wrote: »

I've taken keys off lads I didn't even know. Unfortunatly I've seen too many friends/family killed on the roads stone sober to allow this to carry on. Usually one of their fairly sober friends will get on your side and talk them out of it. Offer to pay for a taxi if you can't drive them yourself. I've never called the guards on someone so couldn't say if I would or not, it'd depend on the situation I suppose.

How do you know those lads you've taken keys off were over the legal limit, do you carry around fuel cell breathalyzers and urine sample analysis kits? You are not a gardai. It's none of your business.

Speeding is a factor in a far higher percentage of fatalities than drink driving, why don't you follow people speeding home and take their keys too? They are fairly easy to spot by looking at your speedometer and I witness people breaking the speed limit every day driving home from work. Again I'm sure many families have been torn apart by speeding drivers.

Or what about driving with a mobile phone, why don't you follow them also and take their keys?

A lot of "internet hard man" bs going on here.

AgileMyth

__________ wrote: »

Personally if you tried confiscating my keys "by force" where I had a few drinks taken (but was under the legal limit) I'd politely tell you to f**k off as it would be absolutely none of your business. Proving someone is over the legal limit is complicated (which is why the gardai use roadside breathalyzers coupled with a blood/urine test) and very hard to tell from just looking at someone and talking to them.

I think this is more a situation where they are plastered to be honest. If someone is lucid enough to be polite about it I can't see anyone forcably taking the keys off them. Just suggest an alternative and leave them to make their own decision.

AgileMyth

__________ wrote: »

How do you know those lads you've taken keys off were over the legal limit, do you carry around fuel cell breathalyzers and urine sample analysis kits? You are not a gardai. It's none of your business.

Speeding is a factor in a far higher percentage of fatalities than drink driving, why don't you follow people speeding home and take their keys too? They are fairly easy to spot by looking at your speedometer and I witness people breaking the speed limit every day driving home from work. Again I'm sure many families have been torn apart by speeding drivers.

Or what about driving with a mobile phone, why don't you follow them also and take their keys?

A lot of "internet hard man" bs going on here.

I'm no hard man in any situation!

I drink in a rural pub where drink driving is fairly tolerated. I'm talking about lads who can barely stand, never mind drive. I know its not strictly my business but in this situation it really is in everyones interest. F*ck the law, I just don't want to see people killed, call me whatever you want I won't change this attitude towards it.

Victor

bungaro79 wrote: »

i worked in a pub for years and used to take keys off some customers they were so drunk or threatened to call the guards if they drove off, they complained to the manager who in turn told us it wasn't our responsibilty.

Serving drink to people who are intoxicated or having an intoxicated person on the premises are offences though.

BigEejit

AgileMyth wrote: »

I'm no hard man in any situation!

I drink in a rural pub where drink driving is fairly tolerated. I'm talking about lads who can barely stand, never mind drive. I know its not strictly my business but in this situation it really is in everyones interest. F*ck the law, I just don't want to see people killed, call me whatever you want I won't change this attitude towards it.

I also come from a rural area (nearest garda station ~20 miles) and you would have to be completely incpable of walking before anyone would try and take keys or otherwise stop you. Its common for people with 5 - 10 pints to walk out the door and hop in the car and drive home.

So even calling the cops is unlikely to get someone caught unless they were already in the area.

If someone were caught by the guards they would lose thier license and that would really mess up their lives (no scheduled buses etc, they would be scrounging lifts, paying for taxi's to go shopping etc).

Max_Damage

I gotta laugh at all this 'moral duty' nonsense that this forum is filled with.

scuby

Victor wrote: »

Serving drink to people who are intoxicated or having an intoxicated person on the premises are offences though.

was a case years ago in a court in cork, where a fella was drunk in a bar in mallow, and he left the pub and drove. he later crashed and was wheelchair bound....took a case against the bar and won...judge said bar was at fault for letting him get drunk and then driving home....

Max_Damage wrote: »

I gotta laugh at all this 'moral duty' nonsense that this forum is filled with.

i know of a case where somone had the same attitude... one evening a drunk driver went past him, not speeding at the time, just drunk..a few miles down the road he came upon a crash....Yep, the drunk had ploughed into a relation of his, badly injuring the family member......last time he though about not taking the moral high ground or calling a guard

-Chris-

Max_Damage wrote: »

I gotta laugh at all this 'moral duty' nonsense that this forum is filled with.

Why?

If they were completely locked then Id try to take the keys off them.

If it was just driving after a few pints I wouldn't take much notice. More than half the people who drink in my local would drive home so I see it fairly often.

I wouldn't report someone.

Saab Ed

Lina Melodic Loafer wrote: »

If they were completely locked then Id try to take the keys off them.

If it was just driving after a few pints I wouldn't take much notice. More than half the people who drink in my local would drive home so I see it fairly often.

I wouldn't report someone.

I think its a Dublin versus country, young versus old argument.

Its common knowledge that this kinda behaviour is more acceptable in the country, as a Dub living in the country I've witnessed this first hand on many an occasion myself. I can think of a lot of guys that I know who wouldnt think twice about having a few drinks and driving home, not locked but over the limit.

Also for all the abuse that young people have to take about their driving ability ,I think its fair to say that a high percentage of them wouldnt drink and drive ( although this does bring me to another problem i.e driving while high )

I have reported people who were blindingly drunk while driving and even followed one guy home and waited beside his car till the guards arrived. But i'd also have to admit that I've watched people drive off over the limit and did nothing about it except suggest that they should leave the car. For what its worth , there's no way I'd drink and drive myself, my license is far too important to me for that plus I dont think I could live with myself if I harmed someone

Tail Wagger

Saab Ed wrote: »

I think its a Dublin versus country, young versus old argument.

Its common knowledge that this kinda behaviour is more acceptable in the country, as a Dub living in the country I've witnessed this first hand on many an occasion myself. I can think of a lot of guys that I know who wouldnt think twice about having a few drinks and driving home, not locked but over the limit.

Also for all the abuse that young people have to take about their driving ability ,I think its fair to say that a high percentage of them wouldnt drink and drive ( although this does bring me to another problem i.e driving while high )

I have reported people who were blindingly drunk while driving and even followed one guy home and waited beside his car till the guards arrived. But i'd also have to admit that I've watched people drive off over the limit and did nothing about it except suggest that they should leave the car. For what its worth , there's no way I'd drink and drive myself, my license is far too important to me for that plus I dont think I could live with myself if I harmed someone

Good sensible thinking on your behalf, you can only do what you think is right at the time. no matter what good you think your doing someone else will disagree.

I remember some years when the drink drive rule wasn't as strict as it is now.
A guy I had been having a few drinks with was always D.D over the limit We had planned in advance that one of us would let down one of his tire's.

Anyway push came to shove and the deed was done, after a couple of minutes when the guy had left I went out to the car park thinking I'd see his car still there, It was gone and he didn't have time to change the spare.. He'd driven off on the flat, I honestly don't know how he got home that night without running off the road.
We swore after that night we would never interfere with his car again? If he'd have had an accident, Who's fault would it have been?

Food for thought!

Saab Ed

Saab Ed wrote: »

I think its a Dublin versus country, young versus old argument.

Its common knowledge that this kinda behaviour is more acceptable in the country, as a Dub living in the country I've witnessed this first hand on many an occasion myself. I can think of a lot of guys that I know who wouldnt think twice about having a few drinks and driving home, not locked but over the limit.

I agree. Growing up in the country drink driving was very normal to me. My parents, aunts uncles neighbours etc all drank and drove home (mostly not drunk but after a few). Right or wrong, and not that I DD myself, seeing people having a few and driving home is as normal to me as going to the shop and buying a loaf of bread. I remember as a kid being in the car with relations who were finishing there last drink while driving home.