Feeling guilty

LegacyUser

Last night I was in the pub, and early in the night I stepped out for a cigarette. (I had had 2 glasses of wine and was only starting the night)

A man who had been staggering around the pub, falling over etc walked over to his car and after 3 attempts managed to open his car door, sat in, fell out while reaching for the door to shut behind him and drove off.

I took his reg and called the police.

I did this very quietly, nobody knew what I was doing, but I told my husband and he accused me of being a rat, he said that he was likely only going 2 mins away etc. He said he was only joking, but for some reason I feel very guilty today, like I could have gotten him into serious trouble and that perhaps I should have just minded my own business.

I wanted opinions on this please.

Kimia

You were right to do what you did. What if he hit someone and killed them? In this day and age for someone to get into a car clearly locked - they should lose their license.

strandroad

You did well. This guy is death on wheels.

cafecolour

I hope he did get in serious trouble! (which he would've got himself in, not you!)

I don't think terribly highly of drunk drivers. TBH I'm not that keen either on people who'd drive somewhere that's a 5 minute walk

Katgurl

I'm glad you did.

A few years ago my brother got done for drunk driving and his licence revoked.

He never drinks and drives anymore. Yes I felt sorry for him and the whole humiliating experience but far better than watching him be cut out of a car or defending himself for hurting or killing somebody else.

He says it was for the best too.

You did the right thing 100%.

I am a friend

I dont understand why you want opinions... Is it so you can get people to say 'oh you were so right!!!'?? Why? Its already done.

Unregistered39

I am a friend wrote: »

I dont understand why you want opinions... Is it so you can get people to say 'oh you were so right!!!'?? Why? Its already done.

+ 1. And your husband's line about only two minutes away is absolute nonsense; how could he possibly know? The fact that he was driving probably meant he was more than an easy walk home.

I don't know if you're looking for validation or why you're posting, but I don't know why you'd think it was the wrong thing to do.

Firetrap

I can understand why the OP's got doubts now. She's probably thinking of the trouble this guy could get into over it and that she was the cause of it. It's easy to think like that when you think nothing bad happened. On the other hand, if he had hit someone on the way home, it'd be a no-brainer. This guy chose to get polluted drunk and to get behind the wheel of a car. I'm pretty sure this is not the first time he has done such a thing. For all she knows, he might've been bagged sooner or later anyway.

Unregistered39

Firetrap wrote: »

I can understand why the OP's got doubts now. She's probably thinking of the trouble this guy could get into over it and that she was the cause of it. It's easy to think like that when you think nothing bad happened. On the other hand, if he had hit someone on the way home, it'd be a no-brainer. This guy chose to get polluted drunk and to get behind the wheel of a car. I'm pretty sure this is not the first time he has done such a thing. For all she knows, he might've been bagged sooner or later anyway.

Yes, you're right. Didn't mean to be harsh OP. What I was (clumsily) trying to say was yes, it was the right thing to do. Fret not!

Chinafoot

I am a friend wrote: »

I dont understand why you want opinions... Is it so you can get people to say 'oh you were so right!!!'?? Why? Its already done.

Because she's feeling guilty now after some ridiculous remark from her husband. Jesus, talk about unnecessarily harsh ffs :rolleyes: I seriously doubt the OP is looking for praise.

OP, your husband's remark was idiotic and you should pay no heed to it. The cheek of him calling you a rat. He'd be wishing for a "rat" to have been there if he ever got hit by a drunk driver. If it were me I'd tell him that I was really unimpressed by what he said and that I would have no problem phoning the police again in the same situation.

Fair play OP, you did the right thing.

LegacyUser

oh my god op you did exactly the right thing.

and without wishing to cause offence, your husband's initial reaction is EXACTLY why we've had such a problem with drink driving in this country for so long up to now. this kind of ''ah sure it's only 2 mins down the road'' or ''ah sure i had a big fry before i went to the pub for soakage, i'm grand'' or ''ah sure i'm fine this morning, gimme me keys'' are all justifications that people who drink and drive think will get them home safe, and just look at how many families have been torn apart when their plans haven't worked out.

years and years (15+) years ago when i was in college, i was walking home from my part time job, it was about 12.30am and a guy stumbled out of a pub a way up the street in front of me. in exactly the same way yer man struggled to get into the car and get it started, then ground the gears as he took off, wombling up the street. i ran to see if i could get the number but he was gone. and you know what? there isn't a day that i hear of a drink driving incident on the news that i don't think of that guy and the fact i should have rang the guards anyway.

ManOfMystery

I absolutely abhor drink driving. There is NO excuse for it. If someone can afford to get themselves blitzed in a bar, then they can afford to get a taxi home. Every day you look at the news and there's yet another report of someone being maimed/killed by drunk drivers, and it's always worse this time of year. These are 'accidents' (I use the term loosely) which could be totally avoided if more people had a bit of responsibility.

You did the right thing. As for your husband, if a member of his family happened to be unlucky enough to get in the way of a drink driver just taking a '2 min' drive home, I'm sure he would soon change his tune.

Milk & Honey

Most drunk drivers never kill anyone. Most incidents with drink driving happen in the Western counties at weekends. It is usually a car involving young people being driven a long distance. It has been a very long time since I have heard a report of anyone killed by a drunk driver in an urban area. I hope that man got home safely and does not lose his licence.

Chinafoot

Milk & Honey wrote: »

Most drunk drivers never kill anyone. Most incidents with drink driving happen in the Western counties at weekends. It is usually a car involving young people being driven a long distance. It has been a very long time since I have heard a report of anyone killed by a drunk driver in an urban area. I hope that man got home safely and does not lose his licence.

Jesus.

There is absolutely no way to know just how far this man was driving. It doesn't matter if he was going 2 miles or 200 miles, he was in no fit state to be in charge of a vehicle. He fell over trying to close the car door ffs. You really think that's acceptable? Attitudes like that in this day and age absolutely boggle my mind.

ManOfMystery

Milk & Honey wrote: »

Most drunk drivers never kill anyone. Most incidents with drink driving happen in the Western counties at weekends. It is usually a car involving young people being driven a long distance. It has been a very long time since I have heard a report of anyone killed by a drunk driver in an urban area. I hope that man got home safely and does not lose his licence.

Baseless rhetoric.

There's no justification for drink driving at all. I certainly hope that man got home safely as I would never wish death or injury on anyone, but as regards his license, he fully deserves to lose it.

Firetrap

Milk & Honey wrote: »

Most drunk drivers never kill anyone. Most incidents with drink driving happen in the Western counties at weekends. It is usually a car involving young people being driven a long distance. It has been a very long time since I have heard a report of anyone killed by a drunk driver in an urban area. I hope that man got home safely and does not lose his licence.

This guy wasn't an auld lad who came down from the mountains in his Massey Ferguson and had one pint before going home. Read again what the OP described

A man who had been staggering around the pub, falling over etc walked over to his car and after 3 attempts managed to open his car door, sat in, fell out while reaching for the door to shut behind him and drove off.

Now, even if you think that it's OK for someone to have a pint and then drive, I don't know how anyone could justify this man getting behind the wheel of a car. No matter what the drink driving limit is/was, there's NO justification for someone in that condition getting behind the wheel of a car. He could barely control himself, let alone his vehicle. If a pedestrian or another motorist had had the bad luck to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, I'd not fancy their chances

Ickle Magoo

Milk & Honey wrote: »

Most drunk drivers never kill anyone. Most incidents with drink driving happen in the Western counties at weekends. It is usually a car involving young people being driven a long distance. It has been a very long time since I have heard a report of anyone killed by a drunk driver in an urban area. I hope that man got home safely and does not lose his licence.

Do not advocate, promote or encourage illegal activities - doing so may result in infraction/bans.

OP, you have had posts from both sides of the argument and I'm not sure what advice you can actually get here beyond that.

If you wish a debate/discussion on the rights and wrongs of reporting illegal activities or drunk driving, please start a thread in an appropriate forum such as Humanities after ensuring such a thread adheres to that forums charter.

Thread closed.