Honest poll: did you ever drink and drive?

This guy is 100% right. If it wasn't for MADD drunk driving wouldn't be as a big of deal as it is now. Susan Komen for breast cancer isn't the worst form of cancer, it's just a very well marketed...just like MADD. There are a lot of sanctimonious aholes who text while driving, eat while driving, drive impaired due to medication or being tired that will persecute anyone who drinks and drives. I ride a motorcycle and it's scary how many people drive distracted which can be just as bad or worse than drunk driving but since there isn't a "driving while distracted" lobby it's not against the law.

Well, of course you want to justify it to yourself; no one wants to think of himself as an a-hole. But the fact is that you are a significantly worse driver while drunk. Don't give me the "but I'm a great drunk driver!" BS. Every drunk thinks that, but they're all wrong. If something happens, you aren't reacting to it in time.

I've already posted here under another name, but I might as well go into more detail. I never drove drunk until after college, living in a new town by myself. I would walk to the bars downtown, then if I couldn't pick up any girls I'd walk home and drive to get fast food. I have no explanation other than being a bit of an ass and really enjoying Taco Bell while drunk.

Also, every Friday 7-8 guys play poker after work. A bunch of guys will drink 4 or 5 beers every time and think nothing of it. It seems like drinking and driving was pretty acceptable for a lot of people 50-60.

There’s a girl who I had met this past winter at a party. The first night I met her she liked me and wanted me to hang out with her again the next night. She wanted to go to a party and wanted me to go with her. The second night I was with her I found out she drank and drove (along with having open beer cans in the front of her car). When asking her how she felt about it she didn’t care and felt as though she was good enough to drink and drive. Trying to convince her how bad of an idea it was (example: putting others at risk, getting pulled over, putting herself at risk, etc.) she wasn’t into to it (btw she’s underage). She told me that’s how she lives life and doesn’t plan on changing. I no longer associate with her because of the decisions she decides to make in her life.

bump

Bump...A friend of mine was just killed on a run by a drunk driver. Please, never drink and drive; don't do other crap when you drive, either. You're piloting a 2000 pound weapon.

http://www.studlife.com/news/2012/07/14/rising-junior-gabby-reuveni-killed-in-car-accident-running/

Agree. I usually have someone sober drive me or just pay for a taxi. I wish that girl would do the same. Sure you could say that a taxi could/can be expensive (depending on how far your destination is compared to where your current location is), but honestly if you're heading out to the bars/clubs I would assume you have enough money on you to at least pay for a taxi if you plan on spending a good amount of money on drinks (even if you're with your friends you could each chip in money which would make the cost of the ride less).

Ummm, you're not allowed to drive under the influence of controlled substances either, even if they are presecribed.

Also, you're soooooo cool. I'm so impressed.

This thread is incredibly enlightening to me as a prosecutor. I'm always hearing, "It was a one-time thing/everyone makes mistakes/cut me a break." I doubt I'll ever voluntarily give a mercy reckless driving reduction to a first-timer ever again. It wasn't a first time, I guess. It was just a first time in 100 times that they got caught.

dickwad wrote:

Ummm, you're not allowed to drive under the influence of controlled substances either, even if they are presecribed.

Also, you're soooooo cool. I'm so impressed.

This thread is incredibly enlightening to me as a prosecutor. I'm always hearing, "It was a one-time thing/everyone makes mistakes/cut me a break." I doubt I'll ever voluntarily give a mercy reckless driving reduction to a first-timer ever again. It wasn't a first time, I guess. It was just a first time in 100 times that they got caught.

Wow how little have you researched the crimes you prosecute? You're seriously the person prosecuting DUIs and you don't know things like that? Its researched and documented in formal studies.You're learning that based on an anonymous letsrun thread? Please disbar this moron. They shouldn't be allowed to hold the fate of any person in their hands if they don't know basic background behind the crimes they are prosecuting.

Yes, once and got caught

I never have, but I've knowingly gotten in the car with a drunk driver at least four times. I didn't mind the danger and wasn't wise enough to say anything, I just didn't want to have to be the one driving.

The worst offense was during my internship after junior year of college. My mentor took me out drinking. I got smashed, he got slightly drunk, and we decided it was a good idea to take his motorcycle out onto the highway and go 90mph. It was my first time on a motorcycle. It is honestly one of my best memories.

I am lucky that we did not get hurt or die. He eventually got caught driving his motorcycle drunk. He also admitted to the occasion with me and is no longer allowed to be a mentor. Great guy, very reckless.

Texting While Driving is much more dangerous than drunk driving.

dickwad wrote:

Ummm, you're not allowed to drive under the influence of controlled substances either, even if they are presecribed.

Also, you're soooooo cool. I'm so impressed.

This thread is incredibly enlightening to me as a prosecutor. I'm always hearing, "It was a one-time thing/everyone makes mistakes/cut me a break." I doubt I'll ever voluntarily give a mercy reckless driving reduction to a first-timer ever again. It wasn't a first time, I guess. It was just a first time in 100 times that they got caught.

LOL let me guess, you got your law degree from Phoenix Online?

Kind of funny that this thread got bumped. I just got pulled over recently after wayyyy too many beers. Cop asked me how much I drank, I lied, he believed me, and he let me go. BOOM. See that, kids, all you have to do is lie.

My dad was a cop when I was growing up, and not a very good father, but that's beside the point. I lived in a town where having a cop dad was an unlimited get out of jail free card. Never really needed to use it though; things were generally lax in the town. I was pulled over one time when I was 17, 4 am Sunday morning. The state meet was the day before. I was hammered beyond belief. Blew a .26 (at 17 years old, behind the wheel). Didn't even see handcuffs. Got a ride home in the cruiser and the cop took my dad back to pick up the car. Besides a fairly significant ass-whipping, my dad didn't do anything to punish me. I still felt invincible.

My drunk driving and general alcoholism persisted as I matriculated to college. I was driving drunk every weekend, whether it was home from bars or out to get food at 2am. It was so ingrained in my head as normal, because I had done it time and time again in high school. It never fazed me.

I graduated college, still with no DUIs and no accidents and probably roughly 400 drunk times behind the wheel. I got a good job and I had a girlfriend who was smart and beautiful. I planned to marry her. One night we got into a huge fight. About what, I can't even remember. I was at her apartment and stormed out got in my car and drove away as fast as possible. Then I decided to drink, because I was an alcoholic.

I stopped at the nearest bar and pounded them back until I couldn't remember why my girlfriend and I had fought. But I was still angry. I drank until last call, stumbled out the door, and drove back to my girlfriend's place to finish the argument. She wouldn't answer the door, so I left. Sped home. I don't really remember the ride home. I just remember being furious and driving fast with the windows down.

I was on the main drag in my town, putting pedal to metal, when a car coming the other direction swerved over the double yellow and into my lane. I couldn't react quickly enough and slammed the passenger side front end of the car. My seat belt apparently malfunctioned and I slammed my head into the steering wheel, knocking me unconscious. The girl driving the other car was not wearing her seat belt and died almost immediately.

It turns out that the woman I killed was also drunk, but that didn't change anything in my eyes. Spent 46 months in prison and have yet to recover my life. I don't think I ever will. For a very long time, I wished it was me who died and her who lived.

This happened in the early 2000s. When I got out of prison I still drove drunk. I was actually trying to kill myself at that point. I didn't get sober until my mother begged me to while she laid on her death bed. I decided then and there that I would, and have been sober for 2 years and 5 months. But my life is still sh\it, and it's all my fault. Running is actually one of the few things in my life I view positively.

Don't drink and drive kids. You might think you're invincible, but one screw up will change everything.

Holy cow. That was intense. You have my respect for being so honest.

Had you always been a runner, or did you start running after you got out of prison?

dang, you win wrote:

Holy cow. That was intense. You have my respect for being so honest.

Had you always been a runner, or did you start running after you got out of prison?

I ran spring track in high school. Played soccer in the fall and bball in the winter. Didn't play sports in college, but joined a loosely formed marathon club, which was basically a drinking and running club. Loved it. Competed in a few marathons in college, nothing special though. Had a love for running and followed it closely, and trained pretty rigorously at some points. But after graduating I kind of gave up running altogether. And that was when the downward spiral became twice as bad. Started running again when I decided to get sober. So I've been running consistently for 2 years and 5 months now.

You want honesty? wrote:

dang, you win wrote:

Holy cow. That was intense. You have my respect for being so honest.

Had you always been a runner, or did you start running after you got out of prison?

I ran spring track in high school. Played soccer in the fall and bball in the winter. Didn't play sports in college, but joined a loosely formed marathon club, which was basically a drinking and running club. Loved it. Competed in a few marathons in college, nothing special though. Had a love for running and followed it closely, and trained pretty rigorously at some points. But after graduating I kind of gave up running altogether. And that was when the downward spiral became twice as bad. Started running again when I decided to get sober. So I've been running consistently for 2 years and 5 months now.

Good for you. Glad you found a safe-haven in running. Keep it up.

Back when I was a dysfunctional alchy, I had many a morning where I woke up , couldn't remember how I got home, panicked and went to look out the window to make sure my car was on the driveway and in 1 piece.

What is the world's population? That's how many have driven drunk.