Yes, I admit it, there was a time, at least one anyway, when
I should not have been behind the wheel of a car driving. Thankfully, I didn’t:
get a summons, wreck my car, or kill my
best friend.
Those are the horrors of drinking and driving. Can you live
with that? So to me, going out for a night on the town and whooping it up, and
downing mass quantities is something that I will take a pass on, thank you very
much. What I don’t get is why other people can’t take care of themselves
better?
Let me assure you, I have nothing against people who drink.
Not one thing. While I do not myself drink very much or very often, I have had
a beer or two or a glass of wine or a margarita. But never then do I pick up a
set of keys.
And, I have for years pushed the no drinking and driving
philosophy on my family. Please, please, please call me. Yes, I will be a
little annoyed at a call at three in the morning, but I will come and get you.
And I have.
Driving while intoxicated is perhaps the most selfish crime.
Typically, it’s not the driver that suffers the biggest consequence. A crashed
car or a ticket and subsequent punishment is minor compared to the bigger
stakes that affect other people.
As a newspaper reporter for more than 10 years, I covered
dozens of car crashes that were related to alcohol and also not wearing a
seatbelt. The seatbelt law is another that should just be followed, no
questions asked.
But alcohol. One case in particular happened in Chester. It
seems this one fellow was trying to purchase beer, but he was already so drunk
that he could barely walk. He was refused (big hint there, right?).
On his way back to his vehicle, a Good Samaritan asked him
to give up the keys and let him drive the guy home. You can imagine how that
suggestion was responded to. The accident came within minutes, the result one
person dead as the vehicle rolled over.
Sure, the fellow grabbed a quick 10-years in jail. But that
kind of pain, for a parent, for the friends, never, ever, ever goes away. In
this case, it was just a passenger in the vehicle.
But many other accidents happen, and often they involve
other vehicles and innocent people. When my kids were getting ready to get
their licenses, I loaded them up with current stories, nearly daily, of
accidents in general and especially those involving booze and seatbelts. Come
on, it doesn’t take long to figure those things out, now, does it?
So, when you get to work early on a Monday morning as a
newspaper reporter one of the first things you do is touch base with the police
departments. It doesn’t matter if it is Chesterfield, Colonial Heights,
Petersburg, Hopewell, Dinwiddie, Prince George, Richmond or the Virginia State
Police—and yes I’ve called each and every one of them and more than once.
Here’s a sample of how those conversations go:
Police: Yes, we had one accident with a fatality.
Question 1: Was alcohol involved?
Police: whatever response is
appropriate.
Question 2: Were they wearing
seatbelts?
Police: whatever response is
appropriate.
Question 3: Can you tell us who died in the wreck?
Police: Waiting to contact next of kin.
Well, maybe you don’t think it’s that straight forward. But
I assure you that it is. In fact, if you know a reporter or ever see one, just
ask them what the first two questions they ask when reporting on a car crash.
Note I said, crash, there are no accidents.
So, when a public figure manages to corral a DWI, all I can
say is good luck. There is no excuse. There is no pleading or begging the
court. You can get a lawyer and probably ought to. But if it is more serious than just a crash
or a ticket, then you will have to face things that transcend far beyond the
law or money. Nobody wants to be involved in a car crash that takes a life, so why
would you put yourself into such a position by driving when you can barely
walk?
Stay home and drink. If you get tipsy, it’s usually just a
short walk to a bedroom, or just fall asleep on the couch.
No comments:
Post a Comment