Plunkett admits to drink driving

[FaaipDeOiad]

Inclined to agree with C_C in part here. No doubt driving when drunk is a silly thing to do, but there's degrees of stupidity, and it's hardly a totally reprehensible act to get behind the wheel after a few drinks. Some real overreactions in this thread.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

TBH, I have driven drunk in the past and probably will do again at some point in the future. Its certainly not big and its not clever and never advisable, but sometimes the practicalities of the real world and your environment (ie zero public transport, no vehicles or people on the road, dangerous neighbourhoods) are more important than following the letter of the law.

Yeah, that's the key point for me as well. I don't drive myself, but I've been in situations where I was driving with someone who had been drinking where it was really a perfectly reasonable option. When you're talking about driving on country roads in the middle of the night with no traffic, no public transport available and no alternative mode of transportation, after a relatively small number of drinks, it's hardly the most heinous act imaginable.

 

[social]

Sorry but as i said, i am not paranoid about getting into trouble. If i get into trouble because someone's messed up, well thats just too bad for me but it happens. However, when i drink and drive, i make sure that i am well below my 'feeling it' limit.

C_C,

you and I have had our disagreements but generally I've seen the logic in your argument.

However, your opinion on this matter does not fall into that category.

Dont risk your future (let alone anyone else's) by driving over the limit - the ramifications are potentially horrendous.

BTW, dont think that I'm a wowser on this issue - as well as all the other things your quite happy to accuse my country of, Australia has a drinking AND drink driving culture .

I've been done for DUI as have most of my mates.

As a result, we have an horrendous road death record.

Do yourself, and the people around you, a favour and stop it before you hurt somebody because false bravado is a sure way to tragedy

 

[social]

Yeah, that's the key point for me as well. I don't drive myself, but I've been in situations where I was driving with someone who had been drinking where it was really a perfectly reasonable option. When you're talking about driving on country roads in the middle of the night with no traffic, no public transport available and no alternative mode of transportation, after a relatively small number of drinks, it's hardly the most heinous act imaginable.

Sorry Faaip, but country Oz's road toll is disgraceful

 

[silentstriker]

SO you mean any one who walks out of a bar is a moron?

Anyone who handles a gun after walking out of a bar is .

 

[silentstriker]

Yeah, that's the key point for me as well. I don't drive myself, but I've been in situations where I was driving with someone who had been drinking where it was really a perfectly reasonable option. When you're talking about driving on country roads in the middle of the night with no traffic, no public transport available and no alternative mode of transportation, after a relatively small number of drinks, it's hardly the most heinous act imaginable.

Key point anyone? If you BAC is pretty low, you aren't very impaired. You're saying 'Drunk driving is ok, as long as you aren't drunk.' Well, I agree with that as well. But you can't be 2x the legal limit in terms of alcohol content and still tell me that you aren't drunk. Alcohol does effect different people in different ways, but at .16...you're going to be impaired. Period. Even if you aren't slobbering on the table, you're reaction time and ability to think clearly is going to take a hit.

If your BAC is 2x the limit (.08 here, so 2x is .16) as Plunkett was, then you are impaired significantly whether you think you are or not.

 

[Slow Love™]

I'm with SS and social on this one. Plunkett was twice the legal limit AND he crashed into another vehicle. Given the case being discussed, I don't really think SS was overreacting either, and it seems to me that people were seeking from the outset to shift the argument away from what he was responding to. Maybe some people do know their limits and drive desolate country roads in the dead of night without incident, but WTF's that got to do with Plunkett?

I don't believe in condemning a guy forever for a mistake, particularly when it's a first offence, but anybody should know better than driving at twice the legal limit.

 

[PY]

I'm certainly not condemning him for life, just saying that he deserves criticism. I'm countering the argument that "we don't know really how much drink he could handle so can't criticize him". He broke the law and deserved to be punished. As long as there is not another such incident from him, I bear no ill towards him.

Completely agree with that. He deserves a lot of criticism for what he did but I won't hold it against him, especially in a cricketing sense, now he's been rightly punished.

That's probably because I've not had a personal experience of it affecting me adversely for which I view myself lucky as it is a growing problem here.

 

[Richard]

Cripes, this thread's gone through the roof...

 

[jot1]

No one should EVER drive drunk.It is the leading cause of road accidents and road deaths and injuries in most countries, and there is no excuse for it.

TBH, I have driven drunk in the past and probably will do again at some point in the future. Its certainly not big and its not clever and never advisable, but sometimes the practicalities of the real world and your environment (ie zero public transport, no vehicles or people on the road, dangerous neighbourhoods) are more important than following the letter of the law.

Here in Gauteng there are a few firms who specialise in taking people home from pubs and parties for a small fee. All you have to do is phone. At our Christmas party last year our boss arranged for such a firm to be on call to take people home and they even footed the bill.

 

[C_C]

Do yourself, and the people around you, a favour and stop it before you hurt somebody because false bravado is a sure way to tragedy

So knowing your own limits and abiding by them instead of taking what society thinks your limits are at face value is false bravado ?!?

 

[Richard]

No one should EVER drive drunk.It is the leading cause of road accidents and road deaths and injuries in most countries, and there is no excuse for it

Don't think too many are suggesting they should, TBH. The debate has centred on what precisely is "drunk driving". Is it once you have 0.000001 BAC or what?

Simple fact of the matter is, there are no simple answers to the mixing of drinking and driving. The best thing is just not to mix them, but for some that's not an option.

 

[adharcric]

Plenty of awards coming from this thread tbh.

 

[Richard]

Any Inzies?

EDIT: THAT WAS POOR, AND IT WAS MEANT TO BE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[social]

So knowing your own limits and abiding by them instead of taking what society thinks your limits are at face value is false bravado ?!?

It's false bravado to think that:

a. your driving ability is not impaired to any degree by a single drink or a scoobie; and

b. that it cant happen to you.

Anyway, youre old enough to make your own decisions - I can only tell you that I was "lucky" enough to be caught with a reading of .0506 because it gave me a severe wake-up call before I did myself (or anyone else) too much damage.

BTW, dont use the argument that you're not impaired in any way should get caught.

Mr Highway Patrolman wont give you much sympathy and will probably go out of his way to make your stay in the watch-house that little bit less comfortable.

 

[Goughy]

Without wanting to bring the discussion to reality and without wanting to get hated upon. I went to watch the football at the pub tonight and drove home.

No other options, and no big deal.

 

[FRAZ]

Because the legal limit doesn't let me drive on some days despite the fact that on those days i am a better driver than 90% drivers on the road.



.

Absolutely rubbish excuse and smells like a comment by bizzare headed , good for nothing verterns of WW2 who are isolated and lonely and try to spend time by telephoning cab companies to complain against their drivers .
Such people are worthy of pity .
And as far as my statistics are concerned such people are often found after 3 days of smell .
Love your people around . People are the best pals,pets and friends ,so love them !!!!!!!

 

[C_C]

Absolutely rubbish excuse

No, it isnt.
If you arn't a drinker and never been one, you don't belong in this convo simply because you got no idea what we'r talking about.
The bottomline is not being compromised and an individual is best placed to judge that. I never said it should be adopted as a rule- my argument is indeed indicative of the difference between 'on paper' and 'in reality' as well as the necessity of not trying to fudge either.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

Sorry Faaip, but country Oz's road toll is disgraceful

That's more due to how ridiculously bad the roads are. I'm from country NSW and the roads are absolutely disgraceful.

 

[FRAZ]

No, it isnt.
If you arn't a drinker and never been one, you don't belong in this convo simply because you got no idea what we'r talking about.
The bottomline is not being compromised and an individual is best placed to judge that. I never said it should be adopted as a rule- my argument is indeed indicative of the difference between 'on paper' and 'in reality' as well as the necessity of not trying to fudge either.

As for the bold'd sentence is concerned don't get me there .
I guess one should visit the place and only after then should turn against the people of that country .
And this convo is about a social aspect . Get a poll and ask people about drunk driving . I'll see how many people are gonna consider your question as a sane one !!!!