My solution to drink driving laws and rural isolation.

lividduck

SafeSurfer wrote: »

I was driving home from the pub last night after having a couple of pints while waiting for a chinese. Before I get lectured about being irresponsible the pub is on the age of a small village with deserted country roads about 2 miles from my house.

The pub was deserted, especially for a Friday night. A couple of weeks ago an elderly bachelor was found dead in his house. He was last seen 4 days before by the postman. This was a man that went to the village for a couple of pints every night and drove home about 3 miles again along quiet back roads.

The man in question had stopped going to the village since the introduction of the stricter drink driving limits which effectively mean any more than a pint and you could be convicted for drink driving.

I am also aware of the hurt and damage caused by drunk drivers and the misery this has left in its wake.

However. My idea is to allow a higher drink driving limit for people driving tractors. Say to double the current limit so someone driving a tractor could have 2 to 3 pints and still drive home.

What do you think?

Anyone caught drink driving should be locked up, no exceptions, no exemptions, no excuses!

SafeSurfer

lividduck wrote: »

Anyone caught drink driving should be locked up, no exceptions, no exemptions, no excuses!

You mean driving over the prescribed legal drink driving limit of 50mg per 100ml of blood or driving with any trace of alcohol at all?

Milk & Honey

Helix wrote: »

jesus christ, have the locals not figured out that they can leave their coats on the back of their chair, or beside someone in a booth yet?

That's the problem. Many chairs are not suitable for coats. Drink gets spilled on them and they get stolen. People are just not going to the pubs at all. There is in fact no law forcing people to go to pubs.

hairyprincess

Milk & Honey wrote: »

That's the problem. Many chairs are not suitable for coats. Drink gets spilled on them and they get stolen. People are just not going to the pubs at all. There is in fact no law forcing people to go to pubs.

People aren't going to go to pubs because there is no fancy room to store their coats?

Seriously

Milk & Honey

AhInFairness wrote: »

So don't drink. Go and have a coffee/tea/soft drink/water. Why is not drinking alcohol so beyond people's power of comprehension?

.

I don't want to go to a pub for tea, coffee, soft drink, water at night. It would be bad enough if there were people in the pubs but there is hardly anyone.

the groutch

drink drive laws SAVE lives, and the OP seems to be clutching at straws.
anyone who gets behind the wheel of a car after drinking is showing a blatant disregard for the welfare of other road users, and deserves to be punished to the full extent of the law.

rab!dmonkey

M cebee wrote: »

that's a non runner

they can cycle although that's dangerous enough

a lot of people round my way just take a chance and drive home

someone will ring the local pub if the guards are pulling

small village with deserted country roads about 2 miles from my house.

about 3 miles again along quiet back roads.

Why would it be dangerous to cycle along these quiet roads? Maybe it would be safer without drunk drivers?

SafeSurfer

the groutch wrote: »

drink drive laws SAVE lives, and the OP seems to be clutching at straws.
anyone who gets behind the wheel of a car after drinking is showing a blatant disregard for the welfare of other road users, and deserves to be punished to the full extent of the law.

But one can still get behind the wheel of a car after drinking and it is perfectly legal. What is illegal is if you drink more than the 50mg blood alcohol limit allows.

ColeTrain

Where To wrote: »

The problem isn't lack of taxis, rural Ireland is excellently serviced by taxis and hackneys.

It's not a case of just hopping into a taxi like the urban areas. In certain parts if you're lucky there will be a driver on that night who services the area. The problem is every person out, in a 10/20 mile radius without a lift is ringing him.
If you do manage to get a taxi then you're looking at high fare. Taxis in rural Ireland are unreliable, expensive and at times non existent.
Let's not pretend that it's a viable option.

lividduck

SafeSurfer wrote: »

You mean driving over the prescribed legal drink driving limit of 50mg per 100ml of blood or driving with any trace of alcohol at all?

I mean in the legal sense! Lock them up and crush the vehicle.

questionmark?

hairyprincess wrote: »

If you can afford to go out drinking then you can afford a taxi home.

Simple as.

hairyprincess wrote: »

There are no taxis in rural Ireland? Really? Not one? :eek:

Where To wrote: »

The problem isn't lack of taxis, rural Ireland is excellently serviced by taxis and hackneys.

I don't condone drunk driving but the whole there are taxis is stupid for most of rural Ireland. Where my parents and my sister live there is no taxis for approx 15 miles or so although there is some cute whoors that will "give a lift" for a few bob once you give them a call.

djPSB

and then would bus drivers be allowed drink 4 times the legal limit??

argosy2006

Solution is a car you can drink drive in,
http://cdn.electricpig.com.s3-external-3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/bubble-car-2.jpg


Double the limit

With a top speed of 30
Only allowed on rural roads

ResearchWill

SafeSurfer wrote: »

But one can still get behind the wheel of a car after drinking and it is perfectly legal. What is illegal is if you drink more than the 50mg blood alcohol limit allows.

Well yes and no. You are of course correct in saying it is illegal to drive if over a certain limit of drink is in your system even if your driving is perfect.

But it also illegal to be in control of a MPV while incapable of having proper controll due to an intoxicant which can be drink or drugs illegal or prescribed. All that must be proven is inability to have proper control and the presence of an intoxicant. So a person who gets giddy on a glass of wine could be in trouble.

fussyonion

There should be NO allowances made.

I lived in a place that wasn't near the local pub but we never drank and drove.
You think just because the roads are deserted and it's in the country that you won't kill someone or yourself?

I hate people trying to come up with ways to have their cake and eat it.
Drink and walk home or drive there and sip Coke-simple.

You ask any family who've had a relative die because of drink driving if they think your suggestion is a good one and see what they say.
Don't think it'll never happen to you because it very well could.

stovelid

Maybe publicans could buy a mini bus and get a local non-drinker to drive people home. People would pay a few quid that the driver keeps. The bus would pay for itself with increased custom and maybe, heaven forbid, in conjunction with cheaper drinks and promotions.

Might not be ideal but at least trying to come up with solutions is better than the usual Irish cop out of lobbying politicians and the public to change laws to suit vested business interests, often with histrionic emotional propaganda.

Paulie Gualtieri

don't agree with op but its a sad situation , i live in a very rural area , and if it wasnt for the small local pub , these oul lads wouldn't have any social interaction at all , and as for people saying maybe go the pub and drink non alcoholic beers , yeah that's ok for a young man or middle aged man , but the old stock wouldn't be able to understand that one , to them it would be like going to a steak house and eating rice cakes , and as for taxis? no taxis on the road mid week , and too busy on the weekend picking up young crowds heading to town, i genuinely feel sorry for these lonely people who can't socialize in there local , its unfortunate that there is no real solution to this problem.

SafeSurfer

stovelid wrote: »

Maybe publicans could buy a mini bus and get a local non-drinker to drive people home. People would pay a few quid that the driver keeps.

Might not be ideal but at least trying to come up with solutions is better than the usual Irish cop out of lobbying politicians and the public to change laws to suit vested business interests, often with histrionic emotional propaganda.

Well if I get the go ahead for the tractor drink driving legislation my next campaign will be for people over a certain age to be allowed to smoke in pubs again, because its unfair to make them go outside in the cold, they could catch their death. Only in rural areas of course. Pubs in big towns and cities have those fancy patio heaters and such.

Its the same principal really.

Smoke in a pub everyone you share the pub with is at risk from your smoke.

Drive drunkenly on a road everyone you share the road with is at risk from your vehicle.

lividduck

Paulie Gualtieri wrote: »

don't agree with op but its a sad situation , i live in a very rural area , and if it wasnt for the small local pub , these oul lads wouldn't have any social interaction at all , and as for people saying maybe go the pub and drink non alcoholic beers , yeah that's ok for a young man or middle aged man , but the old stock wouldn't be able to understand that one , to them it would be like going to a steak house and eating rice cakes , and as for taxis? no taxis on the road mid week , and too busy on the weekend picking up young crowds heading to town, i genuinely feel sorry for these lonely people who can't socialize in there local , its sad that there is no real solution to this problem.

So its ok to break the law because they are old? What other laws is ok for them to break? Can they rape because they are lonely?

Where To

questionmark? wrote: »

I don't condone drunk driving but the whole there are taxis is stupid for most of rural Ireland. Where my parents and my sister live there is no taxis for approx 15 miles or so although there is some cute whoors that will "give a lift" for a few bob once you give them a call.

I can have 14 different companies (some are companies, some are single operators) comprising 50+ cars at my front door within 10 minutes and I live in the one of the most rural and disadvantaged parts of the country.

Lack of taxis or hackneys is a myth, country areas are generally better served than urban areas. Better service and value too;)

SafeSurfer

Where To wrote: »

I can have 14 different companies (some are companies, some are single operators) comprising 50+ cars at my front door within 10 minutes and I live in the one of the most rural and disadvantaged parts of the country.

Lack of taxis or hackneys is a myth, country areas are generally better served than urban areas. Better service and value too;)

Thats all very well but what if you want an Irish taxi? lol

ColeTrain

Where To wrote: »

I can have 14 different companies (some are companies, some are single operators) comprising 50+ cars at my front door within 10 minutes and I live in the one of the most rural and disadvantaged parts of the country.

Lack of taxis or hackneys is a myth, country areas are generally better served than urban areas. Better service and value too;)

To say that rural Ireland is better serviced than the Urban areas is laughable.

Paulie Gualtieri

lividduck wrote: »

So its ok to break the law because they are old? What other laws is ok for them to break? Can they rape because they are lonely?

i think you need to read again , i said i don't agree with the op , and that its a pity theres no solution , so read something fully before you get your panties in a bunch you f***ta*d

ColeTrain

lividduck wrote: »

Can they rape because they are lonely?

Worst analogy I've seen on here.... FFS

lividduck

Paulie Gualtieri wrote: »

i think you need to read again , i said i don't agree with the op , and that its a pity theres no solution , so read something fully before you get your panties in a bunch you f***ta*d

There is a simple solution, catch them,jail them, crush their vehicles.

SafeSurfer

lividduck wrote: »

So its ok to break the law because they are old? What other laws is ok for them to break? Can they rape because they are lonely?

Thats probably taking it to the extreme. There could however be a scheme maybe run in conjunction to the limited rural lift scheme whereby isolated bachelors could get a happy ending once a month. It would be a good prostate check and would probably be cost neutral in the long run, given decreased medication for depression etc etc.

Defiler Of The Coffin

Where To wrote: »

I can have 14 different companies (some are companies, some are single operators) comprising 50+ cars at my front door within 10 minutes and I live in the one of the most rural and disadvantaged parts of the country.

Lack of taxis or hackneys is a myth, country areas are generally better served than urban areas. Better service and value too;)

If there's a good service in your area then that's the exception rather than the rule. If rural Ireland was as well served by taxis as you say then this thread wouldn't even have been posted.

KeithM89_old

Paulie Gualtieri wrote: »

i think you need to read again , i said i don't agree with the op , and that its a pity theres no solution , so read something fully before you get your panties in a bunch you f***ta*d

Banned.

Defiler Of The Coffin

SafeSurfer wrote: »

Thats all very well but what if you want an Irish taxi?

Ah so all the poor oul fellas are racists? That's just tough on them so!

southcentralts

There may be something to say for the fact that some of us are not affected by one or two pints and others are langers after the third, some of us have built up a tolerance to the stuff yet we are subjected to the limits at which the least of us suffers intoxication.

of course some of us are **** who always feel fine to drive even after we spend 20 minutes trying to get into the wrong car.

If a fu*kin plane can land itself without a pilot why can a car not drive us home.

Defiler Of The Coffin

SafeSurfer wrote: »

Thats probably taking it to the extreme. There could however be a scheme maybe run in conjunction to the limited rural lift scheme whereby isolated bachelors could get a happy ending once a month. It would be a good prostate check and would probably be cost neutral in the long run, given decreased medication for depression etc etc.

Wasn't there some buck in Limerick who operated a brothel out of an articulated truck? He used to drive the randy oul bachelors from the Limerick and Clare countryside around the place while they knocked boots with some Eastern European stunnas.

Seriously!

DonkeyStyle \o/

Deleted User wrote: »

They're classed as motor vehicles and you'll get done!

I'm not saying you can do it. Just that it'd be a better solution than a tractor.
Probably still a bad idea.

How about an underground network of tunnels that run actual bumper cars, and you have to fail a breathalyser to be admitted entry? It'd create so many jobs.

IrishAm

SafeSurfer wrote: »

A couple of weeks ago an elderly bachelor was found dead in his house. He was last seen 4 days before by the postman. This was a man that went to the village for a couple of pints every night and drove home about 3 miles again along quiet back roads.

His drinking buddies never thought of calling around and checking on him, no?

There is a surprise.

fasttalkerchat

El Weirdo wrote: »

Whilst I don't agree with the OP; that really isn't a viable option in rural areas.

And none of the bar staff would take a fiver to drop someone 2 mile out the road?

SafeSurfer

Defiler Of The Coffin wrote: »

Wasn't there some buck in Limerick who operated a brothel out of an articulated truck? He used to drive the randy oul bachelors from the Limerick and Clare countryside around the place while they knocked boots with some Eastern European stunnas.

Seriously!

The lyrics of Christy Moore's Lisdoonvarna are closer to fact than many suspect. When he sings about massage parlours in horse boxes it is an accurate depiction of many events like the Galway Races before it got taken over by the Nouveau Celtic Tiger types.


I just worked out that to have 14 different taxi operators offering 50 + vehicles to your doorstep within 10 minutes they would all have to be within an 8 mile radius and travelling continuously at the maximum secondary road speed limit of 80km. It is hard to believe.

mikemac1

Where To wrote: »

I can have 14 different companies (some are companies, some are single operators) comprising 50+ cars at my front door within 10 minutes and I live in the one of the most rural and disadvantaged parts of the country.

You live in Letterkenny, a town of over 17,000 people

That's not rural, that's an above average town

SafeSurfer

IrishAm wrote: »

His drinking buddies never thought of calling around and checking on him, no?

There is a surprise.

There is no doubt a wider societal issue, like the unfortunate man who was found dead in his house some weeks ago in the south east, with the Christmas lights still on.

People should realise that not everyone has a network of friends and neighbours. Many people live in isolation, they may attend mass, the odd football match the pub. They have acquaintances, not close friendships, living in isolation will do that to you and its a vicious circle. You become insular and used to your own company, people often describe these people as odd.

If someone you occasionally speak to in your local wasn't in for a few nights would you call round?

I probably wouldn't either.

SafeSurfer

mikemac1 wrote: »

You live in Letterkenny, a town of over 17,000 people

That's not rural, that's an above average town

Yeah Letterkenny is the 20th biggest town in Ireland, population 19,500. Its bigger than Sligo "city".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_towns_in_the_Republic_of_Ireland_by_population

hairyprincess

SafeSurfer wrote: »

If someone you occasionally speak to in your local wasn't in for a few nights would you call round?

I probably wouldn't either.

Ah actually I would. If there was someone in my social circle or that I knew in the neighbourhood who lived alone and had no family to speak of I absolutely would check in on them. And have done in the past, bringing soup and fresh baked bread. But I understand that element of life is disappearing.

Wattle

There may be something in this tractor idea. You could take a shortcut home via the fields. No pedestrians.

IrishAm

Wattle wrote: »

There may be something in this tractor idea. You could take a shortcut home via the fields. No pedestrians.

What about the poor sheep asleep in the fields? The lonely farmers would get bad ideas.

ColeTrain

hairyprincess wrote: »

Ah actually I would. If there was someone in my social circle or that I knew in the neighbourhood who lived alone and had no family to speak of I absolutely would check in on them. And have done in the past, bringing soup and fresh baked bread. But I understand that element of life is disappearing.

You'll find that it isn't like that social circle. Either you drop in or you don't.

hairyprincess

Where To wrote: »

I can have 14 different companies (some are companies, some are single operators) comprising 50+ cars at my front door within 10 minutes and I live in the one of the most rural and disadvantaged parts of the country.

Lack of taxis or hackneys is a myth, country areas are generally better served than urban areas. Better service and value too;)

mikemac1 wrote: »

You live in Letterkenny, a town of over 17,000 people

That's not rural, that's an above average town

I can tell you Where To does not live in Letterkenny, he lives at least a 40 minute drive from there in a pretty rural area; so I'm pretty certain he's not relying on Letterkenny companies - unless of course they are all Knight Rider drivers :pac:

mikemac1

Well it's Donegal

They all drive like loons up there on their yellow regs

IrishAm

mikemac1 wrote: »

Well it's Donegal

They all drive like loons up there on their yellow regs

Never buy a DL reg!

ladysarastro

SafeSurfer wrote: »

I was driving home from the pub last night after having a couple of pints while waiting for a chinese. Before I get lectured about being irresponsible the pub is on the age of a small village with deserted country roads about 2 miles from my house.


What do you think?

You were able to sink a few pints while waiting...? Did they go to china to make it for ya?
Most chinese places make food in ten to fifteen mins tops so one pint fair enough. Any more and your just making excuses for your stupidity

ColeTrain

ladysarastro wrote: »

You were able to sink a few pints while waiting...? Did they go to china to make it for ya?
Most chinese places make food in ten to fifteen mins tops so one pint fair enough. Any more and your just making excuses for your stupidity

It's a rural chinese. They had to take his order then get a taxi into town and collect it for him.

fianna saor

SafeSurfer wrote: »

However. My idea is to allow a higher drink driving limit for people driving tractors. Say to double the current limit so someone driving a tractor could have 2 to 3 pints and still drive home.

What do you think?

what about ride on lawn mowers?

SafeSurfer

fianna saor wrote: »

what about ride on lawn mowers?

Yeah your covered. You might as well mow the grass in the middle of the road on your way home.

SafeSurfer

ladysarastro wrote: »

You were able to sink a few pints while waiting...? Did they go to china to make it for ya?
Most chinese places make food in ten to fifteen mins tops so one pint fair enough. Any more and your just making excuses for your stupidity

Two pints in half an hour, so what if he had to put it in the oven for 10 minutes. It wouldn't be ready in 1 pints time and a glass of Guinness just doesn't taste the same.