Kerry CC support permit system which allows rural people drink and drive

False Prophet

Fromthetrees wrote: »

I think you should be allowed drink drive but only on scooters, it'd be a sort of Darwin natural selection thing.

If you want to drink and drive go right ahead but only if you put yourself at risk and not others.

Seeing fatty daddy Healy-Raes comb over flapping all around the place as he wobbles up a country lane on a moped at 7 m/ph would make for a quality late night tv3 show. Bring it on I say.

What others are at risk? Who else is on the small rural roads at that time at night?
Why not allow a half an hour window for these drivers(no risk for other people)

Sofiztikated

False Prophet wrote: »

What others are at risk? Who else is on the small rural roads at that time at night?
Why not allow a half an hour window for these drivers(no risk for other people)

Define rural roads? R- Roads? What time of night is this? Closing time is 11.30 during the week, 12.30 on Saturday nights.

Not exactly a stretch to imagne that someone might be on the roads.

How far do they have to travel? Is it a mile? What if they have to travel further? 10 Miles? Is it 250 miles, on rural roads?

False Prophet

Sofiztikated wrote: »

I know of at least 2 bars doing this. If they want people to come to the pub, they need to innovate.

Or organise something with a local taxi driver.

Im not sure if we are comparing like for like. The local pubs near me wouldnt be making enough for a taxi driver(during the weekdays anyway). Local post office,primary school,shop have all closed in the last few years. Nearest gardai station is closed except for a few hours. Another rural pub nearby is closing due to nobody buying.

False Prophet

Sofiztikated wrote: »

Define rural roads? R- Roads? What time of night is this? Closing time is 11.30 during the week, 12.30 on Saturday nights.

Not exactly a stretch to imagne that someone might be on the roads.

How far do they have to travel? Is it a mile? What if they have to travel further? 10 Miles? Is it 250 miles, on rural roads?

Im not saying i agree with the proposal.

JustinDee

False Prophet wrote: »

He gets voted for a reason, he takes care of the people who vote for him.(not saying i agree with his policies but coming from a rural area in another county i can see why he gets votes)

That's the problem with Ireland. Local politicking. All based on what they can do for you and you alone.

Czarcasm

False Prophet wrote: »

What others are at risk? Who else is on the small rural roads at that time at night?
Why not allow a half an hour window for these drivers(no risk for other people)

They're a bloody risk unto themselves! If the healy raes ACTUALLY gave a shìte about their patrons "only social outlet", they have the means and the money to actually BUY mini-buses that could do the pub runs during the week, and then the football match runs for the local GAA juvenile clubs at the weekends.

Something like that is a lot more viable than "my pub is dying on it's àrse, let my patrons drive home rat àrsed on the back roads, sure what's the worst that could happen?"

Clearly the healy-raes haven't been listening to the other staple of the elderly generation- Gay Byrne, as he related the horrors of road deaths in Ireland caused by drink driving. This country is trying to rid itself of the drink and drive culture, and these clowns want exceptions made to save their ailing businesses, under the guise of looking out for their elderly constituents?

GTFO!! That aran sweater doesn't stretch over near as many eyeballs as they think it does.

anncoates

Don't just castigate these politicians. Consider the spastics that give them a mandate.

crockholm

It seems we've been doing something right the way road fatalaties have declined year on year, so is dhr disputing this?
Noticed a few publicans names among those who supported this vain and daft proposal, but hey all good, another fatality from drunk driving? why not go to the pub after the funeral.
I don't dispute the decline of rural Ireland,but a bad idea is a bad idea.
Would seriously like to have a word with the 27 or so moral midgets whom abstained from voting on this.

landsleaving

False Prophet wrote: »

What others are at risk? Who else is on the small rural roads at that time at night?
Why not allow a half an hour window for these drivers(no risk for other people)

So you think a reasonable solution would be to allow no other drivers on rural roads for half an hour while all the drunk people drive home?

Really?

What if they drive into each other?

What if there's an emergency?

What if the bar staff want to go home too?

What if the drinker wants to leave before the window opens?

What if other people in the area have to go somewhere, work, airport, etc.

What if we stopped even attempting to justify the nonsensical propositions of a fool?

PC CDROM

Hope it goes through and then the car insurance companies charge the fuk out of them.

Something tells me they either haven't thought this through or someone is just playing to his voters.

Sofiztikated

False Prophet wrote: »

Im not sure if we are comparing like for like. The local pubs near me wouldnt be making enough for a taxi driver(during the weekdays anyway). Local post office,primary school,shop have all closed in the last few years. Nearest gardai station is closed except for a few hours. Another rural pub nearby is closing due to nobody buying.

Like for like. One is a pub in a small village, urban population of 300, rural population of 800, according to last accounts.

Another is a smaller village with an urban population of 250, rural population of about 600. The smaller village actually is the busier one, as the bar puts on different events, has a good BBQ during decent weather, bands, Ann Summers nights, and gets quite a draw from more than the surrounding area.

I know country pubs are struggling. But unfortunately, it's business. Innovate, and move with the times. Don't rely on stupid outdated ideas.

False Prophet

JustinDee wrote: »

That's the problem with Ireland. Local politicking. All based on what they can do for you and you alone.

Maybe, but the people elected in my county dont seem to care about the local people except at election time

crockholm

JustinDee wrote: »

That's the problem with Ireland. Local politicking. All based on what they can do for you and you alone.

Tip O Neill,
not just in Ireland,or rural Ireland

ProudDUB

False Prophet wrote: »

What others are at risk? Who else is on the small rural roads at that time at night?
Why not allow a half an hour window for these drivers(no risk for other people)

Nonsense. What about the people who don't work 9-5 hours, who are going to/from work at the same times that the pubs close? What about people coming home after being out visiting their families for the evening? What about tourists driving back to their hotels and B&B's after a day/night out? (This is Kerry for godsake. Tourism is the life blood for a lot of people in that part of the world, isn't it?)

Don't all those people deserve to be able to drive on our roads without some inebriated gobshyte ploughing into them? It's not all about the poor crathurs stuck at home all night because the anti drink do gooders don't want them to drink and drive FFS ! :mad:

.....Goes to check Paddy Power to see what the odds are of seeing an article in tomorrows paper from the Healy Rae's whinging about the Dublin meeja not caring about the concerns of rural folk ! :rolleyes:

JustinDee

False Prophet wrote: »

Maybe, but the people elected in my county dont seem to care about the local people except at election time

And your point is what? Best of a bad bunch?
This populist and at the same time self-serving grave dancing is inexcusable. Shame on any weasel who supports it.

False Prophet

Sofiztikated wrote: »

Like for like. One is a pub in a small village, urban population of 300, rural population of 800, according to last accounts.

Another is a smaller village with an urban population of 250, rural population of about 600. The smaller village actually is the busier one, as the bar puts on different events, has a good BBQ during decent weather, bands, Ann Summers nights, and gets quite a draw from more than the surrounding area.

I know country pubs are struggling. But unfortunately, it's business. Innovate, and move with the times. Don't rely on stupid outdated ideas.

Fair points but im talking about the normal quiet weekdays not the event nights.
As you said its a business and more of them are closing. It wont effect me or most other people on boards but it will effect the elderly bachelor that has no other outlet.

Fiery mutant

Roger_007 wrote: »

I think it's a great idea. What about a dispensation for Kerry people to exceed speed limits and not pay car tax. Didn't they already have public meetings about not paying property tax or septic tank charge. They might as well go the whole hog and declare independence.

That's not a bad idea. Then we can laugh and point at them instead of being embarrassed that they are one of us. I wonder how many pints he had when he came up with this wacky idea.

I'd swear some of these f.uckers were put on this earth to bring about the downfall of this nation.

One day our future generations will weep for what we did.

Sleepy

How about we allow it for 6 months but only for those who've drank excessively?

Finish the bottle of Powers and you can drive home.

After 6 months we shouldn't have an issue.

the groutch

shows how stupid the people of Kerry were when they voted two more Healy-Raes onto the CC.

dan1895

the groutch wrote: »

shows how stupid the people of Kerry were when they voted two more Healy-Raes onto the CC.

Kinda supports the old Kerryman stereotype alright

Janedoe10

According to http://www.kerrycoco.ie/en/allservices/corporateservices/yourcouncil/ 14 of the councilors are labour/ fine Gael . If they gave a damn this wouldn't have hit thru but it did .
Make sure u highlight this by emails . Even if it's hightlighting the demise of transport in rural Ireland and pubs ( which is a worthy topic in its own right ) it will also show those gombeens for what they are . How unsulting that these dopes use our taxes to pass this for the greater good .

Janedoe10

dan1895 wrote: »

Kinda supports the old Kerryman stereotype alright

I don't think they were elected in . Co-opted in one of them because michael went onto dail glory up there in Dublin.
Keeping the dynasty alive of course .

crockholm

the groutch wrote: »

shows how stupid the people of Kerry were when they voted two more Healy-Raes onto the CC.

parachuted in when mhr got the nod for TD, unelected afaik,Kerry south also

crockholm

dan1895 wrote: »

Kinda supports the old Kerryman stereotype alright

he said with a needle full of smack in his arm

Kerrydude1981

The Healy Raes are like a royal family down in South Kerry,they have the council all sown up,the council sub contract work to there plant hire business and they are usually among the highest paid as well.

If there so worried about there customers the Healys Rae's should buy a mini bus for there customers to drop them home from the pub.

bluecode

And they wonder why everyone tells Kerryman jokes? Besides why do the need a permit? Everyone does it already. The chances of getting caught are nil unless you wrap the car around a tree.

The one little thing these idiots seem to have forgotten is that drink driving is dangerous. That's why it's illegal. Dimwits!

Hilly Bill

Of course they will drive slow as they will be pissed.

alphabeat

Video feed from the council vote yesterday :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ML1OZCHixR0

dan1895

crockholm wrote: »

he said with a needle full of smack in his arm

You stay classy now. It's a fukcing stupid idea by a gombeen who is only out for himself.

oppenheimer1

If you can afford to go for a feed of pints, you can afford the taxi home. Old or not, people have to be responsible for their actions.

UnknownSpecies

oppenheimer1 wrote: »

If you can afford to go for a feed of pints, you can afford the taxi home. Old or not, people have to be responsible for their actions.

As stated by a few already in the thread, this is nothing to do with old people not wanting to pay for a taxi. It's a self-serving proposal from a politician (very loose use of that word) who just so happens to be a rural publican.

vigos

the groutch wrote: »

shows how stupid the people of Kerry were when they voted two more Healy-Raes onto the CC.

This comes to mind

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsnLyHKWtrg

Cienciano

Danny Healy-Rae said:

“A lot of these people are living in isolated rural areas where there’s no public transport of any kind, and they end up at home looking at the four walls, night in and night out, because they don’t want to take the risk of losing their licence,”

Now, this might sound crazy, but can't these people go to the pub and not drink?

jimmy180sx

Is anyone else reading these posts in a south kerry accent?

Stheno

jimmy180sx wrote: »

Is anyone else reading these posts in a south kerry accent?

No they'd be unintelligible then :P

Capt'n Midnight

Roger_007 wrote: »

I think it's a great idea. What about a dispensation for Kerry people to exceed speed limits and not pay car tax. Didn't they already have public meetings about not paying property tax or septic tank charge. They might as well go the whole hog and declare independence.

When the NCT came in there was talk all right of asking for older people living on the Berra(sp) Pinensula not to have to do one because of the remoteness and how they depended on their cars.

omega666

its not a bad idea, it's sad to see the old rural pub die out.
I'd imagine the permits would be only given out selectively, some of these rural
roads would have no traffic at all as most of them would only have a few houses or in some cases the only house would be the drivers themselves.

4 or 5 pints and tip away home at 20 or 30 miles an hour up your own
booreen. The chances of killing some one are fairly slim.

Lone Stone

they should all be arrested and fired for incitement to drink driving or some thing.. eh yep.

It wasn't me!

omega666 wrote: »

its not a bad idea, it's sad to see the old rural pub die out.
I'd imagine the permits would be only given out selectively, some of these rural
roads would have no traffic at all as most of them would only have a few houses or in some cases the only house would be the drivers themselves.

4 or 5 pints and tip away home at 20 or 30 miles an hour up your own
booreen. The chances of killing some one are fairly slim.

Yeah, that's completely crap. "fairly slim"? Nice. Have had family killed by drunk drivers who probably fancied their odds too. Nobody needs to drink. There's absolutely no excuse, ever, for getting in the car after drinking. If you want to socialise, go to the pub and don't drink. There is never, ever any excuse for driving after drinking, because there's never any reason anyone has to drink.

mikemac1

Eamon O Cuiv wanted to expand the rural transport scheme to nighttime.
The buses are there and it creates a bit of employment

Got laughed out of it by his comrade politicians and was told no taxpayer money would be spent for buses to pubs

Clearly ignoring the money that gets pumped into the transport systems in the cities!

Esel

jimmy180sx wrote: »

Is anyone else reading these posts in a south kerry accent?

De pee-ah-pel who ate der dinner in de middle of de day will tink dis is a mighty idea....

lintdrummer

Nobody here has mentioned that drink driving is rife in rural Ireland as it is. It's not like it used to be, people don't get mouldy and drive, but many people have a couple over a few hours and drive home. A lot of people just don't understand how life is for a large portion of the population. There is literally no way to get to the "local" other than to drive.
While this proposal is clearly flawed it's simply acknowledging a problem that already exists. From living in the rural area I'm from I can honestly say that I believe people are not posing any great risk by driving home from our local. Nobody would allow someone who was well oiled to drive home, the publican would give a lift to anyone well over the limit.
Perhaps a better proposal would be if the publican has responsibility for the permits. He's providing the alcohol, let him make a judgment on who can drive based on what they've drank/where they're going?
Anyway, I'll most likely be berated for this post but I'll say this: it is a real issue that needs to be solved. There are no taxis in the areas in question and there will never be a late night door to door rural public transport system. The suggestion that if all these people want to go to the pub they shouldn't drink is unreasonable. The publican bringing people home is happening but most of them surely don't own a minibus and there's only so much they can do.
Another thought: a grant for publicans to purchase a minibus and a permit to use green diesel. Would encourage stricter enforcement of closing time too, the extra time spent driving would encourage the publican to get everyone home as soon as 11.30 or whatever comes.

It wasn't me!

lintdrummer wrote: »

The suggestion that if all these people want to go to the pub they shouldn't drink is unreasonable.

Um, no, it's not. Want to drink? Don't drive. Want to drive? Don't drink. It really is that simple. Nobody needs to drink. They will not shrivel up, wither and die without alcohol. I mean, your statement has absolutely no basis. Why is it unreasonable? Because they want to drink? Then find someone to give you a lift. Can't do that? Don't drink then. You can still go and socialise. Think that's unreasonable? I think it's unreasonable that people will get in their cars having taken a substance whose detrimental effect on driving skills and reaction times is well documented, whatever that might be, and my family and hundreds and thousands of others have people missing as a result of that behaviour. The suggestion that someone's right to drink alcohol is so important that they should gamble with other people's lives is not only unreasonable, however, but genuinely offensive, and make no mistake, that's exactly what's at the heart of this.

lintdrummer

It wasn't me! wrote: »

Um, no, it's not.

Yes it is. Like it or not, many, many people are incapable of socialising without a drink. And for a lot of the people we're talking about, going to the pub is all they have. Sad but true.
I'm sorry for your loss and I hope I haven't come across as insensitive. I do not agree with drink driving as we all understand it. A drunk person is a danger in a vehicle and should never be allowed to drive. But what I do believe is that a person can be over the legal limit, but not drunk, and be very capable of driving on a quiet road home.

It wasn't me!

lintdrummer wrote: »

Yes it is. Like it or not, many, many people are incapable of socialising without a drink. And for a lot of the people we're talking about, going to the pub is all they have. Sad but true.

Anyone for whom this is the case is pathetic, and fcuk them. Their right to be sociable can not come at the expense of others being endangered by their behaviour. If they can't socialise without drinking they can socialise at home, and should seek professional help. Sad but true doesn't even begin to cover that.

I'm sorry for your loss and I hope I haven't come across as insensitive. I do not agree with drink driving as we all understand it. A drunk person is a danger in a vehicle and should never be allowed to drive. But what I do believe is that a person can be over the legal limit, but not drunk, and be very capable of driving on a quiet road home.

And yet studies show that alcohol even at the low legal limit has an effect on people's reaction times and ability to drive well. That's simply not tolerable. If I'm tired, I pull over. If I'm on medication that makes me drowsy, I don't drive. If, in other words, I'm not absolutely in perfect shape to drive, I don't. It's not worth the risk, to me or to anyone else. Someone can drive home safely from the pub a thousand times in a row, but what happens the one time they unexpectedly encounter a situation alcohol alone has rendered them unable to deal with and someone is injured or killed? Was it okay because they got home safely all those other times?

lintdrummer

And by the same token a sober, perfectly able person could make a thousand safe journeys and on one occasion get momentarily distracted and cause an accident. That doesn't justify taking everybody off the road.
This argument is moot anyway because this proposal won't go any further. It's too open to abuse and hasn't been thought through. A solution is needed though, as I've said people are and will continue drink driving in rural areas.

Lyaiera

Feck cycle lanes we need drunk lanes. Little roads running 25 metres parallel to regular roads. Drunks can use them, boy racers can speed on them, foreigners can drive on whatever side of the road they like. Not only would there be thousands of jobs created in building them we'd make a fortune on tourism (and that's only Top Gear doing Christmas specials on them.)

MadsL

omega666 wrote: »

its not a bad idea, it's sad to see the old rural pub die out.
I'd imagine the permits would be only given out selectively, some of these rural
roads would have no traffic at all as most of them would only have a few houses or in some cases the only house would be the drivers themselves.

4 or 5 pints and tip away home at 20 or 30 miles an hour up your own
booreen. The chances of killing some one are fairly slim.

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/courts/drunk-driver-wont-face-trial-over-death-of-fireman-garda-1981621.html

Seems you can get away with, literally, murder in Kerry.

Why not adopt their proposal and just remove all policing totally from Kerry for a month. Then ask Kerry CC if they would like the guards back policing their posts.

By contrast I was at US Driving School today having been offered school rather than points for speeding. I was doing 42 in a 30...bad me. I learnt something about how the US deals with DUI. 1st offence -6 months to 1 year license revocation (1 year if under 21) and up to 90 days jail. 2nd Offence - up to 1 year jail-time with 96 hours mandatory.

I also learnt that if I am a passenger in a car when the driver has been been drinking and I am also drunk then if the driver kills someone, even if they are under the BAC limit, then I am also charged as an accessory.

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

you'd swear the government was forcing people to live 10 miles away from their local the way people are suggesting bus routes or taxis. if you choose to live far away from towns, you have to deal with the fact that your services are going to suck compared to someone in a town or a city.

plus you can always just bloody walk home.

hoodwinked

lintdrummer wrote: »

Nobody here has mentioned that drink driving is rife in rural Ireland as it is. It's not like it used to be, people don't get mouldy and drive, but many people have a couple over a few hours and drive home. A lot of people just don't understand how life is for a large portion of the population. There is literally no way to get to the "local" other than to drive.
While this proposal is clearly flawed it's simply acknowledging a problem that already exists. From living in the rural area I'm from I can honestly say that I believe people are not posing any great risk by driving home from our local. Nobody would allow someone who was well oiled to drive home, the publican would give a lift to anyone well over the limit.
Perhaps a better proposal would be if the publican has responsibility for the permits. He's providing the alcohol, let him make a judgment on who can drive based on what they've drank/where they're going?
Anyway, I'll most likely be berated for this post but I'll say this: it is a real issue that needs to be solved. There are no taxis in the areas in question and there will never be a late night door to door rural public transport system. The suggestion that if all these people want to go to the pub they shouldn't drink is unreasonable. The publican bringing people home is happening but most of them surely don't own a minibus and there's only so much they can do.
Another thought: a grant for publicans to purchase a minibus and a permit to use green diesel. Would encourage stricter enforcement of closing time too, the extra time spent driving would encourage the publican to get everyone home as soon as 11.30 or whatever comes.

I Live in a city suburb, plenty of taxis, our local has bought a mini bus and hired a driver who when you ring them will go collect them and bring them home for free, its to stop the elderly from drink driving and its working. why can't rural pubs do the same if their customers are that important to them...


And as someone who drives in a rural area due to some family living there i completely disagree, they are posing a great risk, i hope to god i never come across a drunk driver as those roads can be deadly enough as it is with the speeding that happens on them, and ive seen some deadly antics on those rural roads,


ive seen my inlaws drinking all night long hopping in the car to drive home "sure its only down the road" the fact is when that drunk they shouldn't be driving down the driveway never mind on a public road where all it will take is one neighbour coming home late to cause a potential issue,


try and tell them not to do it and you'll get a whole barrage of abuse along with "i have been doing it for years without any accident" "i could drive these roads in my sleep" "ah sure its only down the road" "who do you think you are telling me how to drive"

My husband and i operate a one of us drink one of us drive policy and its not too hard to implement to be fair,they could do it too but its sheer ignorance and laziness stopping them. They want to drink but not walk the 5 minutes down the road. these are not very elderly lonely people these are people who love a glass of wine or three or more and will happily hop in the car and drive.

Its rampant and needs to be cracked down on, before some one does end up crashing.