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Drunk driving has been in the headlines a lot lately with celebrities like Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan and Nicole Richie doing jail time for getting behind the wheel when their blood alcohol is past the legal limit. I also just watched a news story about how the number of female drunk drivers is climbing rapidly.
As a bartender, you HAVE to think about the people you are sending out onto the street at the end of the night. But at the same time, thanks to groups like MADD, the legal blood alcohol limits are getting more and more strict. Some cities are so strict that a person is considered legally intoxicated after a beer or two.
Which brings us to a new book I received to review: Drinking, Driving, and Surviving…
Uncovering the secrets of DUI avoidance by Parnell Worthington. The book is is targeting an audience who enjoys alcohol, but also drives home after a night at the bar and offers a wide variety of tips for avoiding encounters with the law.
The book begins with the easiest techniques such as DON’T DO IT. Worthington gives some alternatives such as using public transportation or a designated driver. But in a lot of cities, public transportation isn’t a possibility and most designated drivers end up drunk by the end of the night anyway. After the common sense techniques are covered, Worthington breaks out the black-hat stuff.
Some good knowledge is dished out. Some of the key techniques involve planning ahead, avoiding “nuisance” bars, avoiding police checkpoints and excuses that work when you do eventually get pulled over. There is even a chapter devoted to what to do when they’ve got you in cuffs.
Worthington interviews several “masters” of drunk driving throughout the course of the book. The most extreme “master” is a character dubbed Drunk Tsu. Drunk Tsu not only likes to drive drunk, but he likes to drink while he drives. His first word of advice is to stick to cans and avoid the bottles. “Bottles are problematic on several counts,†says Drunk Tzu. “For starters, they roll all over the gad damned place and once the cops pull you over, it’s a little too late to tidy up and are hard to keep track of. Plus, the noise of those bottles rolling around breaks my concentration, man.â€Â
The book is written in a casual, conversational style that is pretty hilarious at times. I’m not sure if the “masters” are actually real people, but in the end it doesn’t matter because they make the book much more entertaining. Most of the information you’ll find here seems like common sense, but it never hurts to get a refresher course.
By reviewing this book, I am in no way encouraging anybody to drive drunk. However, casual drunk driving is something that exists on a far larger scale than anybody really wants to admit. Before you get offended, dig deep into your memory to make sure you’ve never driven drunk… and that time you drank two tall Miller Lites at Chilis with your family DOES count.
Scroll down to leave a comment. I really want to know what you think.
Popularity: 23% [?]
August 9th, 2007 at 1:19 pm
Ummm- no I have actually never driven drunk, my father who died this May from complications from being a long time drunk, pounded it in me to never drive drunk. I’ve walked home so drunk I have been perpendicular with the sidewalk… but nope never drove drunk! It’s not worth it- sounds like an irresponsible booklet actually and my poor father is probably rolling in his grave and clinking bottles to boot.
August 9th, 2007 at 4:14 pm
I have driven drunk…and I payed for it. Just a couple of weeks ago, my friend was at my bar…he left without saying goodbye, and an 1/2 hour later, I was informed that he had crashed into the side of a house. He had almost driven right through the house. He’s ok, he didn’t hurt anyone, but he will be paying for this a long ,long time.
As a bartender, at 2 different bars, I feel I have a duty to make sure I call cabs for as many people as possible. I know I can’t save everyone, but, at least I can try. People just don’t give a damn anymore when it comes to getting into their car after a long nite of partying. I cut people off every nite I work, i just want to help people.This book does not need to be out. Just dont drive drunk. period.
August 10th, 2007 at 11:12 am
My opinion is that Drunk driving is wrong. I have friends who get behind the wheel after a few drinks and they drive fine but I don’t condone that. As a bartender I can only police so much. In NYC the chance of someone driving is slim but I have had instances where you serve someone and then looking for their car keys.
I think the overall thing is that we individually have to make better decisions. Can some people drive after a few beers? Yes. Most can’t and that can’t be offered to some. Limits are limits because to save lives we need to gauge it by the lowest tolerances.
As a drinker I know I have good nights and I have bad nights. I don’t drive, I don’t even own a car. What I can drink one day is no indication of the next. Mood and other factor such as if I’ve eaten can play a role.
What I hope we all consider before making a poor decision such as allowing someone else or ourselves to drive while intoxicated is the guilt, the shame and the consequences of not killing ourselves but of costing someone else their life.
I couldn’t deal with that for the rest of my life and you probably couldn’t either so give that some sober and somber thought. Get a cab, call a friend, dont drink if you cant find a way home without getting behind the wheel.
It isnt worth it.
I just hope not too many people read this book and see it as a manual for getting over.
Know your limitations and respect life and local laws enough to stay alive and to not harm others.
As bartenders we should practice a sort of Hippocratic Oath to provide information, to be entertaining and to be attentive and just like physicians we should commit ourselves to do no harm.
Protect your patrons, from themselves if you have to. We owe it to one another.
Peace,
Terrence
Mac’s Bar
Maspeth, NY
August 12th, 2007 at 9:30 pm
Drunk drivers kill people every day!!! You should NEVER drive drunk!!!! And the drinking limits should be set low. People who drive drunk are putting not only their lives in danger but the lives of every person they pass on the road as well!!! People who drink and drive are stupid and deserved to get punished to fullest that they can!
August 13th, 2007 at 5:51 am
may be celebrities need to read this post
August 13th, 2007 at 3:12 pm
Um…I agree that people shouldn’t drink & drive but I also agree that people shouldn’t kill each other…but it still happens. I would be willing to bet that everyone above drank & drove atleast once in their lives. For the walker, feel blessed you live in a small enough town where you CAN walk! Lol! And the one that doesn’t even own a car…well, I guess it’s easy for you to say you won’t drink & drive, huh? Lol! Several of my friends/acquaintances have died from drunk driving accidents-I do NOT condone it! But if you have a couple drinks at dinner with your family, I don’t think that should be considered drunk. As a bartender, you should care enough if you see someone staggering out the door, to atleast attempt to stop them. But, you can’t be held responsible for every person that walks in the door. Everyone is over 21-therefore an adult-they are responsible for their own actions/mistakes. Also, if you work in a club, sometimes you don’t even see who walks out that door. How are you suppose to know every single person whether they’re driving or not? Ridiculous…
August 13th, 2007 at 3:12 pm
P.S. Celebs are people, too.
August 15th, 2007 at 3:06 pm
Thanks for all the comments everybody. I guess my problem is that the drunk driving laws are hypocritical, dumb and not realistic. Of course I don’t advocate getting hammered and driving around. BUT – the laws are getting ridiculous when it comes to Blood Alcohol Content.
August 16th, 2007 at 7:28 am
I can’t say I’ve never driven drunk, if by “drunk” you mean “with a blood alcohol content higher than the legal limit.” I’ve never driven when I, or anyone else who was observing me, thought I was impaired. But when BAC limits are low enough that they can be exceeded by me having a glass of wine along with my dinner, which is a distinct possibility (a single glass of wine could easily have me at .08, consdering my body weight), it’s hard to guarantee that I won’t be breaking the law.
I certainly don’t make a habit of driving when I am buzzed, just like I don’t make a habit of driving when I am overly tired or after I’ve had enough of a fight with my husband that makes me cry. Those are all things that detract from my ability to drive well. There aren’t any laws, though, saying that I can’t get behind the wheel if I’ve had less than 4 hours of sleep the night before.
August 18th, 2007 at 12:11 am
Hi,
This is a good post. It gives me the information I was in search of.
I have a small query – I don’t have any spam pages or websites. Still I am encountered with messages like “possible spamâ€Â, “Spamâ€Â, and so.
Do you have any idea why it’s such?
Thanks.
August 18th, 2007 at 1:16 pm
I agree that there is a ton of “casual” drunk driving that goes on. Most people will say they have never driven drunk, but they are thinking of driving while sloppy, can’t stand up drunk. They forget DUI stands for Driving Under the Influence. Doesn’t take much to do that.
August 26th, 2007 at 10:47 am
I will never drive drunk ,because one of my best friends was killed in a drunk driving accident last year. It is not his fault but he lost his life
September 3rd, 2007 at 12:02 am
Drunk driver really dangerous and you caused your friends or other people get into accident. I have a friend who killed a student at the roadside due to his drunk. Its his fault because he shouldn’t drive if he fell dizzy on his head.
Until now there is not any better idea to solve this kind of drunk driver. May be we can call our closest family to become our driver instead?
October 18th, 2007 at 2:19 pm
I agree joe, BAC is wayyyyy too low… granted people should pay for their actions if they’re smashed but, One or 2 beers is just way too rediculas, I look forward to buying this, its exactly what i have been looking for.
December 23rd, 2007 at 6:49 pm
If you are going to drink, know your limits. If you can’t drive ask a friend for a ride home or get a taxi. I would rather pay 20 bucks to get home then spend the night in jail.
January 30th, 2008 at 5:45 pm
drinking is always fun but drinking and driving is always very dangerious.so its better to avoid drinking while you drive.
March 14th, 2008 at 12:23 am
I drove drunk ONCE, 12 beers, and I only weigh 180lbs. I was pulled over, not because of my driving but by a COMPLETELY Random check. I freaked out, in my mind i was like “i am sooo screwed” but I told the cop bluntly no I have not been drinking and handed him my license and everything without fumbling. I got away with it, and I know now that was my ONLY chance, since then I have never done it again, let this be a lesson just don’t bother to do it, without a car I would not have a job I need to drive no matter what. That could have ruined my life completely. Always call your parents or a cab!
April 29th, 2008 at 8:12 am
got caught drink driving, facing 3 years now.. screwed. dont do it trust me, i dont know what to do, its a horrible feelin, and it was all over a girl!! now im lookin at 3yrs off the road over 1o mins of stupidity!!!!!!! 3000euro fine too.. get a fu##in taxi 20 euro no fine and a clean DRIVERSLIE’ no court date.. put it this was.. drinks 100 euro, stopped by police..shame brought to court..more shame.. fined 3000 euro…broke loose liesence…ruined.. for everything else theres a TAXI/CAB!!!
April 29th, 2008 at 8:14 am
got caught drink driving, facing 3 years now.. screwed. dont do it trust me, i dont know what to do, its a horrible feelin, and it was all over a girl!! now im lookin at 3yrs off the road over 1o mins of stupidity!!!!!!! 3000euro fine too.. get a fu##in taxi 20 euro no fine and a clean DRIVERSLIE’ no court date.. put it this was.. drinks 100 euro, stopped by police..shame brought to court..more shame.. fined 3000 euro…broke loose liesence…ruined.. for everything else theres a TAXI/CAB!!!just leave your keys behind the bar too
May 15th, 2008 at 10:52 am
My susters best best friend was killed in a car accident not her fault , but her boyfriends fault , she didn’t live till 18 South Africa sucks
May 15th, 2008 at 10:58 am
God gives u one chance in life don’t Fu## it up it is nice to party and get drunk…..But don’t do it irresponseble
May 15th, 2008 at 10:59 am
God gives u one chance in life don’t Fu## it up it is nice to party and get drunk…..But don’t do it irresponsebly
June 17th, 2008 at 7:40 am
Do the right thing and dont drink and drive on the public roads its not worth the risk of getting caught or worse killing someone. Dont do it.
September 20th, 2008 at 12:53 am
Driving while drunk not only risks your own life, but other innocents around you. Don’t do it!
There are plenty of non alcoholic drinks available, and if you do end up having a drink then it would be wise to take a cab.
November 17th, 2008 at 3:52 pm
Driving drunk is stupid!!! i drove drunk when i was 16, I got caught, spent a week in jail, and 6 motnhs on probation! I had a 7 p.m. curfew! if I wanted out after 7 I had to go with my mom! Its litterally impossible now to find any imployer that will higher you with a DUI on your record, and I never thought i would get caught. You can kill yourslef or someone else. Its not worth it. I will never drive under the influecne of alcohol ever again!
February 10th, 2009 at 10:20 am
I have driven drunk many times, been stopped and released a few times. It’s WHO you know. Name dropping will get you out of many a jam. Usually my drunk driving is better than the driving of the other Okies on the road. I have driven down the freeway with an Okie Highway Patrol trooper pacing along side. The kind of vehicle you have matters too. Sporty cars and old Monte Carlosn are cop magnets.
Now that I have quit drinking entirely, I look back of the past 40 years of frequent drunk driving and realize how fortunate I am to have never had a wreck or injured anyone including myself.
April 11th, 2009 at 4:06 pm
Hi just was t-boned by a drunk driver last night. He fled the seen the cop said he was already quilty of having had a dui. He could have killed me, my car spun around several times, i ended up facing in the opposite direction on the side of the road. Luckily I am alive, luckily no-one hit me as i was spinning. He didnt even care I was hurt. What a low life.
May 14th, 2009 at 7:39 am
im tired of everyone saying “don’t drive drunk.” i think every single person on this blog has done it one time or another in thier lives and its annoying for people to act like they would never do such a thing. If your presented with driving home drunk why don’t you take your foot off the gas pull over as much as you need to and stop acting like its the worste thing in the world
June 12th, 2009 at 11:54 pm
fuck all that i drive drunk and im good at it… i agree somepeople are fucking stupid and kill other people but you just need to relax and pay fucking attention and dont arouse suspision to your self
July 23rd, 2009 at 9:04 pm
ok i am drunk right now and can drive as if i was sober my secret, any mention of police or cops scares me sober no matter how drunk i am. thats how i drive home. i tell someone before i drink that if i get too drunk, aka to the point where i get frisky, i haave someone promise to tell me there is a cop outside prepared to follow me home and pul me over if i do anything wrong, they say that right before i get drunk off my a@@, then i get scared and drive home sober…and i make it home, no incidents no problem….
July 23rd, 2009 at 9:20 pm
response to pat about who: it is not who your know it is how you handle yourself… so what if your 17 and drunk…every goddamn 17yr old in this “fine” nation drinks if you get to know them they will admit to drinking since age 16
December 13th, 2009 at 4:21 pm
Always gat a taxi, getting caught drink driving is just not worth it. here in liverpool they will throw away the key.. everyone here gets a cab.
January 14th, 2010 at 2:02 pm
really hes just joking around so shit the fuck up n suck my dick
January 14th, 2010 at 2:02 pm
really hes just joking around so shut the fuck up n suck my dick
February 5th, 2010 at 10:50 am
Brandon, stop repeating yourself you moron. And for the record, you dont have a dick, its called a stump.
February 5th, 2010 at 10:52 am
all of you shut up