Tuesday 6 October 2009

Responsible Drinking, Irresponsible Driving.

The last thing I wanted to do on Saturday night was go out. I'd had a nice day wondering around Windsor with the New Boy, and I was tired from the excesses of the previous night. Safe to say, I wanted nothing more than to stay in, dribble curry down myself, burp and go to sleep. But I'm not good at bailing on plans, and I'm even worse at it when those plans are for a birthday.

So I reluctantly headed out to find a route into Piccadilly Circus that wasn't affected by the supremely irritating tube engineering works that blight every line into and out of NW London each weekend. I surfaced 40 minutes later into the pissing rain, which had done nothing to dissipate the mass of tourists and general selection of idiots that make me want to die whenever I'm in that area of London.

A couple of hours later and I'm still not really getting into the swing of things. We're in a horrendous bar. I'm flagging. I make plans to scoot for the last train, but the birthday boy talks me out of it; another friend is driving them all back home and there's a spare seat. We're leaving in an hour: stay? Please? Ohh, ok.

Error.

Had I realised that the designated driver had been partaking in the sambucca shots we were knocking back, had I clocked that his lemonade actually had vodka in it...that the brown stuff was whisky, not coke... maybe I wouldn't have found myself in Piccadilly Circus at 3am on Sunday morning, tired, trying to find a taxi. Luckily, another friend did realise, starting a long argument in which he threatened to hit the designated driver if he even considered giving us all a lift home. And make no mistake, he was more than considering it. It was a done deal.

Drinking and driving yourself is one thing. Drinking and driving your friends home is completely another.

I just don't understand the mentality.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

I absolutely abhor drink driving. It's one of the most selfish things you can do... Even if they're only driving themselves home, they're endangering every other person on the street.

Just don't drink?! Or drink and fork out for a taxi?!

Good for you for not getting in the car...

Elaine Denning said...

Yes, good for you.
So...how does this make you feel about the new boy? I'm assuming here he knew there was alcohol involved...

Please Don't Eat With Your Mouth Open said...

roseski - Exactly. If I'd known he was getting hammered I'd have just got a train. Grrr.

Elaine - Me thinks you're a bit confused. The new boy wasn't there, I'd just seen him earlier in the day...

smidge said...

I would have slapped the designated driver as well. This makes me so angry...!

Lapa said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Lapa said...

roseski: Exactamente. Se eu soubesse que ele ia ficar martelado (hammered) teria simplesmente apanhado um comboio. Grrr

I´ve just linked your blog into mine.
jo.

The Unbearable Banishment said...

I use the word "hate" very sparingly, but I absolutely hate drunk drivers. It's no different that getting a gun and shooting someone, as far as I'm concerned. Don't get me started...

jo said...

that's just really dangerous. then again i have gotten into a car with a driver who did partake of alcoholic pleasures. however i was pretty sure that he wasn't drunk... next time no one should drive.

Anonymous said...

ugh, horrible behaviour...

 

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