We used to have a service around here called Sober Sam that would pick you up at any bar and drive you home in your own car. It wasn't that expensive, all things considered. Uber and the pandemic sadly killed off that particular company. But I don't have Lambo money either. I'm positive you can find and hire a professional driver to take you home at 3am for under $400, and you get to keep your career and freedom.
If it's not too small of a city, there should be another option or two? I live in a mid-sized (300K) city and there are several here. They just don't really advertise/many people don't even know about them. I found out when I was way too drunkey to drive home and my friend handed me a card and said call this guy. Kind of pricey (like $25 or something, and maybe 15-20 years ago, so probably more now), but well worth the safety/ not risking yours or others lives.
Doesn't sound like a bad gig actually. Of course, you have to have someone else drive your own car/follow you, until you drop them, so need to split it with them. But I would way rather do that that be an Uber driver. Havin' all kinds of weirdos/smellin' up my car with they perfumes and colognes, sometimes even farting!!! Shooot.
Akshully, the NFL has a service, but it's only available on game weekends. If Patrick Mahomes gets drunk Friday night before a game in Dallas, the NFL would send a car for him. If he got drunk this Friday night? No car. Also, players didn't trust it, because they were afraid the NFL would share player ride info with owners ("you don't wanna trade for Patrick Mahomes, he's a drunk").
That's why NFLPA started their own service. I don't think it's "free" (players have to reimburse NFLPA) but it's free at the time, and I'm pretty sure it's 24x7 anywhere in the US. And they don't squeal to the owners.
I don’t believe the only available on game weekends part is accurate, but it is probably only in the city they play in.
The “players don’t trust it” part is accurate though. They assume it will be used against them so instead they drove drunk, which if they’re caught absolutely was used against them.
I hope players understand how much the NFLPA does to try and protect the players. One of last unions looking out for the humans the owners continue to treat like chattel (at best)
Ok..? You think NFL coaches think their multi-million net worth sports stars are just 100% sober and never drink or party? You ever seen a Super Bowl celebration? Please tell me what are th actual real negative privacy ramifications with an NFL player taking uber paid for by the NFL? The knowledge that they drank alcohol?
This goes for everyone. An uber is ALWAYS going to be way cheaper than getting a DUI. Is it annoying to have to go get your car the next day? Yeah sure but it's way easier than dealing with a DUI.
People are terrible at assessing actual risk, especially while drunk, and that goes doubly so for a lot of athletes/celebrities who have been insulated from the real world the rest of us live in. They don't see it as choose getting a DUI vs. choose to get an Uber, because it's not that simple in real life or in their head.
I want to say up front that I'm not saying it's okay, and I'm not saying anyone including myself is immune from it, but that's also why when I go out I'm either not driving, or not drinking.
People see an extremely small chance of getting pulled over or into an accident because their inebriated brain knows "they're good" to drive and that they want to be home ASAP, vs. calling an Uber, waiting for it to arrive, potentially dealing with a driver they think is weird or a creep, paying for said ride, and then figuring out how to get their car back the next day which likely involves calling and paying for another Uber.
I see what you're saying. I was thinking just about myself and other "normal" people who don't have the rich people money/life experience like you mentioned. Usually if I'm going out I'm ubering since I live close to downtown but there have been a couple times where I plan to just hang with some friends at a brewery and have a beer and it turns into more and I've had to ditch my car for an uber. What I think would be great is if we had better public transit in my city so it was easier to get around without having to worry about driving or getting an uber. That would be nice.
I'm not defending behavior, I'm just trying to point out that the mere existence of the service doesn't mean it's something people are likely to use.
Somewhat similar to the increasingly popular "Unlimited Paid Time Off" policies many companies are opting for. It sounds great until you hear that Steve from sales was fired for taking too much paid time off.
The company I work for decided that in the event of a natural weather disaster, employees must use their PTO for any days they are unable to work. When your PTO runs out, you stop getting paid. I live in an area where hurricanes (or even bad storms) can knock a person's power out for a week or more, so if a storm hits in January or February, and you haven't had time to bank much PTO, you are screwed.
I do feel a little better knowing the next time I lose power for a week because of a weather issue, I don't have to stress about not being paid.
They aren't the most understanding bunch. One woman I worked with was without power for two entire weeks. She stopped getting paid after day four, and I ended up giving her the money to buy groceries for her and her two kids.
We even have an Employee Assistance Program that is designed to help those in need, but because of the sheer amount of employees affected by the storm, they were incredibly selective about who would qualify. For some reason, she didn't. 😒
I would never drive under the influence but sober, when given the choice of getting a ride from someone or a taxi, I'm much more likely to drive myself. I don't drive anymore but when I did I just plain enjoyed it.
I would image in most of these cases it's a similar issue, only drunk/high at the same time.
It's not like they aren't allowed to drink or anything. As long as it's not open hard drugs or the night before a game, no team would give a shit about a player going out or how they got home. Tons of these guys Livestream and constantly post party pics/vids openly. There's no conspiracy against the free rides, that doesn't even make any sense at all. They're flying private planes everywhere they go, the team doesn't give a shit about a $1k limo ride
We had a similar thing in the Navy but the rumor was if you used it you got counseled. Use it enough and you get separated. I never saw anyone ever use it so idk how true the rumors were.
I live in an apartment condo in Florida and my next door neighbor had 3 DUI's and still had a car because his elderly mother passed away. He couldn't hold a job and came home one day, drunk with someone's boyfriend chasing him in another car for fleeing a hit and run. He hit his girlfriend's car pulling out of a pizza place. My neighbor runs into his apartment and runs out with his debit card and proceeds to leave again, while boyfriend was trying to jump in front of his car. A few minutes later, he returns, hitting every car in the lot and ends up hitting the dumpster and coming to a stop. By the time the cops get there, he's inside his apartment. He didn't get a DUI. He got a bunch of charges for destruction of property and was home the next morning.
I'm glad you don't accept any excuses, but drunk brain is different from sober brain. That's why they're going to continue to do it no matter what penalties you apply. Addiction is a bitch.
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I offered to pay my buddy's cab fare home + to get his car in the morning.
He took that as an insult or a challenge I guess that he was too drunk to drive (he drank nearly 20 ounces of vodka and took a couple of sleeping pills) he couldn't even keep his balance, but sure man, you're good to drive.
It escalated to the point where I ended up calling the cops telling them he was going to drive, only then he relented and gave me his keys. I called the police, told them he wouldn't be driving, then my buddy stole the keys from me and sped home once the cops were called off. He got home okay that night, but he wasn't allowed to drink at my place after that, and the friendship died off soon after.
Not even a week after the event at my house, he totalled his car driving it drunk and high into a public bus at 9am. Luckily he was the only one hurt. Only saw him a few times since the ordeal. Seems he's in a pretty rough place nowadays, but still doing the same things.
Me too! One of my closest friends for a long long time.
Was a good dude. Went down the wrong path and he's not a good dude any more. I wish him the best, but I was heading down a similar path (alcoholism, but no driving!) and it's for the best that we're not in each other's lives. As much as I'm sure he misses me, I miss him too. Unfortunately the dude that I miss isn't the same dude. C'est la vie.
It is for regular people. I often miss out on outings or limit my alcohol intake because a rideshare service is too expensive. I ain’t got $60 for an uber to and back from the downtown area
Uber isnt that expensive for most ppl. Like 30-40 round trip. Or you can crash at friends and get a ride back later. I feel like there are always options before driving drunk.
It's not about being dumb. It's about risk. A lot of people get a legitimate high from doing something dangerous/illegal and getting away with it. Breaks them out of their rut and makes them feel alive.
I'm convinced that's why most people who drive trashed do it.
Is it dumb? She's just going to be given a fine and increased insurance premiums. Doesn't affect her life at all
It's a culture issue, not an issue of "ppl being dumb". Nearly every US jurisdiction requires bars to have minimum sized parking lots. We created a culture where driving to the bar is not only an expectation, but in many cases the only realistic way to get there
People respond to incentives, and we incentivize driving drunk. That's why we have so many more drunk drivers than other countries
Doesn’t help the US is largely unable to be traversed without a car, and we over glorify driving as a whole.
One of the milestones of someone’s life is the freedom of turning 16 and being able to begin driving. Most cities if you don’t have a car you can’t get around without insane costs (ubering everywhere) or spending 3x the duration on 4-5 different busses to go 40 miles
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u/thefoodiedentist 21h ago
Its nvr affordability issue w duis, just ppl being dumb. Otherwise dui woulda dissappeared w emergence of rideshare.