Don’t Drive Drunk
A blanket endorsement of taxis, limos, ride shares, pedicabs, mass transit and all other modes of transportation that do not require us to drive.
As social drinkers, we cannot overstate the importance of letting someone else drive you home. We are so wholeheartedly in favor not driving home that we even extend our endorsement to those unscrupulous cabbies that pick you up at the airport and drive you in circles around the city before finally dropping you at your downtown hotel. If this has not happened to you, perhaps you have never visited Los Angeles, Las Vegas or New York. The reason we include taxicab muggings in our endorsement is that as inhuman as this behavior is, it is still a better choice than driving drunk.
If you are unconvinced by all of the moral and legal arguments you have heard, perhaps we can convince you with a financial one. We have a friend who was pulled over on his way home from a date. He and his date had champagne before dinner, shared wine over dinner and sipped port afterward. Dinner cost around $200. The ensuing DUI racked up an additional $10,000 in fines and legal fees. The price is even higher if you factor in the fact that he sill pays exorbitant rates for auto insurance.
Our friend was very lucky that no one got hurt. If he had run into someone, he would still be in jail. He was pulled over for a burned out headlight. He was arrested. He spent a night in jail. He spent a fortune fighting to keep his license. He spent countless weekends doing his court-ordered community service. He is still a felon, which he is reminded of every time he fills out a financial form. All of this could have been avoided for ten dollars in cab fare.
The math is simple. Let’s imagine that you live a long way from your favorite bar or restaurant. Every time you go there, it costs ten dollars each way. It would take 500 visits to equal the price our friend’s DUI. More importantly, during those 500 visits, you can drink with impunity, knowing that you are not risking your life or anyone else’s.
We chose our current neighborhood largely because of its proximity to our favorite bars and restaurants. When we go out, we typically walk to and from dinner. If we choose a destination on the far side of town, we either take mass transit or call a cab. Sometimes we take mass transit there and cab home late at night.
Next time you get into a taxi and it smells like BO and stale cigarettes, just be glad that you are not behind the wheel. If you happen to get into the rare taxi where the car is clean and the driver is both professional and personable, ask for his or her card. Most drivers will take direct calls. If you are dedicated to drinking your carbs, you should try to have at least one cab driver on speed dial.
If you are unconvinced by all of the moral and legal arguments you have heard, perhaps we can convince you with a financial one. We have a friend who was pulled over on his way home from a date. He and his date had champagne before dinner, shared wine over dinner and sipped port afterward. Dinner cost around $200. The ensuing DUI racked up an additional $10,000 in fines and legal fees. The price is even higher if you factor in the fact that he sill pays exorbitant rates for auto insurance.
Our friend was very lucky that no one got hurt. If he had run into someone, he would still be in jail. He was pulled over for a burned out headlight. He was arrested. He spent a night in jail. He spent a fortune fighting to keep his license. He spent countless weekends doing his court-ordered community service. He is still a felon, which he is reminded of every time he fills out a financial form. All of this could have been avoided for ten dollars in cab fare.
The math is simple. Let’s imagine that you live a long way from your favorite bar or restaurant. Every time you go there, it costs ten dollars each way. It would take 500 visits to equal the price our friend’s DUI. More importantly, during those 500 visits, you can drink with impunity, knowing that you are not risking your life or anyone else’s.
We chose our current neighborhood largely because of its proximity to our favorite bars and restaurants. When we go out, we typically walk to and from dinner. If we choose a destination on the far side of town, we either take mass transit or call a cab. Sometimes we take mass transit there and cab home late at night.
Next time you get into a taxi and it smells like BO and stale cigarettes, just be glad that you are not behind the wheel. If you happen to get into the rare taxi where the car is clean and the driver is both professional and personable, ask for his or her card. Most drivers will take direct calls. If you are dedicated to drinking your carbs, you should try to have at least one cab driver on speed dial.