That's just lovely

[Winstonm]

Here's a hypothetical:

 

A U.S. soldier comes home from Afghanistan, goes into a bar to celebrate, and has too much to drink. He leaves and climbs into his car and drives toward home, but on the way his car hits a man who is riding a bicycle and kills the man - but it turns out the man on the bicycle was a terrorist who was on his way to a suicide bicycle bombing.

 

Question: Which bumper sticker do we take off our car?

A: Support Our Troops

B. Hang All Drunk Drivers

C. McCain-Palin '08

[Lobowolf]

Here's a hypothetical:

 

A U.S. soldier comes home from Afghanistan, goes into a bar to celebrate, and has too much to drink. He leaves and climbs into his car and drives toward home, but on the way his car hits a man who is riding a bicycle and kills the man - but it turns out the man on the bicycle was a terrorist who was on his way to a suicide bicycle bombing.

 

Question: Which bumper sticker do we take off our car?

A: Support Our Troops

B. Hang All Drunk Drivers

C. McCain-Palin '08

Trick question...he wouldn't be "celebrating." He'd be wishing he were still in Afghanistan keeping us safe. If I had to choose, I'd go with:

 

D. "Pacifism: It Worked Against Hitler"

[Trinidad]

What about for driving while talking on a phone?  That also has been demonstrated to make one a drastically worse driver (see NYT best selling book Traffic).

I fully agree.

 

BUT... There is a big difference between a drunk driver and a caller.

 

When someone is waiting for a traffic light, calling or being drunk has little consequences. But when the light turns green, the caller can stop calling. The drunk driver cannot stop being drunk.

 

To put it differently: Both men have decreased their ability to drive. But the caller can choose when this ability is decreased and the drunk cannot. In practice, many callers don't choose wisely. :D (But I know some who do. :))

 

Rik

[blackshoe]

kill, kill, kill....

"I wanna kill,

I wanna see blood, 'n guts, 'n gore,

'n veins in ma teeth.

I wanna kill."

..........Arlo Guthrie, "The Alice's Restaurant Masacree"

[Winstonm]

Here's a hypothetical:

 

A U.S. soldier comes home from Afghanistan, goes into a bar to celebrate, and has too much to drink.  He leaves and climbs into his car and drives toward home, but on the way his car hits a man who is riding a bicycle and kills the man - but it turns out the man on the bicycle was a terrorist who was on his way to a suicide bicycle bombing.

 

Question: Which bumper sticker do we take off our car?

A: Support Our Troops

B. Hang All Drunk Drivers

C. McCain-Palin '08

Trick question...he wouldn't be "celebrating." He'd be wishing he were still in Afghanistan keeping us safe. If I had to choose, I'd go with:

 

D. "Pacifism: It Worked Against Hitler"

Hitler? You are playing the Hitler card? You must be desperate. :o

[kenberg]

Drunk driving needs to be dealt with but I would not wnat to see the law changed to define drunk as having had one glass of wine. Having driven for fifty-five years, i have made some errors and been very lucky that there were no consequences.

 

Example: In my teen years I was coming home late from a date. The stoplight was flashing red so, asI was supposed to do, I stopped. Then I went. The I realized I forgot to look to see if anyone was coming.

 

 

Example: In my twenties we were driving from Minneapolis up to northern Manitoba. After driving all night we stopped for breakfast in Winnipeg and set out again, me at the wheel. I drove right through a red light.

 

Example: The only semi-serious accident I have had. I was sitting at a red light waiting for it to turn. I got rear-ended by a young woman who had borrowed her boyfriend's car. She was not used to a stick shift and put on the clutch instead of the brake.

 

 

Example: I am now 70. I think I still drive fine but I recall how relieved I was when my father gave up driving in his late sixties. Yes, I believe I can tell the difference.

 

 

I cannot recall any close calls that were due to modest alcohol consumption, and I have a pretty good memory. People are not perfect. Reasonably good sense should be demanded but I am not in favor of going after folks who are often in far better shape for driving than others who would never touch a drop. If I drink much, I give the keys to my wife. If I have a glass of wine with dinner, I don't bother. Neither does the other guy out there and I'm fine with that.

[mike777]

keep in mind the issue was never do we need to change the law.

 

 

Many cops tell me after 1 am.......about a third of the drivers on the road are driving impared.....the issue as always is money....money for jails...money for judges...money for etc........

 

 

Please do not view the issue as......we have lots of jail space...but too few law breakers......

 

For all countries, I mean all, the issue is, we have limited jail space and too many law breakers....

[Winstonm]

Many cops tell me after 1 am.......about a third of the drivers on the road are driving impared

 

What were you doing out after 1 a.m. talking to cops?

[helene_t]

For all countries, I mean all, the issue is, we have limited jail space and too many law breakers....

The US has plenty of prison cells imho. No other country has anywhere near US's prison population (as a proportion of the entire population).

[Lobowolf]

For all countries, I mean all, the issue is, we have limited jail space and too many law breakers....

The US has plenty of prison cells imho. No other country has anywhere near US's prison population (as a proportion of the entire population).

So does that mean we have far more criminals per capita than other countries, or just fewer criminals per capita walking around amongst the rest of us?

[Winstonm]

For all countries, I mean all, the issue is, we have limited jail space and too many law breakers....

The US has plenty of prison cells imho. No other country has anywhere near US's prison population (as a proportion of the entire population).

So does that mean we have far more criminals per capita than other countries, or just fewer criminals per capita walking around amongst the rest of us?

Are those the only two options we get? I was planning to vote C) None of the above.

[matmat]

poke the guy's eyes out so he doesn't try driving again.