Drinking And Driving

[Spee]

Any ideas on how to stop it?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Doubt it can ever be stopped. But it surely can be enforced better with more severe penalties.

The worst case I can recall is from my hometown area, where about 15 years ago, a habitual drunk driver who had several drunk driving convictions after his license was taken away (yet no jail time), plowed into the back of a minivan carrying a family. The entire family was killed, yet this idiot was seen wandering around the accident scene asking people if he had hit something. Doesn't really seem to do much good that finally he got locked up after the fact.

Philosphically, I think this is one of the curses of a society that has chosen to make one drug legal over all others (not that I'm in favor of junkies legally shooting up and then getting behind the wheel either). The point is that the one legal drug and abuse thereof seems to be overly tolerated to the point to where people are allowed to cause great bodily harm to themselves and others, and sometimes pay only a relatively small penalty.

In other words, if societies would be a bit more tolerant in allowing people to occasionally get off with their vice of choice, then there would probably be a lot less abuse in the long run.

Do you ever drink and drive, be honest!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

When I used to ride two-wheelers, I was scared to death of riding anyway other than "on the natch." I just never felt comfortable the few times I had a beer and tried to ride.

Even now that it is just cars, I never drive if I plan to have more than a pint. There is just too much risk. As one who does most of his work as an expat guest in other countries, it isn't worth risking my livelihood or prosecution or deportation.

Since this is a Thailand forum, I would never drink and drive in Thailand. I am absolutely terrified of ending up in a Thai prison, not to mention the damage that could be caused with my relationship to my fiancee and her family.

[Dickie]

No.

[Neeranam]

Doubt it can ever be stopped. But it surely can be enforced better with more severe penalties.

The worst case I can recall is from my hometown area, where about 15 years ago, a habitual drunk driver who had several drunk driving convictions after his license was taken away (yet no jail time), plowed into the back of a minivan carrying a family. The entire family was killed, yet this idiot was seen wandering around the accident scene asking people if he had hit something. Doesn't really seem to do much good that finally he got locked up after the fact.

Philosphically, I think this is one of the curses of a society that has chosen to make one drug legal over all others (not that I'm in favor of junkies legally shooting up and then getting behind the wheel either). The point is that the one legal drug and abuse thereof seems to be overly tolerated to the point to where people are allowed to cause great bodily harm to themselves and others, and sometimes pay only a relatively small penalty.

In other words, if societies would be a bit more tolerant in allowing people to occasionally get off with their vice of choice, then there would probably be a lot less abuse in the long run.

QUOTE(Neeranam @ 2004-11-24 08:01:35)

Do you ever drink and drive, be honest!

When I used to ride two-wheelers, I was scared to death of riding anyway other than "on the natch." I just never felt comfortable the few times I had a beer and tried to ride.

Even now that it is just cars, I never drive if I plan to have more than a pint. There is just too much risk. As one who does most of his work as an expat guest in other countries, it isn't worth risking my livelihood or prosecution or deportation.

Since this is a Thailand forum, I would never drink and drive in Thailand. I am absolutely terrified of ending up in a Thai prison, not to mention the damage that could be caused with my relationship to my fiancee and her family.

--------------------

Good post Spee, I agree with a lot you say.

The point is that the one legal drug and abuse thereof seems to be overly tolerated to the point to where people are allowed to cause great bodily harm to themselves and others, and sometimes pay only a relatively small penalty.

Why should alcohol be legal and cannibis, for example not? Bloody crazy ifyou ask me. I have strong views on legalising all drugs, but will not go into that. The alcoholic Judge putting down a "non-habit forming" cannibis user for 500 quid in the Uk etc etc Also, none of these drugs that affect reactions etc should ever be taken when driving.

I think they should have some type of reaction test. If you can have a beer and pass this test, mmm don't know. I think zero tolerance is best, if it saves one life, as I am sure it would, get real heavy on all the potential killers. I have a very strong opinion on drinking and driving as I have personally known people(good friends)who have died, killed others, put in jail -one very close friend will get out of jail next month after an 18 month sentence caused by drinking and driving. He admits he is lucky not causing worse damage than he did.

As some one said in this thread, there are other things that make driving dangerous - telephones, kids etc. I admit I use the phone when driving, but I think I can do so(in a country area) safely. Some people can have a couple of beers and still be as good as another sober one.

Should I not take my kids in the car?

They do distract me from the road.

I guess any responsible adult who cares for the welfare of others will take the correct measures. I should buy a car with central locking.

Ideally, any drink whatsoever, no driving. I believe some countries have this.

I doubt it will happen here. I agree it will improve as it has in UK, Oz over the next 30 years or so.

Oh, yesterday evening a motorcyclist was killed about 2 minutes from my house. A pick-up hit him. My wife saw the remains. One millisecond lapse of concentration or not looking around for bikes can kill.

My wife's reaction - couldn't wait to tell her mates, it all seems like a game. Prevention doesn't seem to be discussed much, or the reasons. I never heard anyone ask, "had the driver been drinking?". They have grown to expect, andworse still accept this sad fact

[VTR1000]

Some very good posts so far ....

I have to admit that I do drink and drive fairly regularly. I'm not proud of the fact at all. Where I live though, there is no public transport after 8pm and all drinking spots are well apart from each other. If there was available public transport in the evenings I would most definately use it but as there is not and I like a social life, I am more or less forced to drive myself as are most of the other 'drinkers' in town, both Thai and Farang.

As I said, I'm not proud, but have no option. It does seem to me that unfortunately drinking and driving in some places in Thailand is (for better or worse) largely accepted.

[taxexile]

I have to admit that I do drink and drive fairly regularly. I'm not proud of the fact at all. Where I live though, there is no public transport after 8pm and all drinking spots are well apart from each other. If there was available public transport in the evenings I would most definately use it but as there is not and I like a social life, I am more or less forced to drive myself as are most of the other 'drinkers' in town, both Thai and Farang.

As I said, I'm not proud, but have no option. It does seem to me that unfortunately drinking and driving in some places in Thailand is (for better or worse) largely accepted.

a very common reply....."yes i do drink and drive , of course i'm not proud of the fact..but " and then come the lists of reasons why someone just doesn't have any other option but to drink and drive. in fact why people are actually FORCED TO DRINK AND DRIVE !!!!

really , its just bullsh1t. you have every option, if you dont want to drink and drive then its a very simple matter of not doing so. but the fact is so many people would rather go out and drink and then drive themselves and others home and sod the consequences.

its selfish behaviour , its behaviour without any sense of social responsibility and the very people who are doing it would be the first ones to try and kill any motherf*ucker who was to irresponsibly and drunkenly mow down their wives or children.

how would you feel if you killed someone , if you maimed for life some child.

do you have no consideration for those other people on the roads or who also like to have a social life but are intelligent enough to act responsibly ?

why dont you get a real perspective on your own life , no public transport.... then get a taxi or arrange for one of the group to not drink and drive you home. it doesnt take much intelligence to figure it out. or are you someone unable to have enjoyable social inter-reaction without a skinful of beer.

but people are lazy , people are irresponsible , and people are selfish , the only way that people like yourself will change your ways is to either end up injured as a result of your own stupidity or see a loved one injured as a result of someone elses stupidity.

spend a night in the a&e unit of a hospital , see the results of drunken driving , and then come back and post that you have no choice , you are forced to drink and drive , you have no option... FORCED !!!!!!......... you arse!

[Ken]

really , its just bullsh1t. 

you are forced to drink and drive , you have no option... FORCED !!!!!!......... you arse!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Exactly why this thread is not worth responding too, don't need the verbal abuse back of an expressed "opinion".

[ShuQi4me]

I think that on the roads we have to be responsible not only to ourselves and our passengers but also to all others on the roads. Drinking and driving is 1 way of expressing that we dont really care.

I wonder what a drink driver thinks about if they find out a family member, friend or colleague was killed by another such driver. Do they burn with rage at the loss they suffered or do they sit and think, "Well, I do it myself so I have no right to feel angry at this person whose actions killed my family member/friend etc. " ?

There is some current news from Australia about 3 teenagers who ploughed into a telephone poll doing 180km/h. The front seat passengers and drivers bodies were thrown 60m from the wreckage. The image of the car mangled was shocking (I think thats why it made the news on TV) ! I dont think alcohol was involved but it highlights the absolute waste that occurs on the roads because people dont think of others ! The driver was a maniac with a poor driving record and two other people died because of his recklessness !

At the end of the day, its about common sense. Get a taxi, stay over at a friends place, count your drinks and wait until you are safe, use a designated driver. There are always options so I dont buy this argument that "I had to drive" ! Have some respect for yourself and for others too.

[taxexile]

don't need the verbal abuse back of an expressed "opinion".

people who drive whilst under the influence of alcohol or other drugs deserve all the abuse in the world from those people who stand to be injured by them.

and vtr 1000 was not expressing an opinion ,he was stating facts he was telling us all how some inexplicable power makes him , forces him (against his will ?) to drive after drinking.

[RamdomChances]

don't need the verbal abuse back of an expressed "opinion".

people who drive whilst under the influence of alcohol or other drugs deserve all the abuse in the world from those people who stand to be injured by them.

and vtr 1000 was not expressing an opinion ,he was stating facts he was telling us all how some inexplicable power makes him , forces him (against his will ?) to drive after drinking.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

why dont you get a real perspective on your own life , no public transport.... then get a taxi or arrange for one of the group to not drink and drive you home. it doesnt take much intelligence to figure it out. or are you someone unable to have enjoyable social inter-reaction without a skinful of beer.

You are right NO ONE is forced to drink and drive, but you have to remember that out in the sticks not only is there no public transport, but no taxi's either, as for one off the "group" there usually are'nt any.

Usually at night out of town there is virtually no traffic (if there is they are usually drunk as well), and wether right or wrong drink driving is very much accepted as the norm is rural areas of thailand.

[Sumitr Man]

RC:

Without wishing to get too nasty on this issue, I would accept that it is indeed the norm in the sticks to D&D. I would also happily accept that it is the norm in the major towns and cities in Thailand - especially among the Thai male population.

What I do not accept is the concept that we have a norm, thus we stick to that norm rather than considering implementing change. This, BTW, covers a whole spectrum of driving related problems in Thailand, not just D&D (which happen to be, probably, the most emotive).

Here, many seem to recall the change in attitude in the UK/USA/Australia towards D&D occuring over a much longer period of time than I do. What I remember is an assertive government policy that said, along the lines of, "we will not tolerate this behavior any longer, we will implement change, you will comply." To my recollection, within 5 years in the UK a whole new concept of going out New Year's eve had arrived - along with it a whole new business, the New Year's eve mini cab. To do otherwise was to risk losing your license and with that the right to drive your motor. In fact, penalities for serious D&D accidents of the type other posters are talking about have not changed that much in the Western World. If you are involved in a motor accident under the influence in the UK, you are extremely unlikely to be charged with murder, but for the lesser offence of manslaughter, or death by reckless driving. In either case, you'll most probably not do time - unless it happens to be a very serious accident involving mutliple deaths.

So, where the UK has succeeded, by far the best campaign any govt. there has had for years, is to take the macho-ness out of the concept of D&D and say - you are committing a crime.

Now, whether or not one can transfer such a campaign to Thailand is still open to debate. IMO, recent holidays have shown it to be ineffectual. Possibly what is needed is some other way to shame D&Ds into seeing the potential danagers of what they are doing. Humanise the situation and demacho the concept.

As an aside, for any of you out there who troll boards like this looking for business opportunities, one would hope that this thread has shown that there is a real need for radio-controlled taxi drivers in rural Thailand. Not much start-up costs - plenty of potential - no competition.

SM

[borracho]

I drink and drive all the time. Though I do make a distinction to having a couple of drink and being drunk. I don't drive drunk. I normally stop drinking prior to drunkenness.

But I used to race cars as a hobby, drive taxi and ride as a motorcycle messenger in a big east coast city.

Some of us just function at higher levels than most. I can also fly small airplanes with acuity, even after a couple of drinks.

cheers.

[joebuzzard]

There was a time when I could not not drink and drive. Nothing better than an afternoon off, tooling down a gravel country road with a beer between my legs and a spliff between my fingers.

This was fun for a long time. And nobody got hurt.

But it got worse. Telephone poles would leap out in front of the vehicle without warning.

Then a car, with a mum and her kids got in front of me. I was blitzed. I kept going, ran from the scene. Another motorist had my tag number, though. And the cops found me at home, where I'd had time to hide my stash.

I went to court and received the equivalent of a slap on the wrist. Had to pay a fine and attend classes, but no jail time. The other driver and her children weren't hurt, though they did try to sue me. Turned out she had no insurance whatsoever. The civil suit was eventually dropped.

Never again. Of course, I've stopped drinking altogether, as well. And now I look back at all those times, driving in a blacked-out state, wondering why I've made it as far as I have without killing anybody else or myself. Perhaps I'll someday be one of the unlucky ones to be on the other end of the deal as payment for my years of thoughtlessness and stupidity.

[taxexile]

Some of us just function at higher levels than most. I can also fly small airplanes with acuity, even after a couple of drinks

i'm afraid its called self delusion , if having a couple of drinks increased your acuity and enabled you to operate at a higher level than most then why don't airlines insist on all pilots having a couple of beers before take off.

would you let a surgeon who had just had 2 or 3 beers operate on your child or wife or even yourself for say a heart defect or to remove a brain tumour.

alcohol , even in small quantities slows reaction times and if you are driving the difference of a millisecond can mean hitting that child ot just missing the child , can mean stopping 2 metres before the lamp post or slamming into it.

you dont have to be drunk to have your reaction times reduced.

happy motoring.

[Jockstar]

Not in the UK, Oz , NZ or Thailand. The only place i done it was in Cape Town SA. I had no choice as they dont have cabs that will just come pick you up somewhere. It was usually in the middle of the night when the roads were quiet. I drove just under the speed limit. But believ me if i had a choice then i would never have done it. My gf at the time couldnt drive. Her friends had their own cars or had no licence. I was lucky. I never got stopped or had an accident. SA is a dangerous place. So its probably safer to drive your own car drunk than try and get home some other way. I am not condoning it. Its wrong. Its silly and dangerous. Would never want to do it again if i had a choice.

[VTR1000]

I have to admit that I do drink and drive fairly regularly. I'm not proud of the fact at all. Where I live though, there is no public transport after 8pm and all drinking spots are well apart from each other. If there was available public transport in the evenings I would most definately use it but as there is not and I like a social life, I am more or less forced to drive myself as are most of the other 'drinkers' in town, both Thai and Farang.

As I said, I'm not proud, but have no option. It does seem to me that unfortunately drinking and driving in some places in Thailand is (for better or worse) largely accepted.

a very common reply....."yes i do drink and drive , of course i'm not proud of the fact..but " and then come the lists of reasons why someone just doesn't have any other option but to drink and drive. in fact why people are actually FORCED TO DRINK AND DRIVE !!!!

really , its just bullsh1t. you have every option, if you dont want to drink and drive then its a very simple matter of not doing so. but the fact is so many people would rather go out and drink and then drive themselves and others home and sod the consequences.

its selfish behaviour , its behaviour without any sense of social responsibility and the very people who are doing it would be the first ones to try and kill any motherf*ucker who was to irresponsibly and drunkenly mow down their wives or children.

how would you feel if you killed someone , if you maimed for life some child.

do you have no consideration for those other people on the roads or who also like to have a social life but are intelligent enough to act responsibly ?

why dont you get a real perspective on your own life , no public transport.... then get a taxi or arrange for one of the group to not drink and drive you home. it doesnt take much intelligence to figure it out. or are you someone unable to have enjoyable social inter-reaction without a skinful of beer.

but people are lazy , people are irresponsible , and people are selfish , the only way that people like yourself will change your ways is to either end up injured as a result of your own stupidity or see a loved one injured as a result of someone elses stupidity.

spend a night in the a&e unit of a hospital , see the results of drunken driving , and then come back and post that you have no choice , you are forced to drink and drive , you have no option... FORCED !!!!!!......... you arse!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Taxexile - I expected to get some kind of reply like yours. Obviously your powers of reading and understanding the English language are not that great.

If there was available public transport in the evenings I would most definately use it

to which you reply

no public transport.... then get a taxi

Hello? No public transport includes 'NO' taxis. We do not all live in the big city.

Yes my actions may well be as you say, 'selfish' and 'irresposible' etc etc but I am only answering (honestly) to the initial question posed in this thread. Believe me, if I had an option (apart from stop drinking ) I would use it.

...... you arse!

[bodypaul]

I think that it is refreshing that people here have been quite truthful and probably said things that they wouldn't say at work or in public!!

Keep it up!

[Neeranam]

a very common reply....."yes i do drink and drive , of course i'm not proud of the fact..but " and then come the lists of reasons why someone just doesn't have any other option but to drink and drive. in fact why people are actually FORCED TO DRINK AND DRIVE !!!!

really , its just bullsh1t. you have every option, if you dont want to drink and drive then its a very simple matter of not doing so. but the fact is so many people would rather go out and drink and then drive themselves and others home and sod the consequences.

its selfish behaviour , its behaviour without any sense of social responsibility and the very people who are doing it would be the first ones to try and kill any motherf*ucker who was to irresponsibly and drunkenly mow down their wives or children.

how would you feel if you killed someone , if you maimed for life some child.

do you have no consideration for those other people on the roads or who also like to have a social life but are intelligent enough to act responsibly ?

why dont you get a real perspective on your own life , no public transport.... then get a taxi or arrange for one of the group to not drink and drive you home. it doesnt take much intelligence to figure it out. or are you someone unable to have enjoyable social inter-reaction without a skinful of beer.

but people are lazy , people are irresponsible , and people are selfish , the only way that people like yourself will change your ways is to either end up injured as a result of your own stupidity or see a loved one injured as a result of someone elses stupidity.

spend a night in the a&e unit of a hospital , see the results of drunken driving , and then come back and post that you have no choice , you are forced to drink and drive , you have no option... FORCED !!!!!!......... you arse! 

 

Bloody good post Taxexile!

I want to add that there is one alternative if there is no public transport. Don't &lt;deleted&gt; drink. Are you an alkie or something!

I stay in the sticks too, there is ALWAYS someone who will drive you home!

It may cost you as much as a bottle of heineken.

Don't tell me, you wouldn't feel like a man if you asked someone to drive you home if you had been drinking.

One word sums up this attitude of drinking and driving(of which I have done, but I am an alcoholic) - SELFISHNESS

[Ken]

Bloody good post Taxexile!

I want to add that there is one alternative if there is no public transport. Don't &lt;deleted&gt; drink. Are you an alkie or something!

I stay in the sticks too, there is ALWAYS someone who will drive you home!

It may cost you as much as a bottle of heineken.

Don't tell me, you wouldn't feel like a man if you asked someone to drive you home if you had been drinking.

One word sums up this attitude of drinking and driving(of which I have done, but I am an alcoholic) - SELFISHNESS

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well Neeranam, you started this post and if you don't like the honest replies, well you sound SELFISH to me.

[RamdomChances]

Bloody good post Taxexile!

I want to add that there is one alternative if there is no public transport. Don't &lt;deleted&gt; drink. Are you an alkie or something!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Usually that is the only alternative (assuming you've done the wife/friend driving you home, staying there bit)

I stay in the sticks too, there is ALWAYS someone who will drive you home!

It may cost you as much as a bottle of heineken.

Don't tell me, you wouldn't feel like a man if you asked someone to drive you home if you had been drinking.

I dissagree with this, there may always be someone around to drive YOU home but it does not nesseserely apply to everyone.

[Sumitr Man]

One word sums up this attitude of drinking and driving(of which I have done, but I am an alcoholic) - SELFISHNESS

I'm getting old: the above statement simply does not make sense to me. You slag someone off for D&D, then admit you've done it yourself; but with the proviso that you are an alcholic, so that's ok.

It must be this thing called trolling that I see my good mate IJWT talking about all the time. Me - I'm new to the Internet, forums, and the tricks people get up to, so I take things at face-value. But that, ....

SM

[dfwbkk]

Sometimes I advocate that we should be allowed to attain our driver's licences at a certain maximum BAC - like, being a safe driver even at .05-.08 BAC.

We all react differently to alcohol. Here in Texas taxis are not really available, and driving home after happy hour is indeed the norm. My older brother actually died while in a car driven by a drunken "friend", but I don't host hostility towards the driver (yeah, he survived).

/// dfw

[Neeranam]

QUOTE

One word sums up this attitude of drinking and driving(of which I have done, but I am an alcoholic) - SELFISHNESS

I'm getting old: the above statement simply does not make sense to me. You slag someone off for D&D, then admit you've done it yourself; but with the proviso that you are an alcholic, so that's ok.

It must be this thing called trolling that I see my good mate IJWT talking about all the time. Me - I'm new to the Internet, forums, and the tricks people get up to, so I take things at face-value. But that, ....

SM 

Sorry about the above statement not making sense. What I mean is when you are addicted to a substance, then all responsibilities go out the window. One usually does ANYTHING to get it. I mean being an alcoholic explains drinking and driving, not justifies it. When you don't have a drinking problem and choose to drink and drive, that is your decision, which I don't think is right. I realized I had a problem and did/still doing something about it. I don't think it makes it ok, but just explaining why I did it (only twice). I was suffering from a disease which took total control of my ability to think or make rational decisions. I was very selfish, now I try to be selfless, but admit I find it difficult.

I am getting confused myself now What I started this thresd for was

to see how many people drink and drive. Not to slag them off. To try and show people that do it, it is wrong and very selfish, and not neccessary. If you are a decent bloke and do it, the chances are you have a drink problem, not always though. If this thread points out to one person that it is wrong and they stop - great, lives may be saved. If someone realizes that they have a drink problem and has the courage to face it - great!

It is now 6.30 on Friday evening and there is lots of traffic on the road - people WILL die tonight in Thailand because of D&D!! If I didn't try to point out that this is dangerous, or try to find ways of stopping it, this would be wrong.

If you are going out tonight to celebrate try not to drink if you are driving.

[Neeranam]

QUOTE

I stay in the sticks too, there is ALWAYS someone who will drive you home!

It may cost you as much as a bottle of heineken.

Don't tell me, you wouldn't feel like a man if you asked someone to drive you home if you had been drinking.

I dissagree with this, there may always be someone around to drive YOU home but it does not nesseserely apply to everyone.

RC

Surely if you stay in the sticks, there will be someone you could phone to drive you home, surely. For 150 Baht, or a days wages, or 2 bottles of beer, surely!

[Neeranam]

Well Neeranam, you started this post and if you don't like the honest replies, well you sound SELFISH to me.

I love the honest replies!

Yes, I am selfish, but I don't like being so.

I, too, hate my selfishness being pointed out, but it is good for me to listen to those who do point it out.

If you drink and drive, good luck to you.

[britmaveric]

I think 99% of us have driven when we probably shouldn't have. I think more because its a matter of inconvenience- not really a good reason, but sometimes the truth is hard to accept.

[pal78]

I'd have to be well hammered before I'd venture onto a golf course, so the answer is yes. I always drink before I drive.

[Crazy Dave]

I have been drunk and driven for the last 25 years, ie drunk and over the host countries limit, this has probably been 5 nights per week for the last 25 years, I have never been stopped while drunk nor have I been in an accident, Is this wrong? Yes it is, should i carry on doing it? NO, but I will, a lot about driving comes down to driving skills and speed of reactions, 95 percent of people may have passed their test but lack in proper driving skills.

Now a policeman in the UK has to pass what is equivelant to an advanced driving test just to drive a police car, ie the old Pandas, they will then be classed as a class 3 driver, this class goes down to class one when they can be considered a police pursuit driver, this takes many months of lessons, first you have to loose all your bad habits, the test involves driving like 200 miles and being able to answer the examiner what was the last sign you passed and what colour is the car behind you, thats without looking in the mirror.

anyway onto alchohol, my favourite subject, this will slow down your reactions one ###### of a lot and will also cause you to take chances that you wouldnt take if you were sober, so basically it comes down to knowing your own limits, the car you are driving limits and your own reaction times, as you get older these slow down a lot.

ps. only drink at the traffic lights as it is really dangerous to drink and drive at the same time

[PeaceBlondie]

If you're intelligent enough to be posting on this forum, you're masquerading or performing as a responsible adult.

Some smart USA lawyer got a conviction against a drunk driver for a higher level of criminal manslaughter, by proving that the driver planned to go out and drink, and planned to drive home. Many states now put people in prison for 10 or 20 years for vehicular manslaughter.

Drunk driving is absolute stupidity and always completely inexcusable.

Yes, I did it when I was much younger and much stupider. I grew up, and had friends killed by drunk drivers. When I started drinking again, a few years ago, I made a few simple rules. One is: keys in pants pocket, don't start drinking the first part of the first drink.

VTR1000, you have a simple option: stop drinking.

[Axel]

Basic rule in Bangkok, if 2 policemen 2 a.m, on a motorbike go down the wrong direction on a one-way-road and shout at you, while you walk your dog: "Hey you pashport show". Don't show, just say 'fcuck off', because these two are the ordinary law enforcement officers on the way back to the station after having enforced the law.

[RamdomChances]

RC

Surely if you stay in the sticks, there will be someone you could phone to drive you home, surely. For 150 Baht, or a days wages, or 2 bottles of beer, surely!

Not really, most people dont have cars, the time's I have drunk and driven are usually when something unexpected has happened, like going over to a friends, thinking to stay the night and some thing comes up at home, or going into town with someone, who say's they will drive, but they end up to p1ssed to walk.

We also live in a bit of a mobile black spot, so you cant always get through to the house, "town" is 30 km away and "friends" house is 40 something km away