Public Apology For My Driving

[SeanMoran]

OP, you're one of the finest gentlemen I've never met. Thank you for what you did to save the lives of another stranger on that fateful day and for being alive to talk about it. You're a rare kind of hero.

Thanks for your comment Sean , but I wouldnt go that far - I just hope by sharing my situation I could help other people consider their actions before stepping behind the wheel.

Choppy

Someone who you can't remember and probably never will won't forget what you did to avert the collosdion that would have maybe killed them and put a small dent in your grille. We have no evidence and you can't remember, but I get the feeling that by the look of things, the reason you came to grief that time, was because you acted very heroically in changing the course of your car to avoid killing someone. It might have been a truck that pulled out, and you'd still have ended up in that 711. No lives lost. I prefer to think of it as a nice little old lady crossing the street that you swerved to avoid. and please don't feel guilty about a couple of beers, because you reacted at least as well as a little old lady would be expected to ifd you'd been crossing the road and she was at the wheel.

[NADTATIDA1]

I went to a party,

And remembered what you said..

You told me not to drink, Mum

So I had a Sprite instead.

I felt proud of myself,

The way you said I would,

That I didn't drink and drive,

Though some friends said I should.

I made a healthy choice,

And your advice to me was right,

The party finally ended,

And the kids drove out of sight.

I got into my car,

Sure to get home in one piece,

I never knew what was coming, Mum

Something I expected least.

Now I'm lying on the pavement,

And I hear the policeman say,

The kid that caused this wreck was drunk,

Mum, his voice seems far away.

My own blood's all around me,

As I try hard not to cry.

I can hear the paramedic say,

This girl is going to die.

I'm sure the guy had no idea,

While he was flying high,

Because he chose to drink and drive,

Now I would have to die.

why do people do it, Mum

Knowing that it ruins lives?

And now the pain is cutting me,

Like a hundred stabbing knives.

Someone should have taught him,

That it's wrong to drink and drive.

Maybe if his parents had,

I'd still be alive.

My breath is getting shorter, Mum

I'm getting really scared.

These are my final moments,

And I'm so unprepared.

I wish that you could hold me Mum,

As I lie here and die.

I wish that I could say, 'I love you, Mum!'

So I love you and good-bye.

says it all really,you were fortunate you and others escaped ok.

[Brigante7]

I was definitely not drunk, but was more than likely over the limit and to this day can not remember why I lost control of the vehicle.

Concussion can cause amnesia such as that, where we remember the before and after as if it was yesterday, but not the few minutes or even few hours before such a knock on the head. I suppose for some people that amnesia can span back a lot further than a few hours.

Don't be too hard on yourself. It wasn't, by the sound of it, as if you'd been out on the grog all night and were totally smashed on booze - not two or three glasses of beer over a couple of hours. What you don't remember may have been the more likely cause of it, but it's these things that we will probably never remember that will continue to haunt us if we let them.

OK so you're advocating drinking and driving as long as it's only 2 or 3 beers but not if it's 9 or 10, is that correct?

Brigante7.

[FlatOut]

If ever there was one reason why people shouldn't own such big, useless trucks/SUV/tanks in Thailand. Beer wouldn't have been the problem, the overweight truck with insanely dangerous centre of gravity would have been coupled with the greasy, sandy Thai roads would have made it slip easily.

Sell you pick ups everyone and buy a normal car with some decent tyres, not the knobbly offroad ones they have on the Fortuner's or penis extending Vigo's have.

Keep topping up that piggy bank, you'll be able to get a truck one day. Bet you drive a Prius don't ya.

Ya really what to know why people choose these trucks here?

1. Price, you get a hel_l of a lot more vehicle for you money than a saloon car of similar size.

2. Comfortable seating for 5 people. (Mines 4 Door)

3. High ground clearance. (Thai roads flood regularly, never seen a decent pickup have trouble) also lets you see further ahead.

4. 4 wheel drive (mine is) great off road and on the freeway / straights when its absolutely tipping down.

5. Heavy, has never aqua planned yet ever, even when caught out with deeper than expected water at night etc.

6. You can carry lots of stuff / move house take dogs out without ruining interior.

7. A typical 3.0 Turbo diesel with 1/3 extra or more power and twice the weight usually has also the same fuel economy as a 1.5 petrol saloon car. (Diesels cheaper than petrol as well)

There are plenty of other vadid reason to choose a pickup over a car here the above list should help you become slightly less stereotyping hopefully.

Hahaahahaha, brainwashed. You are Toyota's Marketing team's dream.

High ground clearance = poor handling. The weight of the vehicle and the speeds at which the fairly powerful engine can deliver are completely the opposite of what should happen.

Being able to see over other vehicles.......either a) don't drive so close to people or what about the guy behind you in a Sherman tank ?

Anyway, car manufacturers have obviously ingrained their "facts" into so many people's lives that who am I to say anything.

I won't smash my piggy bank open to buy a pick up or conform. I don't drive a Prius, as they are a complete oxy-moron in itself.Now, I'm not a enviro-tree hugger at all but the batteries used to run them are so engineered it has a tremendous affect on the environment, much more so than driving around in YOUR big inefficient monster truck for 20 years. Prius owners should be shot. Then theres the matter of how to dispose of the said batteries when they give up the ghost?

Sorry OP for taking over, and well said by the way to let people know the dangers of drink driving.

[Donnyboy]

theres no way in hel_l i would ever drink and drive, i couldnt live with myself if i did and killed anyone

[shamus]

It's fine though Donny because the natives do it

What a cock's POV

[NADTATIDA1]

If someone had been drinking, caused a crash and killed my child I would make it my life's mission to cause them even more misery. You should know better because you have kids. I respect what it takes to admit to doing it though.

did you come to Thailand to change the behavior of Thai motorists? Drunk driving is very comon here, most motorists after 8 pm are not sober. If you dislike it very much, I suggest living in the west.

I think you will find time(after 8pm) is not a factor in drink driving in this country,if somebody drinks and drives they will do it at anytime,you suggest if Shamus dislikes it he should live in the west!!!

So basically you condone drinking and driving.

In fact after reading your bullshit again,you obviously have no kids and because it is common here everythings rosie yeah? UNTIL? wake up!

[katabeachbum]

If someone had been drinking, caused a crash and killed my child I would make it my life's mission to cause them even more misery. You should know better because you have kids. I respect what it takes to admit to doing it though.

did you come to Thailand to change the behavior of Thai motorists? Drunk driving is very comon here, most motorists after 8 pm are not sober. If you dislike it very much, I suggest living in the west.

I think you will find time(after 8pm) is not a factor in drink driving in this country,if somebody drinks and drives they will do it at anytime,you suggest if Shamus dislikes it he should live in the west!!!

So basically you condone drinking and driving.

In fact after reading your bullshit again,you obviously have no kids and because it is common here everythings rosie yeah? UNTIL? wake up!

I have three kids, and I m living in a country where drunkdriving is the norm. I prefere to do so, and I did not come here to judge 10 mill men drunkdriving every night.

Until what? Alcohol consumption in LOS is among the highest in the world. so are road accidents. connected, sure. I am still not the one to change this lovely country. Or to judge those not behaving like in the west.

Edited February 17, 2010 by katabeachbum

[NADTATIDA1]

It is also common in the west that is the point! it still does not make it right though whatever country you are in??

And however beautiful and lovely the country is,wont make a jot of difference when you have to go through the emotions of losing a close relative or family through somebodys inability to control there own behaviour.

Even paradise would be dark me thinks?

[soundman]

I think the point is that a smart driver in LOS knows there are going to be other drivers on the road who may be not 100% in control of their vehicles and thus make allowance for such in their own approach to driving.

Eg. If you see a car in front of you meandering all over the road with only his parking lights on at 22.30, what do you do?

1. Continue on as normal because he should not be the road and if he has an accident it will be his fault.

or

2. Give the other vehicle your full concentration while you get your vehicle out of any eratic path the other vehicle may take?

[SeanMoran]

I think the point is that a smart driver in LOS knows there are going to be other drivers on the road who may be not 100% in control of their vehicles and thus make allowance for such in their own approach to driving.

Eg. If you see a car in front of you meandering all over the road with only his parking lights on at 22.30, what do you do?

1. Continue on as normal because he should not be the road and if he has an accident it will be his fault.

or

2. Give the other vehicle your full concentration while you get your vehicle out of any eratic path the other vehicle may take?

Sometimes it might happen that the erratic vehicle or person causes you, the driver, to take action unexpectedly, that saves the day, except that you yourself come a cropper, and get hurt, and can't even remember your own heroics. Don't expect any witnesses to come forth with a pat on your back for a job well done.

[onnut]

I think the point is that a smart driver in LOS knows there are going to be other drivers on the road who may be not 100% in control of their vehicles and thus make allowance for such in their own approach to driving.

Eg. If you see a car in front of you meandering all over the road with only his parking lights on at 22.30, what do you do?

1. Continue on as normal because he should not be the road and if he has an accident it will be his fault.

or

2. Give the other vehicle your full concentration while you get your vehicle out of any eratic path the other vehicle may take?

I finish work later than most and get to see this at least 5 nights a week. Friday nights are the worst for it. a few weeks ago a guy rolled his car right in front of mine, I was lucky not to have ran straight into him. he ended up on his roof! I stopped and and took a look and as soon as I saw him standing there drunk as drunk can be I drove off.

so for a few beers he has wrecked his car and nearly killed himself.

a month before that, I had drunk 3 tiger lights and was pulled over and breathalised. very lucky for me that I was not over the limit.

these two nights have scarred me from drink driving forever.

I used to drive home after drinking 8 pints and half a bottle of whiskey, really hammered and would wake up in the morning or next afternoon and be ill with the thoughts of what could of happened. dont even know how I got the car home. nuts!

[MikeyIdea]

did you come to Thailand to change the behavior of Thai motorists? Drunk driving is very comon here, most motorists after 8 pm are not sober. If you dislike it very much, I suggest living in the west.

So basically you condone drinking and driving.

What childish thinking

Anyone who knows what responsibility is drives expecting the unexpected in Thailand. Anyone who doesn't do that is a danger to others and himself and should not drive here. Anyone who gets too upset about that fact should consider not driving here, it takes concentration away from where it needs to be, it makes you more tired and accidents happens more often when you are upset. Jai yen or leave the car at home

The driver has unconditional responsibility for the passengers in the car

Are you going to tell your dead daughter It wasn't my fault, it was the drunk policeman on the wrong side of the road who did it at her funeral?

Edited February 18, 2010 by MikeyIdea

[MikeyIdea]

Kudos choppychugger, you have my deepest respect for coming forward, taking the shit to wake others up before it’s too late

[Donnyboy]

It's fine though Donny because the natives do it

What a cock's POV

are you for real? or you being sarcastic?

so just because the natives drink and drive ,you think its fine to do it?

tell me if you would feel any sense of guilt if you ran over a family on their motorbike while you were DUI?