Boris Bajic
Guest
Attitudes have changed, certainly. That is a good thing.
In saying this, I differentiate (on the basis of observation within a fairly narrow social grouping) between attitudes to conviction and those towards people who seem casual about their own consumption.
Conviction: Thirty years ago I had a friend who was a twice-convicted drink-driver. The word was that if caught again after his lengthy second ban, he'd be incarcerated. He attracted a good deal of sympathy that I'm sure would be absent today. Nobody told him off and he was known to like a drink.
There are other tales with a similar tenor, the response to which would be less approving today.
That is a very good thing.
Casual attitude to consumption: Twenty years ago, if a guest who'd come by car was seen to be drinking with an enthusiasm above that which would make driving sensible, others at the gathering might wring their hands and say "He is awful, he does that all the time". I've seen it and heard it. Many of us have.
I recall instances of a couple both giggling at 'home time', saying "I thought you were driving". One no longer sees that. People seem pretty strict about consumption.
These days, hosts or other guests square up and remind a guest that he or she is driving. We've offered people a bed for the night and they've stayed. It can be awkward socially, but it is done regularly and many years ago it was not. It is common now for a host to say "I think a juice might be better".
There is also a greater awareness these days that one can still be over the limit in the morning. That is a good thing.
Also, the generation who'd driven before current laws were passed are getting older, no longer driving or simply dead.
I remember my late father offering me a lift to the station thirty or so years ago and being offended when I told him he was over the limit. The reply was classic: "My dear boy, all I've had is a pint before lunch, a couple of glasses of wine with the meal and one or two whiskies in the afternoon". It was about 4 on a Sunday. The whiskies were (by pub standards) very generous triples. When I did the maths for him, he was shocked. He simply had no idea. He later said "If what you tell me about the legal limit is accurate, I probably drove home illegally every evening for the last twenty years I worked". I should add that he never crashed and had only one conviction (double white line) in 45+ years. That generation are either driving less or not driving.
I worry that people still cycle while tired and emotional on their way home from a legless pub session, but they are unlikely to cause distress or injury to others. Like the drunk pedestrian who staggers off a pavement under a bus, they may kill themselves but will not cause other road users inconvenience, peril or loss of sleep. I know many who (like drunk drivers of old) swear that they cycle better when drunk and shoot statistics about how few accidents are caused by cyclists, but I still find it slightly silly and have had to swerve round mash-up riders in the past. I've always found it hilarious as soon as the event passes, but it would be sad if one of them were to be walloped by a truck.
In saying this, I differentiate (on the basis of observation within a fairly narrow social grouping) between attitudes to conviction and those towards people who seem casual about their own consumption.
Conviction: Thirty years ago I had a friend who was a twice-convicted drink-driver. The word was that if caught again after his lengthy second ban, he'd be incarcerated. He attracted a good deal of sympathy that I'm sure would be absent today. Nobody told him off and he was known to like a drink.
There are other tales with a similar tenor, the response to which would be less approving today.
That is a very good thing.
Casual attitude to consumption: Twenty years ago, if a guest who'd come by car was seen to be drinking with an enthusiasm above that which would make driving sensible, others at the gathering might wring their hands and say "He is awful, he does that all the time". I've seen it and heard it. Many of us have.
I recall instances of a couple both giggling at 'home time', saying "I thought you were driving". One no longer sees that. People seem pretty strict about consumption.
These days, hosts or other guests square up and remind a guest that he or she is driving. We've offered people a bed for the night and they've stayed. It can be awkward socially, but it is done regularly and many years ago it was not. It is common now for a host to say "I think a juice might be better".
There is also a greater awareness these days that one can still be over the limit in the morning. That is a good thing.
Also, the generation who'd driven before current laws were passed are getting older, no longer driving or simply dead.
I remember my late father offering me a lift to the station thirty or so years ago and being offended when I told him he was over the limit. The reply was classic: "My dear boy, all I've had is a pint before lunch, a couple of glasses of wine with the meal and one or two whiskies in the afternoon". It was about 4 on a Sunday. The whiskies were (by pub standards) very generous triples. When I did the maths for him, he was shocked. He simply had no idea. He later said "If what you tell me about the legal limit is accurate, I probably drove home illegally every evening for the last twenty years I worked". I should add that he never crashed and had only one conviction (double white line) in 45+ years. That generation are either driving less or not driving.
I worry that people still cycle while tired and emotional on their way home from a legless pub session, but they are unlikely to cause distress or injury to others. Like the drunk pedestrian who staggers off a pavement under a bus, they may kill themselves but will not cause other road users inconvenience, peril or loss of sleep. I know many who (like drunk drivers of old) swear that they cycle better when drunk and shoot statistics about how few accidents are caused by cyclists, but I still find it slightly silly and have had to swerve round mash-up riders in the past. I've always found it hilarious as soon as the event passes, but it would be sad if one of them were to be walloped by a truck.
