Ok, I totally disagree with this entire thread. I'm a drinker - a 'lush' even. I love it, I was drunk or on drugs for a good portion of my undergraduate, I'm still a high acheiver, I'm still responsible, I know how to separate work and play, and now that I'm in the US and a faculty member, anything illegal only enters my sphere on a very, very, rare occasion.
Nevertheless - I very rarely, no matter how irresponsible, drove under the influence of anything. In this day and age (and I'm at least 10 years past legal in my country, less here), if you get behind the wheel of a car under the influence of anything, at any age, you KNOW that's an irresponsible choice. There's a degree of premeditation - at the point you have the drink/take the drug and know your only way out is driving, that's the point you needed to make another choice/choose another way home/find some crash space. If you didn't, then yeah, i'm sorry - you're responsible. End of story. We KNOW cars are a lethal weapon. You operate that weapon in a situation other than prime, knowlingly (and we all know when we are drunk/high or going to be so based on what we plan on drinking/doing) then you are responsible. Sorry, but that's that.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2007-04-06 04:07 am (UTC)Nevertheless - I very rarely, no matter how irresponsible, drove under the influence of anything. In this day and age (and I'm at least 10 years past legal in my country, less here), if you get behind the wheel of a car under the influence of anything, at any age, you KNOW that's an irresponsible choice. There's a degree of premeditation - at the point you have the drink/take the drug and know your only way out is driving, that's the point you needed to make another choice/choose another way home/find some crash space. If you didn't, then yeah, i'm sorry - you're responsible. End of story. We KNOW cars are a lethal weapon. You operate that weapon in a situation other than prime, knowlingly (and we all know when we are drunk/high or going to be so based on what we plan on drinking/doing) then you are responsible. Sorry, but that's that.