I've been hit by a drunk driver once; my nephew was killed by a drunk driver at 20 years old while walking down a sidewalk. I remember three years ago a pedestrian (young lady) was killed by a drunken biker that hit her running a red light (Daytona bike week). I have no problems calling *FHP for someone who is obviously had too much to drink, I have problems sleeping at night wonder if they caught him before someone else was killed. You have an absolute right to sit at your house and drink to your drunks’ content, hell, I may even join you. You lose your rights when you drive your bike, car, or truck on the same road as my wife, kids, family or me. Driving is a privilege, not a right.

 

I grew up in a family that never had a drink - I can't understand anyone drinking anything alcoholic

 

Really? I can't understand anyone NEVER having a drink. Don't drink if that's your call....but never even tasted it?

 

We used ta get pretty hammered a while back, and still ride the bikes home. Call it lucky or an angel on the back or whatever.
NOW, I can have a few beers over a decent amount of time and ride,no problem. Guess it is jus' a part of gettin' older and wiser, but I don't push my luck anymore. If I am on the bike, and I wanna drink a buncha beer, it is at a friend's house, and we already know I'm takin' the couch fer the night. Same goes fer my bros, if we are at my house, they can have the extra bedroom. None of that hangin' out at the bars and gettin' semi-trashed stuff. Been there, done that.

Nothin' wrong with havin' some booze along with the ride, just gotta be conservative about it...

 

Obviously drunk does not mean I smell alcohol on their breath. I do not walk around the bar montoring peoples alcohol intake. If someone cannot walk straight they probably should not operate a motor vehicle.

1# I am not going to get into a physical confrontation with some drunk idiot that wants to drive their car or bike. My days of thinking fighting is fun ended some time ago (well ok, almost ended). Under the laws of my state I do not have the right to physically stop someone from operating a motor vehicle because I think they are not able. That means if I knock said idiot out I can and most likely (at least in my town) will get charged with assault. Not to mention the fact I usually am carrying a weapon and that really just makes things way too complicated. Not that I am some bad *** or anything, but I am larger than most men and have a look that seems to scream arrest me, so I just try to keep out of trouble. If that is chicken **** than so be it. I tell the dude I will call the cops if he pulls out and I will. But, my intervention ends when I have to get physical with them to stop them, unless they are a good friend.

2# I realize that, but the reason for not getting in a physical confrontation were covered in #1.

3# I am not sure how reporting a drunk driver causes the bar more trouble. Believe me, you want to see a *bar* get in trouble, let someone that was served alcohol at their establishment kill someone driving drunk, that my friend is trouble for a bar.

 

I had a similar experience tonight. Pulled into a gas station, fueled up, had a smoke. 4 other harley riders with their wives on back pulled in, all drunk. Started talking to me, yelling, acting stupid. They didn't ask me to go along with me and I was glad. One had even bought a 40oz beer and was drinking it behind the building, hiding. WTF. Then they pulled away and started doing burnouts and crap at the stop light. I've been on many a poker run where a few guys drink way way too much and try to show off for everyone, passing the group 90 mph. I just stay behind and pray they don't take anybody else out with them. Everyone's an adult though. Hell, I'll drive my car drunk now and then, but I wouldn't even think of it on my bike. There's just too much going on when riding a bike.

 

Once upon a time, a long time ago, a group of us, about 8 bikes, got together to ride to a city about 60 miles away, and to hit some bars on the way. About the second bar we hit, one guy is guzzling beer and pulls out a bottle of pills and pours about half of them into his hand and downs them with some beer. We take off and after about 15 miles, this guy is all over the road. The law (Hypo) sees him and pulls all of us over. Well this guy can't even walk. We negotiated. We told the law we would get him out of there and he would not be back on the road. The law said ok. (remember, this was a long time ago). Someone was riding b1tch, so he took this dude's bike and we put this drunk dude on someone else's bike riding b1tch. We took the first gravel, country road turn off, and drove a ways back and stopped in front of an old cemetary. Now this guy might have been ok if he would have kept his mouth shut. But no. He couldn't do that. He started mouthing off and insulting us. His brother was part of the group. He told him to shut up and he didn't do it. So he knocked him down, got on top of him, and beat his face in, badly. All the riders jumped on their bikes and took off. I said what about him? They said ____ him. Well I owed this guy some big favors, and we did tell the law he wouldn't be back on the road. I couldn't go off and leave him in a ditch, passed out and beat up, with the bike there waiting to be stolen, or allow the chance that he would wake up and get back on the bike and on the road. So I stayed, alone to watch him. Well people that drove by began stopping to see what was going on. Uh, we're just resting, yeah, that's right, taking a rest before we ride some more. Heh, heh. Crap, much more of that and they'll call the law out here. So I pulled my bike up into the cemetary where it couldn't be seen, then got his bike and pulled it into the cemetary, then drug his fat (at least 350 lbs), drunken, drugged a$$ up in to the cemetary, too. I got in his pockets and got his keys and locked his bike up and kept the keys. So before long he wakes up. Guess what he wants. "Can I please have my keys? I'm not drunk now. I've sobered up now. I'm OK, really I am. There's nothing wrong with me. Can I have my keys. Wah, wah, wah, wah." How long does it take to sober up? Well, I figured four hours. So I sat there and listened to this drunk whine for his keys for four hours.

It got back to the law that we had taken him out in the country and beaten the he11 out of him. That was apparently fine with them.

I didn't hang around with him any more after that.

 

when I want to ride my bike, I RIDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 200-300 miles, with breakfast & lunch, then onto home and have a few adultt cocktails in the Hot Tub!!!!!

 

It's funny how somethings you do in life change your life ain't it:

1) I used to bartend when I met my wife years ago. I can't remember the last time I went to one just to hang out and have a few. I'll go for someone's birthday or special event, but the wife always drives, (I married a designated driver )

2) A few years ago I worked secuity at a river boat casino. I have no desire to gamble or go to a casino except maybe to eat at the buffet now. Saw too many sad faces leaving broke and dragged too many p'd off drunks off it after losing all their money.

My wife and sons know that if I pull up on my bike, walk to the garage fridge and pop a top, its home for the night for me, unless someone takes me somewhere.

I try not to hassel anyone else about what they do, but I did have a good friend, one of our club members, that got drunk at one of our rallys want to follow a girl he met to her house. We were camping out that night so he didn't HAVE to go anywhere. He wouldn't give me his keys and didn't want to go in her car for some reason I couldn't figure out. So the first chance I got, I let the air out of his tire. They came outa his tent the next morning and he caught me airing his tire back up. He just looked at me with a big grin on his face and said "A**hole".
It coulda turned out different.

 

Yup.