Drink Drive Arrests Almost Double

[nipper]

Manx Radio Report

 

The well meaning but also well pensioned police and our authorities seem aghast that the number of drink drivers this Christmas has almost doubled.

 

Jeez guys, get a grip. You work on an Island teeming with pish-heads.

 

And YOU are in the main to blame.

 

Strong words?

 

Maybe.

 

But when you decided to make the Island "24 hour drinking" you lit the time bomb guys.

 

What the fuck do you expect when you allow drunken shites to roll along the streets of Douglas at 2, 3, 4, 5 in the morning? - take a 'sober pill' and trundle off to work as normal a few hours later?

 

 

As with the trial of non smoking at the bar, where the majority of nicotine addicts showed they could not control their addiction, the trial of extended drinking hours has likewise shown that those participating of alcohol (sometimes grouped as alcoholics of varying degrees) are unable to know when to stop.

 

'Tis about time you stopped bleating and brought back shorter and more controlled drinking hours.

[alpha-acid]

Manx Radio Report

 

 

'Tis about time you stopped bleating and brought back shorter and more controlled drinking hours.

 

And how are you going to control the supermarkets where booze is sold as a loss leader to entice people to buy. And the booze from there causes more problems than any booze bought in a controlled drinking environment, ie a pub

[Lonan3]

The longer drinking hours were actually a success - at least at first. Then some numpty decided it would be a good idea to make 1am the limit for getting into clubs - which revived the 'urgent' drinking of the last hour or so before leaving the pub.

The clubs themselves are, for the most part, opening for litlle more than an extra hour compared with previously. Most of the pubs (there are very few exceptions) are open for the same hours as previously or for an extra hour or so.

Attempting to blame the licensing hours for the stupid, selfish and inconsiderate behaviour of a tiny minority of dickheads is a complete non-starter.

[bluemonday]

'tiny minority'?

There is a growing problem, just look in the papers ever week and you can see the court cases.

Having said that across is just as bad if not worse.

[andrew]

You say "24 hour drinking". Can you name any pubs that are open 24 hours a day? I can't........

 

Likewise, there aren't many/any places where people can "roll along the streets of Douglas at 2, 3, 4, 5 in the morning" still drinking.

 

The main people who have benefited from 24 hour drinking is Hotel bars which can stay open for their guests. As most pubs do, if the people are still drinking and the establishment is making enough to cover staff costs, then they will stay open. If they have a few people in and what they are buying/drinking is not covering the costs, then the bar closes.

[andrew]

'Tis about time you stopped bleating and brought back shorter and more controlled drinking hours.

Likewise, why should those that can be sensible have to suffer because a few idiots can't remember not to drive after having a skinful......

 

If I go out the the evening, I will enjoy myself knowing that I am not going to be driving early the next day. If I do have to drive/work the next day, I'll only have a few drinks.

[nipper]

Good for you. Me too.

 

Your previous post you will note that 24 Hour Drinking was put in quotes. No I cannot name any that stay open that time but theoretically they can.

 

I'll name you a place where the wee drunken bastards can roll along at 2,3,4,and 5 in the morning still drinking - Broadway, Victoria Road, Hutchinson Square, Anystreet near Douglas Promenade.

 

Bluemonday - yes the problem is growing and similar to UK but what has that got to do with it - are we a County of the UK?. Why can't a small Island that can make its own laws escape from the drunkenness that abounds elsewhere.

 

Lonan3 - I see and understand your point. There are still drunken shits coming up our road at (here we go again...) 2,3,4 and 5 in the morning though. Never was 10 years and more ago.

 

 

Alpha-acid - good old Supermarkets. At least the alcy piss heads should stay in their own homes and get shiters. Mind you, if people have their fellow pish-heads round to drink a gallon of loss leader and then kick 'em out at ...2,3,4 and 5 in the morning to shout about the streets then I'm stuffed.

[bluemonday]

Bluemonday - yes the problem is growing and similar to UK but what has that got to do with it - are we a County of the UK?. Why can't a small Island that can make its own laws escape from the drunkenness that abounds elsewhere.

Has anywhere ever really and succesfully dealt with it? Here, UK, worldwide.

FFS This place can't even sort a rubbish tip out.

What hope is there that it will sort problem drinking out?

They won't even admit it's a problem - bar Moylie.

[BigDave]

What the fuck do you expect when you allow drunken shites to roll along the streets of Douglas at 2, 3, 4, 5 in the morning? - take a 'sober pill' and trundle off to work as normal a few hours later?

To be fair though, the extra hour or two that pubs and clubs are open in reality has little effect on those who are that fucked the night before they can't drive in the morning. The majority probably pass the point where they'd still be over the limit the next morning before 1am.

[Albert Tatlock]

But when you decided to make the Island "24 hour drinking" you lit the time bomb guys.

 

What the fuck do you expect when you allow drunken shites to roll along the streets of Douglas at 2, 3, 4, 5 in the morning? - take a 'sober pill' and trundle off to work as normal a few hours later?

Codswallop - there are few places open late, never mind till that time. Most drunk drivers are caught in the evening and early morning on the way to work or pick up their car, not at stupid o'clock. 24 hr drinking or not, you only need two pints and you are likely to be over the limit, or a heavy night and be still over the limit in the morning. It's the mentality of limited hours and the tendency for people to binge-guzzle because their drinking time is limited that causes most problems, the stupidity of 'I've only had a couple of pints and feel normal' or 'just two, the missus wouldn't mind and I'll be home in time!' that allows these people to get in their cars not realising how little it takes to be over the limit nor how much time it takes to get the stuff out of your system.

 

Prohibition is not the answer, but cracking down on drink driving ALL year with the same vigour, tougher penalties, and a little give and take by traffic wardens when you leave your car in town the previous night (perhaps with a 'pub permit' scheme e.g. a time stamped paper issued in exchange for your keys which you pick up at lunchtime - 'get out of parking ticket and go free') are some of the answers IMO.

 

It's only the fricken nanny-state non-thinkers that can come up with the perpetual solution to everything - 'lets punish everyone' instead of those causing the problems. You can stick that up where you keep your nanny-state brain AFAIC.

[nipper]

Above post ^

 

. . . . . seems a bit utopian and free-thinking for the Isle of Man to even contemplate. Nae chance. Pity really, because no one condones pished driving and yet . . . . the figures tell us different. Loads of people love it because they fucken well can.

 

Now, wouldn't you think that a community the size of some mediocre town in the UK who has the ability to run itself could come up with a solution to all this??

 

The answer is fucken no.

 

No, no, no, no, no.

 

 

The Isle of Man a super microcosm of human society?

 

Yep - confused, corrupt and selfish.

 

As stated elsewhere. The Isle of Man is stuck way too far up its own fucken arse to be a self governing society.

 

Have a happy pension guys.

[ai_Droid]

Above post ^

. . . . . seems a bit utopian and free-thinking for the Isle of Man to even contemplate. Nae chance. Pity really, because no one condones pished driving and yet . . . . the figures tell us different. Loads of people love it because they fucken well can.

Now, wouldn't you think that a community the size of some mediocre town in the UK who has the ability to run itself could come up with a solution to all this??

 

The answer is fucken no.

No, no, no, no, no.

The Isle of Man a super microcosm of human society?

Yep - confused, corrupt and selfish.

As stated elsewhere. The Isle of Man is stuck way too far up its own fucken arse to be a self governing society.

Have a happy pension guys.

 

Basically, your posts seem to boil down to 'the IOM is shit'. You don't have anything to back up your arguments, and ignore anything presented to the contrary.

 

The original article you linked attributed the rise to a change in the way drunk driving was policed this year. Why would they lie about that? Wouldn't it be as easy for them to say that the opening hours influenced the results if that what actually happened?

[Saltire]

But when you decided to make the Island "24 hour drinking" you lit the time bomb guys.

 

Nonsense. Surely people have to take some responsibility for themselves? If you go out for a nights drinking, don't drive home.

 

If you are working or driving early the next day. Don't drink so much the night before.

 

Plenty of people manage to do this, so why should they be penalised for the minorities actions? People who habitually drink drive, or even the pissheads who roll about in the early hours drunk will do this no matter how long the bars are open.

[Al Poker]

'Tis about time you stopped bleating and brought back shorter and more controlled drinking hours.

 

This won't solve anything.

 

I would suggest improving public transport first of all. If you're in Douglas city centre on a weekend night, you basically have three options for getting home - walk, drive, or get somebody else to drive. As far as I know, there are no late night bus services that people could use - it's almost no wonder that some people chance it.

 

Harsher punishments are also an option. I think making jail time mandatory would be a serious deterrent.

 

At the end of the day though, the key is in driver attitudes. I had thought that the anti drink driving campaign had worked on my generation. I have never known anyone my age who has driven while drunk, and the vast majority of friends and acquaintances won't have anything at all to drink if they know they'll be driving. That is certainly not the case with my parents' generation, who have a much more relaxed attitude to drink driving.

 

However, according to the 'Think!' website, 'Drinking and driving occurs across a wide range of age groups but particularly among young men aged 17-29 in both casualties and positive breath tests following a collision'. I expect this figure to be twisted slightly by the fact that young men are the most likely group to be involved in a crash in the first place, but it's still an irritating statistic.

[Albert Tatlock]

As far as I know, there are no late night bus services that people could use - it's almost no wonder that some people chance it.

I think more, and some free, buses are a good idea around xmas/new year - perhaps using the promenade around this period as a temporary bus station. But who would be willing to drive a bunch of drunks at 11/12/1pm anyway, without a policeman or security guy sat on the bus?

 

At xmas, thousands of 'inexperienced' drinkers also tend to appear i.e. those who you don't tend to see out regularly, and I suspect that many drink drivers picked up were in this category. These would vary from the 'just one more before I have to go home' brigade to those who just don't understand that even two pints can see you over the limit, especially with the strengths of average beers/lagers varying between 3 and 5.something percent. A short and a 5% pint and some people will certainly be over the limit.

 

With Taxi's limited in number on the busy nights, and not wanting to force their partner in their new dress onto the number 1 bus, people would rather chance it than get messed around. As well as possible bus solutions, perhaps more companies should be encouraged on xmas do's to add the cost of the taxi to the meal or to arrange transport, and companies targeted to encourage staff to leave cars at home on the day/evening of a do. There are also opportunities for staff do's to be held in the afternoon, rather than the evening, leaving plenty of time to get home whilst the busess are running and Taxi's are more likely to be available.

 

I suspect however that most of the drivers picked up during this period were done so during spot checks when the buses were still running, so as you say, more of this solution is down to driver attitudes. If this many were actually caught, just imagine how many got away with it.