Let me tell you something. I used to be beyond DUMB. I used to take chances with my life that looking back don’t make sense but because I was young and dumb I thought I was invincible. Or maybe I never thought about it much and was just too busy living in the moment. Wondering what I mean? Let me share a story with you.
Once upon a time, there was this college student. Like many college students, this one was BROKE. She and her friends used to do this thing I bet some of you are familiar with called PRE-GAMING. One night this college student and her college student roommate did this pre-gaming thing at their apartment while getting ready to get to the club before whatever time it was free before (because did I mention they were BROKE). The thing is back then there weren’t Ubers, Lyfts, VIAs or any other car services that might be linked to a parent’s account (and in my case, my parents would have been to broke to pay for my cab anyway). These two college students decided to drive to the club with their To-Go cups. Yup, we took drinking and driving to a whole new level.
So, we get to the club, go inside because we got there while it was still free and hit the dance floor. Once upon a time I actually enjoyed dancing. So we danced and we drank and we danced and we drank. Did I mention we made friends with the bartender? Uh, yea we were broke, how else would we keep drinking? At the end of the night, we got in the car, buckled up (because its the law) and my friend proceeded to drive home. Wait! I should add she proceeded to drive home our the wrong side of the parking lot and we had to jump over the curb a bit! When we got to the toll booth (after passing an accident on the road) we realized that we didn’t have toll money to get home. We were in our other roommate’s car that we had borrowed looking for pennies. The toll collector looked at us in disgust and waved us through. By God’s grace, we made it home that night and shake our heads at our younger selves whenever we share the story.
I wish I could say this was the only time that I was in a car with a driver that had been drinking. It definitely wasn’t the first or last time. Now, as a thirty something woman and mother, I realize how very stupid I was each of these times. Not only did I put my life and my driver’s life at risk but the lives of everyone else on the road. I watch my daughter coming into herself more and more each day and I wonder if one day she will make better decisions than I have in the past or if she will be clouded by the ignorance of youth thinking one more drink can’t hurt.
Most of us aren’t going out to get college wasted anymore but the holiday season is quickly approaching. Think office parties, friendsgivings and family get-togethers. we will find ourselves in more situations where we have to decide if one more drink makes sense. Somewhere in my mid to late twenties my friends and I decided that anytime one of us asked for “just one more drink” that person was at least one drink past our tolerance level!
Today there is something a little more scientific for us to make that decision. The Alcomate Revo is the only breathalyzer on the market that never needs recalibration, no matter how many times you test your BAC. You might jest at the idea of keeping a breathalyzer in the car or in your bag but think about the headaches and heartaches it could save you. And even more for my parents out there with teenage littles. I know we all want to believe our children are angels that will never ever do sneaky things like drinking or even worse, drinking and driving but in true #transparentparenting form I got to tell you I know my child is going to taste alcohol before she’s 21. We live in a society that glamorizes drinking. We live in a society that tells us we can’t have fun without drinking. You know what’s not fun? Getting pulled over for a DUI. You know what’s not fun? Crashing up a car. You know what’s not fun? Dying or causing someone else’s death because you had just one more drink.
I think every car should come with one of these. I think every parent should leave on in their child’s car or pack it in their college care packages. I think everyone going to happy hours, afterwork events or brunch should keep one near! I don’t drive but I will start carrying this around and make my friends use it before I get into a car with them if we’ve had a few drinks.
