I stopped at a pavement cafe this morning and saw an oldish man pull up in a newish (private plate) Mercedes.
He ordered his coffee then withdrew a hip flask and filled the upturned lid with what looked like a tot of dark rum.
It looked incongruous at 10.30am in the morning next to other customers having hot drinks and snacks.
Of course, a single tot won't put the man over the limit, and were he taking the drink in a pub it would be entirely unremarkable.
At the risk of reading too much into this, someone who carries drink all day and needs one at 10.30am may not be the most sober of citizens.
It's none of my business, but I felt a little uncomfortable with what I saw.
What do you think?
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>> What do you think?
>>
Habitual alcoholic, who is probably constantly over the legal limit.
Will be used to drinking, so will quite possibly make a fair job of general driving, but will most definitely be impaired and will most definitely make more of a hash of an emergency situation than when sober.
Wouldn't want him approaching the zebra crossing when my kids are on it.
Last edited by: VxFan on Thu 16 Aug 12 at 21:41
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>>What do you think?
Put more police on the street and allow random breath tests. Simply raise the likelihood of getting caught to the point where either people are caught, or until it is sufficiently likely that they fear it enough not to drink.
But you'll have to deal with endless protests from people who think random breath testing is wrong and who believe we should have more police without paying for them.
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>> and allow random breath tests.
You don't need it. There's plenty of scope to stop people and breathalise them as it is.
1, Moving traffic offence....e.g. 31 mph in a 30mph limit?
2, After an accident
3, Police officer suspects someone has been drinking alcohol (slight lane wander?...subjective, i.e. depends on the thoughts of the individual officer).
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>> >> and allow random breath tests.
>>
>> You don't need it. There's plenty of scope to stop people and breathalise them as
>> it is.
>>
>> 1, Moving traffic offence....e.g. 31 mph in a 30mph limit?
>> 2, After an accident
>> 3, Police officer suspects someone has been drinking alcohol (slight lane wander?...subjective, i.e. depends on
>> the thoughts of the individual officer).
>>
i was stopped on the m1 years ago at 9.30 am ( there was a crosswind of about 30 knots) and the reason for the pull....weaving about a bit ....got breatho'd too neg of course
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How big was the lid and was the coffee hot enough to drive off some/all the alcohol?
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Interesting questions.
It was the lid of the hip flask which is designed to double as shot glass, at a guess it would hold a single measure.
My coffee wasn't hot enough to evaporate alcohol, doubt his was either because he put cold milk in it.
I watched that because I was curious as to how he would take the rum in the coffee, but he left it in the upturned lid and drank it from there.
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I too think he was an habitual drinker. And probably already over the limit. Who in their right mind would drink spirits when driving! If he was stopped by the police he'd have some interesting explaining to do.
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...drink spirits when driving...
More confusion, the bloke parked his car and took the drink at a table on the pavement.
And send three and fourpence, we're going to a dance.
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Wasn't of Greek origin by any chance?
Seems to be a common thing in Crete. Have seem many men sitting outside kafenions with a coffee and a shot glass of brandy or Metaxa in the mornings....... Don't tend to see them arriving in a Merc though......
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maybe he just finished his night shift and fancied a snifter as a reward for his toil? every one else does it
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>> maybe he just finished his night shift and fancied a snifter as a reward for
>> his toil? every one else does it
>>
Not many night workers drive a near new merc.. unless it's a night club or a brothel and he owns them.
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Suited, too, and maybe past retirement age.
I agree with the problem drinker diagnosis, except for one thing, the lack of secrecy.
Most alcoholics go to some length to conceal what they are doing.
In this case, it would have been more convincing if he'd surreptitiously added the rum to the coffee.
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>I stopped at a pavement cafe this morning and saw an oldish man pull up in a newish (private plate) Mercedes.
Probably Humph.
>He ordered his coffee then withdrew a hip flask and filled the upturned lid with what looked like a tot of dark rum.
His Buttercup Syrup.
;-)
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>> He ordered his coffee then withdrew a hip flask and filled the upturned lid with what looked like a tot of dark rum.
>>
>> What do you think?
>>
Perhaps it was a prescription medication, kept in a hip flask for convenience?
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Simple remedy, caught DD, car immediately crushed whatever the age whether it`s yours or not. If it`s not yours you will have further expense after the courts have dealt with you. Should deter more folk!
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>>
>> Perhaps it was a prescription medication, kept in a hip flask for convenience?
>>
My thoughts exactly, all we know is the colour of the liquid and the container it was in. Anything else is conjecture.
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Probably a measure of Methadone
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>> What do you think?
Malt extract.
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Covonia cough mixture. Dark viscous liquid, a bit like real rum. Wonderful stuff if you have a ticklish throat or cough. Keep some handy in a hip flask.
It is easy to draw the wrong conclusions.
I recently saw a woman in a pub surreptitiously injecting herself, keeping the syringe partly concealed. There were children nearby.
It was my wife. She is diabetic. We were out for a family meal.
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Some months ago, I observed a gentleman in a Saab 9-5 saloon (54 reg I seem to recall) pull up outside a local off licence, purchase a can of strong cider, and return to his car. He sat in the driver's seat, opened the can and downed a sizeable proportion of the drink. He then placed the can in a cup holder, and drove off.
I was startled, concerned and tempted to call the police. Against my better judgement, I didn't - I rationalised that I couldn't know that he was over the limit, and therefore a call wasn't warranted. I really wish I had in retrospect, though.
In the case of Iffy's observee, I would echo others with the thought that it was not possible to assume that it was rum, or any other form of alcoholic beverage. In my case, I knew damned well what it was, and the chap made absolutely no attempt to hide what he was doing.
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maybe the guy was taking his daily slug of sanatogen?
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Why would anyone in their right mind even consider 'reporting' a driver for putting what sounds a very small tot of something unidentified in their coffee? Why would anyone in their right mind consider 'reporting' someone for drinking half a can of cider?
I can see that obviously dangerous driving should perhaps be reported. But I can't help finding the thought that there are people going around fixing their beady eyes on total strangers and toying with the idea of interfering in their lives without the slightest evidence that they are doing anything illegal or dangerous strangely dispiriting and disgusting.
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AC,
Glugging something alcoholic* at 1030am isn't generally the behaviour of someone free from addiction to alcohol, is it?
...and people addicted to alcohol habitually drink/drive....which has its dangers.
* if it were so, however people don't usually put their Venos in a hip flask
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...fixing their beady eyes on total strangers and toying with the idea of interfering in their lives without the slightest evidence...
AC,
What do you think the phrase 'none of my business' in my OP means?
The incident was posted purely for forum interest.
As regards 'beady eyes', can't help it, I'm a trained observer. :)
I'd put money on the contents of that hip flask being navy rum, but it could have been anything.
Pleased to hear your trip over there went well and the accommodation is better than you expected.
Have a nice holiday.
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Interesting phrase "it's none of my business" Never seen it written without being followed by "but" :-)
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That'll be the But syndrome.
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>> Interesting phrase "it's none of my business" Never seen it written without being followed by
>> "but" :-)
>>
It's none of my business ~ no ifs, no buts.
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>> The incident was posted purely for forum interest.
>> As regards 'beady eyes', can't help it, I'm a trained observer. :)
Heh heh... so am I Iffy, can't help noticing all sorts of things and drawing conclusions. And I wasn't accusing you really or anyone else on a personal level.
I have a certain sympathy for addicts myself, although I take Westpig's point about drinking in the morning being an alcoholic's behaviour. Perhaps never having one before 6 is alcoholic's behaviour too. My wife says it is in my case.
But I believe there are quite serious measured alcohol addicts who meter their intake and are never drunk or impaired by normal standards. I'd never consider turning someone in just for taking a nip. Perhaps for lethal driving...
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>>I'd never consider turning someone in just for taking a nip. Perhaps for lethal driving...
And there lies a difficulty.
Driving while over the limit is not a moral issue, although it clearly is a legal one.
Driving while impaired is a moral issue, whether or not you are over the limit and a legal issue.
We need to prosecute driving while impaired, not some arbitrary measuresuch as alcohol levels or number of hours driving.
Essentially we need to prevent people driving whose standard and current capability is below an acceptable level. Trouble is, not only is it difficult or impossible to measure, it'd also be a huge proportion of the people on the road.
Except me of course. I'm perfect.
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>> Perhaps never having one before 6 is alcoholic's behaviour too. My wife says it is in my case.
I heard a Country and Western song on Radio 2 a few months back...that basically had some fellow singing something like 'I know it's only half past twelve, but it's 6 o'clock somewhere'..in relation to having a drink.
I like that line...and have used it since, when it's about 4.30pm and I fancy a beer on the patio.
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>>
>> I heard a Country and Western song on Radio 2 a few months back...that basically
>> had some fellow singing something like 'I know it's only half past twelve, but it's
>> 6 o'clock somewhere'..in relation to having a drink.
Found it. I was only an hour out...it was 5 o'clock.
What a truly fantastic boat they are on!
www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&sqi=2&ved=0CCkQtwIwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DBPCjC543llU&ei=k9svUP_EKPS00QXwiIHYDA&usg=AFQjCNEaJpIRe1nww_-wQ2HNHFVa_lT_1Q
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>> interfering in their lives without the slightest evidence that they are doing anything illegal or dangerous
Evidence? Oh yes.
Proof of criminal act? Oh no.
Worth calling those who can investigate? Whatevah.
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most victims of road deaths are caused by sober drivers ?
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>> most victims of road deaths are caused by sober drivers ?
Don't forget those that eaten potatoes in the last few hours!
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Are their training courses for observers ? There were when I was a lad in the ROC - so I probably am and have a certificate to prove it !
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>> It's none of my business, ..............
>>
>> What do you think?
It's none of my business either. Live and let live ...........
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>> I stopped at a pavement cafe this morning and saw an oldish man pull up
>> in a newish (private plate) Mercedes.
>> What do you think?
Had a good job, got a good pension, inherited some money, married a rich woman, ............
Last edited by: L'escargot on Sat 18 Aug 12 at 16:59
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>> >> I stopped at a pavement cafe this morning and saw an oldish man pull
>> up
>> >> in a newish (private plate) Mercedes.
>>
>> >> What do you think?
>>
>> Had a good job, got a good pension, inherited some money, married a rich woman,
>> ............
>>
Rich women always look beautiful.
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Driving then drinking then driving - Westpig
