Did you hear about the guy who got busted for the 19th time for drunk driving? No? Well, it happened in Ohio. Actually it happened in Ohio to five different people. In the most recent case, the suspected booze-cruiser has finally been given some jail time since his first conviction that occurred way back in 1978.
Who is more at fault in this situation? Law enforcement for not putting the guy away after his first failed Breathalyzer test? Or the idiot who got behind the wheel for the 19th time after drinking and driving and getting caught?
As college students, we get angry when the Texas Alcohol and Beverage Commission – better known as “Oh s***! TABC’s here!” – shows up at the bar on Friday night, only there to ruin everyone’s fun. Sure it might be frustrating, but at least someone is doing his job.
According to insurancejournal.com, almost 13,000 people were killed from drunk-driving accidents in 2005. That’s more people than SMU’s undergraduate and graduate populations combined, just for a little perspective.
Getting a DUI isn’t like getting a traffic ticket. It’s way, way worse. Under normal circumstances, first you would get pulled over, which would cause the inevitable freak out – complete with sweaty hands, elevated heart rate and the feeling that your stomach is about to come out of your mouth. Then Officer Boozebuster asks you to “step out the ve-hick-ull,” realizes you’re too drunk and scared to say your own name, let alone the alphabet backward, and suggests you put your hands behind your head. Then you have to spend what seems like the longest hours of your life in a holding cell with some of Dallas’ finest citizens, figure out a land line to call collect from (cell phones don’t work in jail) and have someone come and bail you out. And let’s not forget about calling your parents. We’re sure Mom and Dad will be just thrilled to hear about this one.
This is just the barebones version of what will probably happen when someone gets pulled over for a DUI – we’re sure everyone has their own version of the story. But it’s the best-case scenario when getting caught for committing a felony. No cars were crashed, no one was hurt, and thankfully and most importantly, no one died.
Going through something like this is bad enough once. Nineteen times? Let’s hope the offender and the cops in Ohio have a great time sitting in jail together, thinking about their mistakes.
