Why We Can't Have Nice Things...

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

However, if you drink a beer (and yes, I'm talking just one) in the parking lot, then get in the car and drive, that's legal.

Yes, that is what I said.

But I don't believe it's legal to drink and drive with the exception of Mississippi according to an article from Dec 2017...it's legal to drive if your BAC is below the legal limit of impairdness (sp?) but not to drink while driving.

But if they're under the limit, why does it make a difference when they drink?

I haven't researched it all however I have some thoughts.

A person who had 1 beer 1 hr ago at a bar may still have a BAC of some number but the impacts (which have been researched) of that BAC is minimal compared to someone who had a drink at a bar and then proceeded to drink in their car thus they are not metabolizing the beer the same way as the first person. Timing of when you last had your last alcoholic drink makes a difference too. And so on and so on.

I'm guessing it's far easier to just say no no than to try and come up with all the ways it may be ok for one person to drink and drive at the same time because their BAC is under the limit and another person isn't.

 

[Summer2018]

Sure, but can’t you say that about everyone eating fast food, talking on their phones, drinking non-alcoholic beverages, etc? I’m 6’3”, 200 lbs. Enjoying one beer during a 30 minute drive does not make me any riskier behind the wheel than doing those other things.

Distracted driving of all kinds is dangerous. I doubt that having a buzz will improve your driving at all. It doesn't hurt to have a little self-control and wait to eat, use the cell phone, read the newspaper, apply make-up, fix your hair, and especially drink alcohol. This isn't exactly rocket science. Use some common sense.

 

[Southernmiss]

Swimming pools.

Why open new public pools when you can install splash pads for the kids?

We were promised a public pool by the city council years ago.

 

[mickman1962]

It is actually not illegal to drink and drive as long as your BAC is below the limit. The actual offense is an "open container violation" which goes for anyone in the car.

 

[JaxDad]

Distracted driving of all kinds is dangerous. I doubt that having a buzz will improve your driving at all. It doesn't hurt to have a little self-control and wait to eat, use the cell phone, read the newspaper, apply make-up, fix your hair, and especially drink alcohol. This isn't exactly rocket science. Use some common sense.

I don’t do any of those things while driving. I only drink non-alcoholic drinks while driving. If it was legal, I might occasionally have a beer, but it’s not, so I don’t. I sincerely believe it would not distract me any more than a non-alcoholic drink. That was my point. As a PP noted, it might distract others, so it is what it is.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

It is actually not illegal to drink and drive as long as your BAC is below the limit. The actual offense is an "open container violation" which goes for anyone in the car.

 

[AnnaFloridaLover]

A real, traditional, office CHRISTMAS PARTY.

I'm trying to figure out what a traditional Xmas party is compared to the ones thrown today. All of mine and my husband's Xmas parties have always been filled with food, booze and dancing, either live or a band. What are we missing?

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I'm trying to figure out what a traditional Xmas party is compared to the ones thrown today. All of mine and my husband's Xmas parties have always been filled with food, booze and dancing, either live or a band. What are we missing?

I'm not the poster but I'm assuming they meant holiday party versus christmas party in the name and probably the overreaching theme. Likely a more generic celebration if they had a lot more theming before.

My husband's company's parties are also filled with food, alcohol and dancing but it was something like 5 years ago they switched from calling it a Christmas party to calling it a Holiday party. We could still take a picture in front of a Christmas tree though that was always decorated by the conference center not by the company. The parties however were always a different theme that affects attire as well not attached to the time of the year like one year it was the Kentucky Derby, another it was nice cars, another year it was Cirque Du Soleil, etc.

Not speaking towards good or bad or anything on that just giving what I interpreted their comments to mean.

 

[Imzadi]

Sure, but can’t you say that about everyone eating fast food, talking on their phones, drinking non-alcoholic beverages, etc? I’m 6’3”, 200 lbs. Enjoying one beer during a 30 minute drive does not make me any riskier behind the wheel than doing those other things.

Every drunk driver who killed someone thought the same thing as they were getting in a car. Are you old enough to remember when the commercials first came out with the campaign, "Friends don't let friends drive drunk. Take the keys away." They showed vignettes of the drunk driver being belligerent, shaming the friend or just too drunk to know better, and the friend had to remain strong & take the keys.

You want to arrest someone for being over the legal limit? Go right ahead. But if they're under the limit, why does it make a difference when they drink?

I get what you both are saying, but they had to draw the line somewhere. They couldn't make the law, "No alcohol within one hour before driving." People really aren't going to monitor them selves so closely. And the law couldn't do it by size & weight as there are other factors in which a person may react to alcohol faster. And people too small or thin would just fudge their size (in their head,) to make it okay to drink while driving.

 

[Imzadi]

I'm trying to figure out what a traditional Xmas party is compared to the ones thrown today. All of mine and my husband's Xmas parties have always been filled with food, booze and dancing, either live or a band. What are we missing?

I'm not the poster but I'm assuming they meant holiday party versus christmas party in the name and probably the overreaching theme. Likely a more generic celebration if they had a lot more theming before.

Add to that the "holiday tree" in public places now, instead of calling them Christmas trees, even though they are clearly decorated just like a "Christmas tree."

And most businesses now have a rule to say, "Happy holidays," instead of "Merry Christmas."

 

[Imzadi]

It is actually not illegal to drink and drive as long as your BAC is below the limit. The actual offense is an "open container violation" which goes for anyone in the car.

The offense is for everyone in the car probably because when caught with the open container, the driver used to say, "That's not mine, it's one of the guys in the back." Just like every teen who is caught with drugs in their backpack always says it's not theirs. They were holding it for a friend.

 

[AnnaFloridaLover]

Add to that the "holiday tree" in public places now, instead of calling them Christmas trees, even though they are clearly decorated just like a "Christmas tree."

And most businesses now have a rule to say, "Happy holidays," instead of "Merry Christmas."

It's not a rule, it's just being inclusive in multicultural societies and businesses. Nobody is stopping people from saying Merry Christmas or calling it a Christmas tree or celebrating Christmas. One of the lamest outrages ever.

 

[Imzadi]

It's not a rule, it's just being inclusive in multicultural societies and businesses. Nobody is stopping people from saying Merry Christmas or calling it a Christmas tree or celebrating Christmas. One of the lamest outrages ever.

Actually it WAS a rule at the now defunct, F.A.O. Schwartz toy store. I know someone who worked there one holiday season and he was FORBIDDEN to say, "Merry Christmas" even if he KNEW the customer was buying presents for Christmas. Since then, I've asked other retail workers at different stores, out of curiosity, and several also say it's the rule at their businesses. "Best not to assume it's for a Christmas present and someone, who is of another belief, they feel insulted and they then return the item." Political correctness to the extreme. And yes, a lame, lame, lame thing to be outraged about.

 

[ofcabbagesandkings]

I miss not cringing every time my phone lights up with a news alert. LOL. But in all seriousness, I miss the time before social media. Someone in my industry got fired over a tweet the other day. Whether or not it was justified, I just think that sometimes all the virtual vs real-life connectedness does more harm than good. It's so easy to be mean when you're anonymous behind a screen. And although they are too little now I worry about my kids growing up with the self-consciousness that comes from social media too. Adolescence is bad enough without having to go through it online. Not saying I want to go back to the rotary phone days, but flip phones maybe?

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I miss not cringing every time my phone lights up with a news alert. LOL. But in all seriousness, I miss the time before social media. Someone in my industry got fired over a tweet the other day. Whether or not it was justified, I just think that sometimes all the virtual vs real-life connectedness does more harm than good. It's so easy to be mean when you're anonymous behind a screen. And although they are too little now I worry about my kids growing up with the self-consciousness that comes from social media too. Adolescence is bad enough without having to go through it online. Not saying I want to go back to the rotary phone days, but flip phones maybe?

Your post remindes me of when I first got a cell phone for Christmas in 2006. I was a freshman in college and the plan was either unlimited texts OR internet so this meme reminds me of that (I chose unlimited texts):



It also reminded me of this:


I had gotten pretty good at not looking and pressing the right number the correct amount of times and I felt so accomplished for that

 

[Imzadi]

Your post remindes me of when I first got a cell phone for Christmas in 2006. I was a freshman in college and the plan was either unlimited texts OR internet so this meme reminds me of that (I chose unlimited texts):

I had a Tracfone. Still do. Back then 3 text messages equaled one Tracfone talk minute. Meanwhile accessing the Internet was worth 3 Tracfone minutes for every minute online. Yeah, I hated when I accidentally pressed the Internet button.

Even when Tracfone changed over to smartphones and changed how they charge for Internet according to how much data used in MBs instead of minutes on, those first several times online, I was trying to read my emails as fast as I could and get off line as quickly as possible. It took me a while to realize I could stay on one page forever. That it is only when I changed pages or refreshed a page or submitted data that I rack up data charges.

 

[ronandannette]

Add to that the "holiday tree" in public places now, instead of calling them Christmas trees, even though they are clearly decorated just like a "Christmas tree."

And most businesses now have a rule to say, "Happy holidays," instead of "Merry Christmas."

It's not a rule, it's just being inclusive in multicultural societies and businesses. Nobody is stopping people from saying Merry Christmas or calling it a Christmas tree or celebrating Christmas. One of the lamest outrages ever.

This must be a US thing - there's still plenty of Christmas going on up here, among other things. Last month there were quite a few businesses (and our City Hall) that had Happy Eid signs and decorations and also lots that publicly celebrate Diwali. Chinese New Year here is huge. Mind you, these are private businesses, not chains. Major international chains like McDonalds and Starbucks go with "holidays" I think, but it's of such small consequence I couldn't really say for sure. I'd be taken aback by anybody of any persuasion being offended by any of it.

I think "inclusive" means happily allowing everybody to celebrate anything as authentically as they want - not trying to water-down whatever it might be into some sort of generic mish-mash. Personally, I'd find it bizarre if somebody said "happy holidays" to me during Eid or Diwali. And anything but Gong Hei Fat Choy during Chinese New Year would just be weird.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I had a Tracfone. Still do. Back then 3 text messages equaled one Tracfone talk minute. Meanwhile accessing the Internet was worth 3 Tracfone minutes for every minute online. Yeah, I hated when I accidentally pressed the Internet button.

Even when Tracfone changed over to smartphones and changed how they charge for Internet according to how much data used in MBs instead of minutes on, those first several times online, I was trying to read my emails as fast as I could and get off line as quickly as possible. It took me a while to realize I could stay on one page forever. That it is only when I changed pages or refreshed a page or submitted data that I rack up data charges.

What happened for me is that my aunt (who was concerned about me driving back and forth on the highway needed to get to and from college) got a free phone as an offer and she gave me the free phone and just paid the line access fee (she would not take no for an answer).

Well she didn't realize that the plan set up was only for unlimited texts or internet so she told me I could do both. First month she got the bill and was like . She called the carrier up they removed the internet charge fee (which I can't remember how much it was but I remember it was outrageous) and then gave me the two options to which I chose unlimited texts. From then on I was so worried about pressing the internet button on accident and I know when I did I was like "no no no" and then hit back button a gadzillion times lol.

It's pretty amazing when you realize how far being 'connected' has come though like the PP was saying it does have drawbacks.

 

[Imzadi]

This must be a US thing - there's still plenty of Christmas going on up here, among other things. Last month there were quite a few businesses (and our City Hall) that had Happy Eid signs and decorations and also lots that publicly celebrate Diwali. Chinese New Year here is huge. Mind you, these are private businesses, not chains. Major international chains like McDonalds and Starbucks go with "holidays" I think, but it's of such small consequence I couldn't really say for sure. I'd be taken aback by anybody of any persuasion being offended by any of it.

I think "inclusive" means happily allowing everybody to celebrate anything as authentically as they want - not trying to water-down whatever it might be into some sort of generic mish-mash. Personally, I'd find it bizarre if somebody said "happy holidays" to me during Eid or Diwali. And anything but Gong Hei Fat Choy during Chinese New Year would just be weird.

I've read on the news, over the years, that many towns/citys had to remove their traditional Christmas nativity displays in the city own areas, as some felt offended seeing them. That's when Christmas trees in town, (not private businesses,) had to become "holiday trees" to be PC and inclusive. Seriously, what other holiday, that time of year, has evergreen trees all dressed up with tinsel, garland, lights & colored balls? They are CHRISTMAS trees, coming from certain traditions & customs, no matter what they are renamed.

I'm surprised visiting Santa is still allowed in shopping malls.

I'm waiting for the day when churches will have to remove crosses from the tops of their steeples as it offends someone's ability to look up and view the clear blue sky withOUT seeing a religious symbol of another religion.

 

[AnnaFloridaLover]

This must be a US thing - there's still plenty of Christmas going on up here, among other things. Last month there were quite a few businesses (and our City Hall) that had Happy Eid signs and decorations and also lots that publicly celebrate Diwali. Chinese New Year here is huge. Mind you, these are private businesses, not chains. Major international chains like McDonalds and Starbucks go with "holidays" I think, but it's of such small consequence I couldn't really say for sure. I'd be taken aback by anybody of any persuasion being offended by any of it.

I think "inclusive" means happily allowing everybody to celebrate anything as authentically as they want - not trying to water-down whatever it might be into some sort of generic mish-mash. Personally, I'd find it bizarre if somebody said "happy holidays" to me during Eid or Diwali. And anything but Gong Hei Fat Choy during Chinese New Year would just be weird.

Ugh, I have some elderly relatives that pass on ridiculous memes on Facebook about the "War on Christmas". Chain mail and fake news. It never happened. What did occur was businesses and city halls started including everyone around the December holiday season.