WWYD Drinking while driving.

[cjbcam]

My DH and another guy have been car pooling to a job site together. Well actually my DH would drive he would throw in for gas. This guy just got a new truck this week so now they switch off everyday. Tonight while the guy was driving he cracked open a beer. My DH was like what are you doing? You can't do that. The guy downed the drink and was like it's fine.
It's really hard to find what would happen to the passenger in this scenario if they were pulled over.
My DH is telling him tomorrow if he can't waite an hour to get home to have a drink they will no longer be driving together.
So WWYD?

 

[low-key]

I wouldnt do nothing, but if he kept it up and maybe drank more, I would just quit car pooling

 

[verleniahall]

I woudn't be car pooling any longer - I do think (and I may be wrong) that everyone in a vehicle can be charged with driving with an open container.

 

[mamacatnv]

I'd tell him that his action was unacceptable to say nothing of illegal and that if he is going to continue the behavior he can drive himself.

 

[kimblebee]

I'd give him one more chance and if it happened again, that would be the end of carpooling unless I was the driver. No way would I be in a car with someone who was drinking or who saw it as no big deal.

 

[cjbcam]

I have zero tolerance for drinking and driving. I won't even have one if I'm going to be driving let alone having one while driving.
I just can't believe someone would feel fine cracking one open while car pooling from work.

 

[Flight]

Effective immediately, the drinking stops. If not, the car pooling stops.

 

[Puffy2]

No carpooling with someone who drinks and drives.

 

[usnuzuloose]

I would end the car pool right there and drive myself.

 

[Goofy_Disney_Dad]

I'd stop carpooling immediately. Alcohol and driving are two things I'd never be a part of in any way.

 

[LittleMissMagic]

Well legally speaking, if he were pulled over with an open container in the vehicle, the driver would be the one who gets in trouble. There would be absolutely no reason for the police officer to question the passenger unless the passenger was acting out or being disruptive.

What would I do? I would have told him that was illegal. Was he drinking the beer while he was driving, or did he down the beer before he started his truck? Because if he finished the beer before he started driving and disposed of the can, then I'm assuming that one beer wouldn't put him over the legal limit, so he actually wouldn't have been doing anything illegal.

So I guess I'm on Team Give Him One More Chance.

If it happens again, I would tell him that I don't feel comfortable riding with someone who consumes alcohol while driving, and that if this is going to continue, we need to stop carpooling.

 

[Yougotit]

I wouldn't leave my personal safety in the hands of someone who doesn't feel compelled to follow the laws the same way that I do. Having a beer available to crack open leaving the job site is not what I would consider normal behaviour. Your husband has no way of knowing whether he keeps a flask handy or cracked one open before leaving, in the washroom, on the last coffee break or maybe has another substance of choice that gets him through the day... If someone shows me that they disregard rules that affect my personal safety or that of my family, I'm out. Would you let your child ride with him while he drank?
Yes, I am being extreme, but I just wouldn't chance it.

 

[mommy123]

I also feel that there is a likelihood of a bigger issue if someone feels compelled to drink in that situation. No question the car pool would end there for me.

 

[ashley0139]

I can't believe in this day and age someone would think that was okay. That is blowing my mind. No more carpooling. Even if he didn't do it in the car, you wouldn't know if he had had any before getting in the car.

 

[SMD]

There are actually some states where it is legal for a passenger to have an open container. There are some countries where the driver can have an open container. I'd check the local law where you live and the areas they drive through. But if it were me, no way would I be in the car with that person.

 

[POOHsie]

I'm in the group that thinks people who crack one open for the drive home from work have bigger drinking issues than you see during the car pool time. If you listen enough to drinkers who don't think they have a problem, they'll reveal things like having booze in their locker during high school, having a secret stash at home and/or at work, drinking at lunch, sneaking out of work mid-day for a quick one. In OP's case, the other person didn't drink in OP's DH's vehicle but when he got his own vehicle, since that was his comfort zone, he drank without hesitation. That's a problem drinker, IMO. Avoid. Avoid. Avoid.

 

[teller80]

I'd be afraid if I told him 'no beer while driving' that he'd just down them before he got into the car. What if there were an accident? I'd feel partly to blame by being an enabler. End the carpooling.

 

[Tiffylv]

.

 

[Art 1]

I'd stop car pulling with him.

 

[PollyannaMom]

I would not feel comfortable riding with him any more. Depending on whether I got along well with him otherwise, I'd either quit the carpool all together or try to go back to the old plan (me driving and him chipping in) so he wouldn't be driving alone either.