Drink Driving

[Greebo]

With all of the problems recently due to the drink driving and the accidents that have occurred, what are your opinions on what can be done to resolve them and stop future incidents?

For example, I personally do not believe earlier closing times will help. Iowa is too close and with them having a 2am closing time, I can see closing Omaha bars earlier causing more people to attempt to make it over to Iowa and possibly increasing the issue.

what are your views?

[omahog]

There needs to be a real public transportation option avalable to people. The cab situation sucks in this town and if you go out anywhere you have to drive, walking is usually not an option.

[NWMOBrewer]

Closing bars earlier would hinder the problem, but then you could put Cops on the bridge between 2-4AM and run DUI checks. Omaha (if they could afford it) could put more DUI checks. I wrote a paper in HS at MM saying the best way to deter DUI is to allow DD's to drink soda free at all bars (90% do) and to worsen penalties for DUI. I can't stand Driving Drunk (I have done it, NEVER AGAIN) I fear I could kill someone else, and have to live with the idea on my conscience. Goverment run public transport from the bars is the easiest solution I think, but want more ideas presented.

[Greebo]

Originally Posted by omahog

There needs to be a real public transportation option avalable to people. The cab situation sucks in this town and if you go out anywhere you have to drive, walking is usually not an option.

True, cabs are quite over priced here, and I agree walking is not something that can be done even if you live near a half decent bar, esp in the winter

Originally Posted by NWMOBrewer

Closing bars earlier would hinder the problem, but then you could put Cops on the bridge between 2-4AM and run DUI checks. Omaha (if they could afford it) could put more DUI checks. I wrote a paper in HS at MM saying the best way to deter DUI is to allow DD's to drink soda free at all bars (90% do) and to worsen penalties for DUI. I can't stand Driving Drunk (I have done it, NEVER AGAIN) I fear I could kill someone else, and have to live with the idea on my conscience. Goverment run public transport from the bars is the easiest solution I think, but want more ideas presented.

I agree, back home there is a zero tolerance to DD, I will admit I did it a couple of times as a kid (and I drove a motorbike), I was lucky I didn't do myself any serious damage (or worse, someone else). They have a late night bus service back home called a 'night link' specifically designed to go from the drinking hotspots to most of the major surrounding areas, it's more expensive then your average bus but a helluva lot cheaper then cab fair. Another alternative is something that England does, they have guys on call with collapsible motorbikes you call them when you've been out drinking and they arrive, fold up the bike and drive you home in your own car, a good idea but again I don't think it would be practical here in the states, the weather and roads are too much for the type of bikes they use so it would only work with 2 guys in a car with one following the other, but this would make it too expensive to operate.

The easy way is to put the blame on the bars, but I disagree with this, they're selling legal products to ppl of legal age it's not the bartenders fault if the customer is an idiot and it's not their job to babysit ppl either, it may have been the way years ago to say to someone your to gone give me your car keys but this day and age I wouldn't recommend trying that.

I don't know to be honest, I'm not sure what would be a good solution to the current situation but I do know it's going get worse unless something is done...I don't think it has to be a govt thing (I don't think ppl would be happy about paying even more taxes to help out us drunks LOL) but I do believe that there is a niche for something in the private sector to make a lot of money getting ppl home safely - *shrug* taxi pooling at bars - minivans that hold 7 taking more then just 1 person home - there's hundreds of ideas, just need to find the one that is the most cost efficient and profitable for this city size and shape and we're golden.

[A4C]

Originally Posted by omahog

There needs to be a real public transportation option avalable to people. The cab situation sucks in this town and if you go out anywhere you have to drive, walking is usually not an option.

Originally Posted by NWMOBrewer

Closing bars earlier would hinder the problem, but then you could put Cops on the bridge between 2-4AM and run DUI checks. Omaha (if they could afford it) could put more DUI checks. I wrote a paper in HS at MM saying the best way to deter DUI is to allow DD's to drink soda free at all bars (90% do) and to worsen penalties for DUI. I can't stand Driving Drunk (I have done it, NEVER AGAIN) I fear I could kill someone else, and have to live with the idea on my conscience. Goverment run public transport from the bars is the easiest solution I think, but want more ideas presented.

Agreed cabs are pricey, and does it makes sense to have to increase the cost of having DUI checks and whatnot when in the long run a decent transit system would be the way to go? The bus system here sucks and I believe that Omaha will eventually grow big enough to need a better more useful public transit system. However, until we are in a better financial state here what can we do? everything else has been solved with tax hikes and Im not down for that.

[pilotblake]

Like the commercial. find a pizza joint or jimmy johns that deliver, have it delivered to your house and ride with the guy.