Why I Like Being a Designated Driver
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The History of the Super Bowl
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It's Super Bowl Time!
Yay, Team!
This is it! It's time for the Super Bowl, and there are so many ways we celebrate good food and drink with family and friends. Did your team make it to the Super Bowl this year? If they didn't, that's okay. By Super Bowl time, there are enough fans to go around.
According to the "Healthy People 2010 Report" published by the U. S. Department of Healthy and Human Services, alcohol plays a roll in at least 50% of traffic deaths each year.
Here is a wish that you and your loved ones are safe during this glorious, annual American bash known as the Super Bowl. And if you don't drink, do your family and friends a favor and put on your Designated Driver badge and uniform. By taking care of business and refusing to let any of them drive home drunk, you are taking care of them and the rest of the community.
“You don’t drink? What’s the matter with you?”
I get that a lot, but I don’t mind people telling me that. I come from a family of alcoholics and gamblers. My parents had older siblings who were alcoholics, so they thought nothing about keeping a “dry” house.
To discourage their children from drinking beer, my folks would refer to beer in the dialect as “goat piss.” Unfortunately, the thought of drinking goat piss is a major reason why I don’t drink beer. When I was a kid growing up in the country, I was surrounded by goats. Anyway, it doesn’t matter. I never developed a taste for alcoholic beverages. That, along with being born with a set of not-so-great kidneys is another reason for me not to drink.
This is why I like being a designated driver. I have held the position since I was 21 and old enough to drink. For years, people have depended on me to pour them into my truck or their automobiles so I could drive them home. By taking their keys and driving these people home, I am protecting them from receiving an expensive, embarrassing DUI. There is the possibility that I am saving their lives and that of the other drivers and pedestrians on the street.
If there was a badge for being designated driver, I would proudly wear it at all times.
I am married to a man who likes his micro beer. Over the years, the popularity of this beer has resulted in activities like beer tasting events to rival wine tasting. For a mere fee of $5 as a designated driver, I can stay with my husband at beer tasting events. At the entrance, I am given a special bracelet to wear which says that I cannot drink the samples of beer. My job is to safely drive my husband home after he has exhausted the tabs on his drink bracelet or has finished all his allotted tokens for beer.
What do I do while following a beer drinker to these special activities? It’s quite simple. I’ve attended beer tasting events from Vancouver, B.C. and down the coast.
“What the hell can you do when you don’t get to sample the beer?” the beer drinkers ask me.
Here are the reasons why I like being a Designated Driver:
Most tours or beer fests involve more than beer tasting, so non-drinkers are not left out. Depending on the brewery or the activity, there may be free food items to accompany the beer tasting. I’ve had generous servings of appetizers, including hummus dip with assorted vegetables, sourdough bread accompanied with olive oil dip, and chicken wings. Established breweries have their own restaurants serving excellent food incorporated with their brands of beer. Knowing it doesn’t help to drink on an empty stomach, beer fests feature businesses selling snacks and plates of food.
The breweries give away great stuff and are generous about it. Have you ever noticed how wonderful the graphics are on micro beer bottles and other products advertising their beer? The next time you attend a brew fest representing many breweries, look at the amount of freebies you can take home. Without trying very hard, you can collect coasters, posters, T-shirts, key chains; can openers, lip balm, and other collectables bearing the each beer’s distinct logos. Yes, I’ve got quite a collection which continues to grow..
Beer drinkers are usually friendly folk. You can’t help but be friendly when you attend these celebrations. Most drinkers know when enough is enough. When you are tasting beer, the servings are usually 3-4 ounces. Not much of a serving for your beer-drinking fan.
Since I know you, my services are free. I am doing you a favor because you won’t have to drive home drunk. If we’re taking your vehicle, you won’t have to leave it in the street or in a parking lot overnight, where it may be a target for vandalism. To thank me for my services, we can stop by a 24-Hour Denny’s on the way to your home. You can thank me by sitting down to eat with me. I wouldn’t mind it if you ordered a Grand Slam or a Moon Over My Hammy for me. I will clean my plate so you won’t feel you are wasting your money.
I am saving tax dollars so that the police or the Highway Patrol doesn’t have to stop you. They can be doing something more important with their time. I will keep you from getting out of your vehicle to take that embarrassing walk, the breathalyzer test or touching your finger to your nose. That way, motorists will not stop and stare at you.
I am proud to do my job and help you out. If you love beer, you wouldn’t want my job. I am proud that I can do this, and will probably perform the role of designated driver for the rest of my life. I have been doing this since I turned 21, so I know I will always be good at it.
So here’s to you and your beer tasting adventures. If you need me, call me. I promise I’ll be there in a couple of swigs.
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Celebrate the Super Bowl, but please don't drink and drive. Get yourself a designated driver to get you home safely or step into the role of designated driver Loading...
Thank you so much, J.S. It also helps to stop by Denny's or some 24-hour joint to feed the designated driver. I've spent many a time eating a Slam breakfast at Denny's while my poor people were face down in their coffee cups--trying to sober up. Another great thing about driving them home is that they have no idea that I don't like to do left-handed turns into traffic. I go down the street and turn around . . .
Unfortunately, they closed all the Deny's where I live years ago. I still don't know why? That's funny that you don't make left turns! Very humorous, and I would expect nothing less from you!
JSMatthew~
Aw, come on, J.S. I have to be afraid of something!
I am not a drinker either and my brother was alcoholic before I reached legal age. However, I have never gotten my driver's licence.
Great hub on an important topic! I wish more people considered designated drivers or taxi services to get home after drinking too much.
Flora, there are times when I wonder what would it be like if I didn't have my drivers license and didn't spend any time behind the wheel. I have a friend in San Francisco who doesn't drive, but she gets around by mass transit. The way her mind works, you can ask her where to catch a bus or Muni train anywhere in The City, and she will tell you. Being retired and addicted to HubPages, I have noticed I can exist on a tank of gas with most of it left by the end of the month.
I really enjoyed your hub. They need more people like you here and less people drink driving so there are less deaths on the road.
We don't have a Dennys here in Australia tho .
Great hub and props to you Arlene! I know part of where you are coming from because I have had many alcoholics in my family as well. Though I may drink on special occasions, I am not a drinker for that reason. It's nice to see that instead of just sitting around and moping at events like these, you have fun and do a very helpful thing while at it. Voted up!
Thank you, Steph! At the beer festival, today, I was impressed with the number of taxis mixed in with the cars. The man who stood in line before us said he always arranged for taxi service whenever he attended these events. There were also a lot of bicyclists and walkers who saved on the parking fees, but who'd want the possibility of riding a bike or walking home drunk? Along with the weather and the beauty of Discovery Park, it was an outstanding event. As a designated driver, I will always have a good time.
Gold star! And I am being completely and totally sincere! [voted up and awesome]
Thank you for your comments, Free. I'm sure you've got something like a Denny's in Australia, don't you. A place which serves food 24/7? I'm not picky. I could switch it up and go for some seafood!
Thank you, B! Since my husband and I both were raised in the country, it really doesn't take much to entertain us. Anywhere I go, I like to observe people. Someone told me that I would make a great bartender because I didn't have the need to sample the products. But I would not have any patience with people crying in their beer or having to throw them out for their unacceptable behavior. I've had my share of heartache and disappointment with alcoholics. I do know the dangers of behavior like enabling and anything which comes with the disease. But I am content to drive friends and family home. It's no big deal for me. People get behind the wheel all the time because they have no idea that they are legally drunk (or worse).
tarrka: I am glad that you didn't scare off too easily after I mentioned my boys' naughty doggie behavior. Thank you for the vote up, but gold stars and badges are much more precious. Thanks, again!
You're doing a commendable job. There are far too many drunk drivers on the roads. They don't consider they might cause the death to others. I had a someone who was killed, no murdered is the word, by a drunk driver, of course he got to live his life.
Good hub to make people aware of this problem
Arlene - There should be a badge for designated driver that you can proudly wear. When I was in high school, I knew of several people killed by drunk drivers, including 2 girls and one of their moms who went into NY city instead of high school prom. Who knows how many lives you may have saved by being a designated driver. Great job!
Rosemary, thank you for your comments. Unfortunately, people driving drunk and getting into accidents is a common thing. The ones who injure or kill people--I don't know how they are able to live with themselves. Maybe it could be enough to make them stop drinking and sober up? Probably not. But I do like being a designated driver. That way, I know I'm at least getting some of the drinkers home.
K: Thank you for your comments! I lived right next to the Sacramento River until I was 12, and there was always someone driving into the river. The town never talked about it because it was always someone who was drunk at the time. It didn't matter what time of year it was. You could die on a foggy morning or a sunny day. The last death which hit home for me was a former classmate visiting from college. She had almost graduated, but she made the mistake of getting into a car with someone who was drunk. He didn't know the area and got lost in the fog. Drove into the river. The search team found the car, opened the door and the beer cans came out with the river water. So by driving drunk, this driver killed himself and three passengers. You never know what will happen when it comes to drunk drivers. Being sober does have its perks, I must say. I would rather be the one driving them home.
Hey Arlene, I just wanted to let you know that I am linking to this article in a Hub I published in the Weekly Topic Inspiration: http://jsmatthew.hubpages.com/hub/Halloween-A-Guid
Look at the end of the article for the link "Designated Driver", second to last paragraph! Yea, I liked it that much!
JSMatthew~
Arlene - that just gave me goosebumps head to toe. How sad. I worry so much about drunk drivers, especially since both my kids are of driving age and I don't want them getting in a car with someone who has been drinking, nor do I like them out late when there are more apt to be drunk drivers. I too, don't care for alcohol so I am always more than happy to be a designated driver.
J.S.: Coming from you, of course, this made my week and this coming week and forever and ever. Maybe this evening, I will get the never to do a left-handed turn into traffic to this pie place down the street. I will have some coconut creme pie and a chaser of whole milk. Or was that a whole pie and a quart of whole milk? What? Whole milk??? Of course! Gotta go for the hard stuff when it comes to dairy! Thank you so much for something I was born to do. I should write something on protecting our kidneys and livers as we get older. I can't believe the amount of sodium and potassium we have in our supermarket food! Yech!!! Back! Back! It's hard to undo these years of unhealthy eating habits, but never to late to try and get healthy. But anywhooooo, thank you so very much! You are such an inspiration (and a real patient one!) to us all!!!
k: I'm not a parent, but I applaud you for being aware that kids and the facts about drinking aren't to be taken lightly. I don't know what it is, but with all the deaths and wrecks, someone is not getting the word out. When I was growing up there was so much shame tied to alcohol abuse, but most of those people who died in the Sacramento River were drunk long before their vehicles hit the water. There was no time for them to realize where they were or even try to get out. So when I was thinking about your comments, I now remember this young man who used to ride my school bus when I was around 6. He would always tease me and yank my hair. He stopped riding the bus when he turned 16 and his father bought a '57 Chevy. He didn't have that car for long. He drove it into a slough and took his friend with him. The town searched for days, so you can only imagine how his father felt when he saw the search team pull that prized car out of a slough. It was half way in the muddy water and hidden by reeds. A couple of years later, we had this woman drive into the river. She was one of the pillars of the community, but she was drunk at the time. So as a small town, we don't talk about the alcohol involved in all these accidents. It's all about shame on these people for drinking and letting people believe that it was the weather, speeding or some malfunction in the vehicle. It's very sad when people won't say anything as a lesson or a warning to those left behind. I live in the suburbs, now. But in the country, there are so many hazards that could kill you. In the Sacramento River Delta, people drive into the river or flip their cars or farm equipment into irrigation ditches or the sloughs. And I know most of it is because of the alcohol abuse.
It's bad driving drunk anywhere. But where I grew up in CT there were trees everywhere, curvy roads, stone walls, blind curves, narrow roads, bridges, etc. - hazardous driving conditions under the best of circumstances.
The drunk driving accidents were horrible. There were two boys that went off a bridge in a car and one died and the other one suffered brain damage. Everyone looked at the car at the town's garage where it was towed and it was flattened from the impact - maybe a few feet tall. It made me sick. I often think the wreckage should be towed to schools on a flatbed truck and have an outdoor assembly around it about the dangers of drinking and driving or literally just have it parked at the school's front entrance for a day. I think it would send a very powerful message because a picture or the real thing really does speak volumes more than words.
There was also a boy that lived in the house that backed up to mine with woods in between. I didn't know him well, but he was minding his own business going to work early one Saturday morning at a gas station and girl driving home after sleeping over at a friend's house after prom where drinking was going on, hit him and the accident killed him. She lived.
That would be an excellent wake-up call, K. Even when there's an accident, the TV news crews will get their viewers, cover the accident and tease you with the film by playing the scene over and over again. But when it's over, the accident is cleaned up and life goes on. The traffic keeps going. The news crew finds something else to cover. I remember a friend telling me that seeing a motorcycle wreck cured her need to get on a motorcycle once she saw the wreck and what was left of the cyclist splattered all over the road. I really don't know what it will take to quit these drunk drivers from doing something so stupid. I hate to say it, but when people drink and kill others or maim them for life, it's just another crime where they walk away without any remorse. Which leaves them open to repeat their mistakes.
I pretty much stayed drunk through my twenties, then just stopped cold turkey. Drove drunk often during that decade, and only by the grace of God didn't kill or maim anybody or myself. Nowadays I do have a (as in one, singular) margarita once or twice a year, usually at a Mexican restaurant. Any more than that, even with food, and I'll have a hangover for days. Not worth it.
Also, in the last decade I've lost too many close friends to the effects of alcohol, so being a designated driver holds no appeal. I no longer have the desire to sit around a bar watching others pickling their brain cells like my friends did. Won't bartend for caterers any more for the same reason.
That said, I'm not a total stick-in-the-mud! I *would* plop down $5 for a DD bracelet at a beer tasting festival just to have access to the great free food, souvenirs and entertainment! ;D
Amazing hub. I had a drinking problem when I was younger, but luckily had a non tragic wake up call. I don't ever mind being the DD, or getting a call at 3AM to pick up a friend. As long as people remember that, they always have a free ride home.
JamaGenee: It is amazing, isn't it? How alcohol is so "okay" in this society. You can have that drink in social situations to "loosen up," and that is totally acceptable. And although cigarettes have been banned in a lot of places and no longer featured all that much in movies, the alcohol has staying power. You would not find me at a beer fest or at a bar alone, although I do admit to drinking soda at these places. No big deal for me. I've seen too many drunks wasting their way in Margaritaville, and the thought of waking up in the morning from all the drinking and not knowing what I did is enough for me not to drink. And, coming from a family of alcoholics, I am familiar with it enough to have done some dances with substance abusers and alcoholics. Which I know, is very dangerous for me. But I've learned from my mistakes. I can cut the apron strings or never tie them in the first place. You have choices when you have relationships. And, it gets dead really fast when you are picking up a drunk from the floor or knowing what you do in the relationship (by being responsible) is a wash. It is so dangerous to enable anybody. And when it concerns an addiction, when you are playing the straight man who allows the comedian to do anything he wants and have all the fun--what good is it when it is you doing all the work? Anywhooooo, thank you! I enjoy your insights. Most of all, I did pick up a Vanity Fair today and loved that fascinating article on publishing. Thank you for recommending it. No doubt, I will read it again and again. I would like to check out The Art of Fielding. I do realize that it takes a couple of years to get the book going after it is sold. Wouldn't that be exciting to have someone give you choices on how your book cover is going to look? I don't ask for much, do I? Hahahaha. What I don't have is a Nook or a Kindle to get a hold of the e-book on the extended version of this article. I am still one to turn pages and pile up on the books and magazines.
Hi, tngolfplayer. Thank you for your comments. I could be a complete grump if someone called me up at 3 a.m. for my free service of driving them home, but I'm on it. If I had my badge, I'd happily put it on and get over there. It sure beats seeing heartache on the news. Yes, sometimes a wake-up calls comes in handy when it comes to drinking. I remember waking up in a Reno hotel room after a night of drinking those sweet sloe gin fizzes. I was screaming because I could not open my eyes! Looking back, I laugh whenever I remember that and chalk it up to the many dumb things I will do until I die. After that incident, I pretty much stuck to ginger ale or Coke. No one knows or cares what you're drinking. The last thing I want to do is lose control and become a crying or a mean drunk.
Arlene - I just wanted to add one last comment to this hub, although I am going to keep reading - You should be really proud. I think this hub has sparked a great and very powerful conversation!
k: I want to thank you for your comments and your insights. Your comment has made it clear to me how all of us come in contact with alcohol, drinking, the terrible incidents and the awful behavior which comes with alcohol abuse. I should know since I've seen it again and again in my family. Although I don't drink, I am the daughter of two enablers who see the world like adult children of alcoholics. When you deal with alcoholics and are exposed to them for a long time, your thinking and behavior will change. Lots of insecurity there. But, for some reason, we consider drinking the norm. Alcohol hasn't gone the way like cigarettes have. The funny thing is, writing this Hub was easier than most. The event in Sacramento gave me photos to illustrate my Hub. And since I've been a practicing Designated Driver for years, I will be one for the rest of my life. Not bad, huh? Getting all this wonderful conversation and insights for doing something which has always come natural for me. Thank you so much, k!!!
Hi Arlene what a great hub and boy do I miss Denny's, we don't have them in the UK either. Shame.
Designated drivers are a brilliant idea and everyone should do it from time to time.
We had a campaign here many years ago which went.
"keep death off the road, drive on the pavement" (sidewalk)
Referring to drunks mowing down pedestrians.
It wasn't well received as you can imagine.
keep up the good work voted up and UI
Hi, molometer! Thank you for your comments and insights. There were many times when I've eaten at Denny's into the wee hours of the morning and watched some of my friends and family trying to slurp some hot coffee to sober up. I did enjoy making sure they were all right. Of course, I didn't turn down the pancakes, Grand Slam breakfasts or the hamburgers. Yesterday, I saw a young man plastered in the roadway because of a motorcycle accident (on his lonesome). Life goes on. The ambulance scraped him off the asphalt, took him away, and was followed by the fire truck. Life goes on, I suppose, but it is so sad when drunks do insist on driving when they've had way too much to drink. All those poor innocents who could not live out their lives because one person could not ask for a ride home or at least called a cab.
Thanks for reminding everyone! Also, colds and flu are also considered to be "driving under the influence"!
Thank you, Xenonlit! Do you know that my very first (legal) drink was at Fanny Ann's Saloon in Old Sacramento? I was looking at this carousel horse at the bar and thought, "Is this is what it's about?" So I am much more comfortable driving people home. When they've had to much to drink, they don't realize that I drive like an old lady. Hahaha! Happy New Year!!!
Hey Arlene. Great night to share this article!!! By the way, I think this is where I "met" you. Happy new year!
Hey, k! You have a great memory! Yes, we did meet here and swapped all kinds of stories! I'm staying in this year. I invested $5 (half off) on my New Year's mask, and my hubby the pyro saved some fireworks from the 4th. I am open to some calls, though. I got a Snuggie for Christmas, and I will find it hard to leave my couch, but so is life. I will always be a designated driver. Happy New Year!
J.S.Matthew Level 7 Commenter 8 months ago
This Hub is awesome from start to finish! You are doing a great service for everyone by being a designated driver and I am glad to see that you still enjoy these events. Kudos to you Arlene! Voting and sharing as always! Nice photos too!
JSMatthew~