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There is a trend in movies and tv series (American and probably other countries too) where you see people drinking and later driving. Typically at home, possibly drinking, then driving to a bar and drinking. Then driving after that again. And whenever it is portrayed, it isn't questioned or seem unormal. It's just like if it was a walk in the park. Nothing special. But in reality it is quite special. Driving after drinking alcohol will increase chances of crashing, damaging yourself and others. It will if caught give fines and police take your drivers license. And you may not be allowed to take a new license for many months or years.

Of course movies are nothing like reality, but often they want to show a normal setting. Instead of accepting what is supposed to be nothing special, I'm just filled with wonder when I see such things. Why wouldn't the main characters be more concerned about this?

They're unconcerned for the same reason that everyone was unconcerned about the lack of toilets on any of the Enterprises in Star Trek.

i.e. if it's unrelated to the plot, then it's not a part of the plot.

Also, It depends on how much they drink, if hard liquer, then maybe no, what is the timeline or do you know? did they wait and drink or drink right before driving

I think it depends how much they are drinking and time elapsed. I know my country doesn't require you to be 100% sober to drive, ao if someone had a beer with dinner and then drove half an hour later to a bar, had another beer, chatted and drove back home after a bit of a chat they probably wouldn't have broken any laws. If they were smashing tinnies though then yeah that's another story

I actually agree with the OP here. Drinking and driving laws are pretty strict here and I am perfectly fine with that. Did you drink? If yes, don't drive. Done. The end. I don't care about the excuses people make. It's been scientifically proven that even a single beer effects your driving.

Baxx wrote:
There is a trend in movies and tv series (American and probably other countries too) where you see people drinking and later driving. Typically at home, possibly drinking, then driving to a bar and drinking. Then driving after that again. And whenever it is portrayed, it isn't questioned or seem unormal. It's just like if it was a walk in the park. Nothing special. But in reality it is quite special. Driving after drinking alcohol will increase chances of crashing, damaging yourself and others. It will if caught give fines and police take your drivers license. And you may not be allowed to take a new license for many months or years.

Seems kinda stating the obvious why drinking and driving is bad.I think most of us here on dakka are smarter then that. But yeah its bad. But yeah it is weird that its never questioned.

Ultimately a movie is all about the plot. If the potential consequences of drinking and driving isn't important to the plot it won't get shown.

And hey, its not like plot holes don't exist.

Seems relevant:

Baxx wrote:
Driving after drinking alcohol will increase chances of crashing, damaging yourself and others. It will if caught give fines and police take your drivers license. And you may not be allowed to take a new license for many months or years.

You don't say.

Also, give us some examples, please.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Soladrin wrote:
I actually agree with the OP here. Drinking and driving laws are pretty strict here and I am perfectly fine with that. Did you drink? If yes, don't drive. Done. The end. I don't care about the excuses people make. It's been scientifically proven that even a single beer effects your driving.

It's also been proven that if your BAC is under the stipulated number, that single big won't hardly affect you any more than taking some Benadryl will.

 Ouze wrote:
Seems relevant:

"We need to talk" needs to be as far into the upper-right as possible, thats not properly placed.


And yes, drinking and driving is bad. And I don't know what your public transportation system is like in your country, but in the US, its not that good, so if you go to a bar odds are you drove there, and as long as you keep some sense about you, you'll either not drink that much, wait, or have a Designated Driver (DD). I've slept in my car in a bar's parking lot before, and nowadays I usually just drink at home (I'm 3 beers in as I type this actually)

 cincydooley wrote:

It's also been proven that if your BAC is under the stipulated number, that single big won't hardly affect you any more than taking some Benadryl will.

Uh..... Pretty sure you never drive after taking a Benadryl. That gak feths you up.

Why, I remember the last time I took Benadryl--or rather the events immediately before and ten hours after I took Benadryl. Sexting while driving is probably less dangerous.

Are there any examples of characters drinking then hopping in a car, and drinking again. Because I'm coming up a blank.

 sebster wrote:
Are there any examples of characters drinking then hopping in a car, and drinking again. Because I'm coming up a blank.

...I want to say Archer?

 cincydooley wrote:

You don't say.

Also, give us some examples, please.

Just a few examples, The Wire and Hello Ladies. Probably many more.

I guess why this is noticed is because it doesn't relate to reality or my own experience. If a friend is having a drinks at a bar and is later seen driving, that would be embarassing. It would be something you wouldn't like others to see or know. One would easily be motivated to lie if asked how you would get home at night.

I guess the plot argument makes sense and also the nice illustration of what is important in movies vs reality. The movie still fails at creating an realistic setting when this occours. And of course time matters, but also in my experience one doesn't stop drinking for 1-2 hours when at a bar before driving again.

Actually, what's much more problematic in both film & TV land, is the sheer amount of distracted driving that goes on...

Yes, drinking & driving is beyond stupid and can easily lead to horrible things happening. But you're actually 4x more likely to be involved in an accident when distracted riving as compared to D&D.
Yet, the frankly galling amount of time you see characters talking to eachother/on the phone or walkie/etc... while driving at high speeds is beyond ludicrous! Hell, you see it fairly often a character carrying on a 10+ second conversation, looking directly at their passenger (because that's where the camera is obviously!), and being totally oblivious to their actual driving!!

Of course, thank heavens for those awesome tricks such as 'closed courses', 'green screens' and stunt driving teams!


Unfortunately, movies are movies, and if you simply take even a 10-15min stroll down a main street, odds are you'll likely come across at least a couple of stupid dumb***'s who are too busy yapping on the cell phones or some other crap & nearly run you down.

 Crazy_Carnifex wrote:

 sebster wrote:
Are there any examples of characters drinking then hopping in a car, and drinking again. Because I'm coming up a blank.

...I want to say Archer?

Well Archer is a career alocholic....
And when he got the fancy Dodge car they stated multiple times "do not drink & drive, we cannot stress this enough"

I can't recall specific examples right now... but I know I've seen DDing in TV and movies... I almost want to say that for the most part, it seems to be portrayed in the same way that smoking is now:

1. the person doing it is the "Bad Guy"™ or is the Crazy Guy
2. the person doing it is an Anti-hero

Baxx wrote:

 cincydooley wrote:

You don't say.

Also, give us some examples, please.

Just a few examples, The Wire and Hello Ladies. Probably many more.

I dont know what "Hello Ladies" is. In the Wire anyone that's driving after getting wasted are our friendly neighborhood drug dealers. I'm sure many folks are taking them as positive role models.




Automatically Appended Next Post:

Baxx wrote:


I guess why this is noticed is because it doesn't relate to reality or my own experience. If a friend is having a drinks at a bar and is later seen driving, that would be embarassing. It would be something you wouldn't like others to see or know. One would easily be motivated to lie if asked how you would get home at night.

What's embarrassing? I'm confused.

People driving after they drink is pretty normal in RL (though not very smart). Maybe movie directors simply do not put so much thought in that detail?

 cincydooley wrote:

I dont know what "Hello Ladies" is. In the Wire anyone that's driving after getting wasted are our friendly neighborhood drug dealers. I'm sure many folks are taking them as positive role models.

I was thinking about a scene where the cop drives horribly drunk and crashes. But I guess that particular scene doesn't relate so strongly to the topic because then he's actually supposed to be drunk driving while in other examples it's not part of the plot.

 Iron_Captain wrote:
People driving after they drink is pretty normal in RL (though not very smart). Maybe movie directors simply do not put so much thought in that detail?

Perhaps you're right, so it may be a local probelm for me because it wouldn't be socially or legally acceptable some places.