DWI – Oh It’s Easy

Somebody help me understand. You are driving on a revoked license because you failed to pay your last speeding ticket, you stopped in at the bar with your friend Larry who just got paid and is showing his friendship by buying you shots of Jägermeister… (a better friend would give you the money toward your fines). More friends show up and you get caught up in the moment and decide to drive Larry and the two girls you just met to the party you were just invited to: “Follow Us” they said! Down I95 you go trying to keep up with the knucklehead you are following and by the time you see the State Trooper sitting in the Authorized Vehicle turnaround, it’s too late. He clocks you doing 101 MPH! Well that sounds bad but try doing the speed limit (70MPH) on I95 and it will seem like you are sitting still.

You don’t seem intoxicated, you have a little buzz but nothing that feels like a 0.15! You can’t believe it but you are under arrest for DWI, Driving on a Revoked License, Reckless Driving, and Failure to Obey a Law Enforcement Command. It’s kind of hard to pull over right away when your are doing 101MPH… By the time I met this 21 year old young man to post his $3000.00 bond, he was stone cold sober, a bit ashamed, very remorseful fretting mostly about how his parents will react to his wild night out on the town. Thank GOD no one was hurt or killed. Here is a little food and wine for thought. In Virginia ABC stores top ONE BILLION DOLLARS in yearly sales. I know, you are probably shocked, I was! You don’t need a license to buy alcohol, no class required, no education attached to the purchase and use of alcohol, you simply need to be 21 years old.  You need a license to own a dog, own a gun, to hunt, to operate a business, to babysit the neighbors child on a regular basis, to sell cars, insurance ETC. You get the picture, our cars are required to have seat belts, (we are required to wear them) airbags, catalytic converters, inspections, emission inspections but no interlock device or breathalyzer device to insure we are sober before we drive.  It would be easy enough to do and you would definitely feel better about your kids driving… it would eat into the State’s alcohol sales but… hey. 

Peace