Comments on: behind the wheel

By: Maurine

Maurine — Mon, 10 Jan 2005 22:35:48 +0000

My dad sent me an email from France last Sunday telling me that my 27 year old brother had been caught drinking and driving coming back from a family dinner with a level of alcohol of 1.8! He added that he was worried that he wouldn’t be able to work anymore (he needs to drive around all day). This email infuriated me. That’s how French people react when you tell them you’ve been caught: oh poor you, it’s such bad luck!

This shows a lack of respect for one another that is quite common in the French society. Also a contempt for the law which is considered as something annoying rather than something useful for society.
I’ve come to realize that since I live in New Zealand where people, like in England, do drink a lot but would not drive. It makes me very angry and I don’t see how the French mentality could change.

By: pia

pia — Mon, 10 Jan 2005 16:48:08 +0000

I would worry too if I had irresponsible man that drinks and drives and dissapears until the wee hours of the night with “friends”.

By: BHR

BHR — Mon, 10 Jan 2005 12:17:40 +0000

"Playing on my Ipod: nothing. I haven’t received it yet. And when I have, I won’t be telling you, so there." Hahaha - very good. I'm not suprised that French attitudes to drinking haven't changed. I remember when I was visiting some friends in New Caledonia ten years ago I saw a guy crash into two parked cars while attempting to leave a boozy lunch. I was astonished at the lack of concern about this, particularly on the part of the people whose cars had been dinged. I read an interesting piece saying that the French wine industry is sabotaging the government's campaigns - see http://www.decanter.com/news/47192.html. By the way, Michele sent me.

By: petite

petite — Mon, 10 Jan 2005 10:37:17 +0000

In case my regular readers are puzzling over the Michelle sent me's in today's comments, I am apparently the target for the daily comment game on Michele's site... Welcome to all new visitors!

By: bari

bari — Mon, 10 Jan 2005 10:25:25 +0000

Even in our culture, I am surprised by the people who feel it is ok to drive after drinking. We have had a barrage of commercials about it, yet still, folks continue.

Michele sent me.

By: Annie

Annie — Mon, 10 Jan 2005 10:17:26 +0000

I’m afraid I don’t drink or drive. I like your blog and will be blogrolling you. And by the way, hello, Michele sent me! :lol:

By: Kimbofo

Kimbofo — Mon, 10 Jan 2005 09:47:28 +0000

In Australia it is an absolute no, no to drink and drive. The government, particularly in the state of Victoria (where I am from), has spent decades educating the public about this and there is still an ongoing campaign to curb drink driving, especially around Christmas/New Year and Easter when most drink driving related fatalities occur. The blood alcohol limit is .05 which is fairly low. Ultimately this means if you want to drive, it’s just safer not to drink at all.

Random breath testing happens ALL THE TIME. Only last month when I was back home (I currently live in the UK) I was chauffering three people home from a cricket match at the MCG and EVERY car on one stretch of road was pulled over by the “booze bus”. I passed with flying colours not having touched a drop all day (luckily it’s not illegal to drink vast quantities of caffeine – yet), but THREE vehicles in front of me failed. I was astonished.

Anyway, this is possibly the longest comment I’ve ever written. It’s all Michele’s fault. Yes, she sent me here! But I’m sure I’ll be back . . .

By: Vernon

Vernon — Mon, 10 Jan 2005 09:41:33 +0000

Ah the old ‘I’ve only had a couple of glasses of wine’ trick. Ce n’est pas simplement avec le Français, je pensent. It also depends on how big the glasses were.

Now, that Germaine Greer – what’s her game? This is the woman who wrote The Female Eunuch! She’s seems to have moved into a parallel universe as far as her career is concerned.

I’m told that the programme makers had trouble getting enough housemates this time around so the time has come for a new game – Fantasy Celebrity Big Brother. The public chooses the people it would most like to see in the house. Here’s my choice – Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, Paris Hilton, JoLo, Max Clifford, Shane McGowran, the Rev Ian Paisley, Condoleezza Rice and Timmy Mallett.

By: Michele

Michele — Mon, 10 Jan 2005 08:14:49 +0000

Perhaps if France did not have such wonderful wines the interest in drinking would decrease. However, we would all suffer. I will admit that this Canadian girls’s “right to a glass of wine or two with (her) meal cannot be challenged.” Yet, I do agree with your drinking and then driving concerns.

Oh, I must say: “Hello, Michele sent me.” And she did not require a glass of wine before doing it. Shame.

Yes, Petite Anglaise, you are it.

By: backroads

backroads — Sun, 09 Jan 2005 08:19:53 +0000

For ‘had’ please read ‘hand’ and not ‘head’. I don’t always correct my typos but this is an important distinction.