(Summary below for the tl;dr'ers)

Flash back to three weeks ago. I let a friend drive home after he had 3 beers and then hung around for an hour and a half. My roommate becomes quite distressed at this, and begins to lecture all of my friends about drunk driving and how it's irresponsible. I apologize to my friends for his behavior, which upsets my roommate even further. Friends leave, and my roommate drunkenly declares that he's going to make everyone wait four hours after they have their last drink. I blow it off as his drunken idiocy and go to sleep.

----

Flash back to two days ago. I inform my roommates that, to celebrate my birthday, I will be, among other things, having people over Saturday night. Roommate says, "Good, our other two roommates will be gone, so we have plenty of beds for people to sleep in."

"Do you think we'll need all of them?" I ask, for many of my friends simply have a DD or use our school's DD program.

"Well, people will be staying, whether they want to or not[/b]." (actual quote)

I mull this over for a day, trying to decide if he was just being an idiot or if he was serious. I discuss the issue with some friends, and two of them volunteer to punch him if he tries to pull that ****.

----

Flash back to yesterday. I say to my roommate, "We need to have a talk about this upcoming weekend. I don't want my birthday to be a repeat of our last party."

"You mean me?" he asks.

"Yes."

"Well, simply tell everyone that they either have to wait four hours after they drink before they can go home, or they don't come over at all."

"That's not going to fly." I told him.

"Well, then, they can't come over."

**** that, it's my birthday. "That's not going to fly, either."

"Well, then, I guess I won't be here."

I go upstairs and do a happy dance. This is what I had originally wanted, as the roommate is a angry, mopey, or angry & mopey drunk, which just drags down any party.

He then comes upstairs and says, "Is it okay if I stick around and volunteer to be the DD? I won't drink."

"Sure," I say, "as long as you don't force people to let you drive them home."

This is not acceptable to him. He goes into a rant about how he's trying to save people's lives, that scientists have said that it takes four hours to completely metabolize a shot of alcohol (wrong), and that, by not forcing people to stay overnight if they have one beer, I'm endorsing drunk driving.

I explain to him that such blanket rules have no real-world application, and that such situations must be taken on a case-by-case basis.

"Well, you'll just have to deal." I add, and he grabs his hair in an exasperated fashion and leaves the room, saying "Arrrgh" like a not-bald Charlie Brown.

----

Summary:

Roommate says:

• Everyone must stay at least four hours after their last drink (even if it's only one beer)
• I am endorsing drunk driving by not forcing everyone to stay overnight when they drink
• It takes four hours to completely metabolize all alcohol

I say:

• Stay-the-night sentences should be taken on a case-by-case basis, taking into account how much they've drank, what they've drank, how fast they drank, when they started drinking, when they stopped drinking, how long it's been since they drank, what they've been doing since they drank, their sex, their body weight, and how often they drink
• It doesn't take 4 hours to completely metabolize alcohol
• Furthermore, it stands to reason that if the legal limit is 0.08%, then, in theory, one is fit to drive with a 0.01% or a 0.02%
• I don't want my friends to start thinking, "Well, I'd like to hang out with Josh, but if his roommate's going to be there..."
• The roommate is the only one who has a problem with the current situation (neither of the two either roommates exhibit such stupidity), and, thus, his opinion doesn't really qualify

Many people say:

• The roommate is an all-around *******

So, am I being unreasonable?

Well, if your school has a DD program like most Universities do I really don't know why there should be an issue at all. At most of my parties like that I always made sure one person was sober and could handle calling the UARIDE hotline. Waiting 4 hours for any buzz no matter how bad is insane. I mean if a person is blind drunk then yes, make them sleep on a couch, but 4 hours for 3 beers? I usually always had a rule of a 30 minute wait for anything 2 beers or over. I have some friends that can actually get messed up off 2 so I didn't think this was wrong.

No.

The letting your friend drive home after three beers thing was definitely a lapse in judgement, but your roommate is being a dick.

IMO... Its every persons own responsibility to not drive drunk, if they do, then when they crash and who they kill or what they damage, is their own responsibility. It really isnt if, its when.

True, it's their responsibility, but the thing is, beer has this nasty habit of inhibiting one's judgement, so it's the responsibility of others to make sure drunk people don't drive as well.

No, its the responsibility of the person drinking, to find a way out of needing to drive, BEFORE they drink. No alternate way home, or place to sleep, no beer for you... simple as that.

Ummm, I don't think you're understanding me. IT'S THE RESPONSIBILTY OF OTHER PEOPLE TO MAKE SURE DRUNK PEOPLE DON'T DRIVE. PERIOD. As in, if a drunk person is attempting to get into his car and drive, IT'S YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO STOP HIM.

Yes, you are being unreasonable, to an extent.

Your roommate doesn't want drunk people driving home from where he lives, which is pretty damned sensible of him.

Assure him that the only people driving will be those who haven't drunk anything, anyone else will have a lift or be walking. That's all you need to do, it sounds to me like you're encouraging people to drink-drive under the assumption that you can judge whether it's safe for them to do so. Guess what, you can't.

It's the job of everyone present to stop people who've been drinking from driving, leaving it up to the person who's been drinking to decide is a sure way to get someone killed.

Actually, that's the police departments responsibility. Physically restraining someone from entering their vehicle, drunk or not, can get you assault charges...

Welcome to wonderful America, where helping people is against the law.

EDIT: if you want to stop them, call the police... he or she may get a DUI but at least no one dies.

If you had the chance to stop a drunk from driving a vehicle and didn't, and he later killed someone, I'd hold you responsible. I'm sure a jury would, too.

Nobody forces you to drink in the first place. Why should I be held responsible for my friends' drinking habits?

You are not legally liable for someone else getting in a vehicle drunk. You are not legally obligated to babysit people in society. Even SERVERS of alcohol can't stop people from driving drunk, they are obligated to ask to call a taxi for the person at most. I'm not saying it's wise to let your friends go driving around in a daze, but there is only so much you can do... after that it's up to luck, and the police.

Because your negligance could result in death.

the very basis of our nature as social animals requires that we don't just take responsibility for our own actions.

*sigh* all I'm saying is if people expect others to look out for them when they are drunk, it wont happen, not very often. Close friends maybe, people you dont know... proly not. I myself do not get drunk, it is pointless. It's a waste of life itself. If you want to act like a moron and do things you wouldn't normally do... just do them. Don't use something as an excuse. I enjoy the occasional alcoholic drink to relax as much as anyone, but drunkeness is not necessary IMO. So I have little respect for those who get drunk for fun, and even less for those who drive while drunk. If they want to ruin their lives and someone elses I'm not going to stop them because it's the only way they will learn, even if it kills them.

You need to understand that you're not doing it for the drunk, you're doing it for the people he may needlessly kill.

Freelancer, you're talking about moral obligation, which is not the same as legal obligation. Yeah, it's the right thing to do, but it has nothing to do with legality.

As to the origianal post, Wolfy's roomate appears to be on some sort of crusade, which is admirable to a point. Maybe he shouldbe spending his Friday and Saurday nights over at the local college bar trying to get random people home.

Yeah I do understand that, and as cold as it may seem, that may just be how they were meant to die. I'm not saying it isn't likely that it could be avoided, but sometimes it's just your time.

I'm not saying by any of this that I would just let someone go drunk offhand, I would say something to them about it, and if they didn't respond, I would likely call the police. However I don't believe I am required or expected to do any of those things, and if I so choose, can just let them drive, or swirve away.

how do you get drunk after 3 beers? that's weak man

Are you sure about that. I was under the impression that one you be held partially accountable for neglecting to prevent a drunk from driving; especially if you know him or are at the same party, etc. Do you know or are you assuming?

I'm almost positive you aren't liable for someone you DONT know... if you have a friend who is about to drive drunk, who wouldnt at least 'try' to stop them? However, you can't force it like the roomate in the original post is trying to do.

I'm with Free.

Troof.

especially american beers which aren't even pints.

[QUOTE=Michael MacFarlane]I'm with Free.[/QUOTE]


That is going to depend on how big the guy is, how big the beers were, and over how long a period they were consumed.

Wolfy doesn't want to inhibit his party by making blanket rules. If someone obviously can't drive home, it's up to Wolfy and friends to decide so. If someone drives home after 3 beers, it's their own damn funeral. Said friend could even suggest they don't: But STOPPING someone from driving drunk, or blanket-statement forcing wolfy's friends to do what this kid wants is rude, and however "helpful" it's not his place. Morally, the obligation is laxed, but there.

I say let all the drunken people kick his ***, then let them drive home. If they **** up, they **** up, their problem.

People around here are notorious for driving drunk, and doing so exceedingly well (for the most part). No one I know has ever gotten into an accident with another person while driving drunk, ever.

Then again, our town has the most alcohol consumed per capita of any city in the US. So hey, maybe there's something to that.

Either way, I dislike DD (drunk driving), but there's no way you can force people to not drive drunk, so I decide to not get myself all worked up about it. If they're gonna do it, they're gonna do it.

Depends where you are if there's "Good Samaritan" laws in place.

Good Samaritan laws only PROTECT good samaritans--IE, if you pull someone whose unconscious from a burning car, then resuscitate them if they have a DNR signed, you've acted as a "Good Samaritan" and can't be punished.

It should be noted that the friend consumed 3 beers in the course of an hour and a half, and had nothing after for another hour-and-a-half (except for water).

He was quite all right to drive.

You're not being unreasonable. 1.5 hours after only 3 (not pint) beers? That's more than enough time, unless your friend is a total lightweight. Maybe you should all chip in to get a breathalizer, and let that be the judge.

That'd be the ultimate in awesomeness. "HE'S NOT OKAY TO DRIVE!" *breathalyzer says otherwise* "Well, ****."

[QUOTE=Dj Yoshi]Good Samaritan laws only PROTECT good samaritans--IE, if you pull someone whose unconscious from a burning car, then resuscitate them if they have a DNR signed, you've acted as a "Good Samaritan" and can't be punished.[/QUOTE]
I'm pretty sure that in some places there's laws where you're liable if you don't act where you clearly can, to a certain extent.

Good base rule is if you don't know how your going to get home or if your not going to stay over then no drinks. But it seems that you and most of your friends already have that sorted out anyway. For your crusading roomate it would be nice if he recognized that as an effort aganst drunk driving.

And I have had parties where the blanket rules were those who plan to drink plan to stay the night unless they have prior arrangement to have a designated driver. Of course it was agreed too that at least some of us were going to be drinking more than just 3 beers, or those who think they will just have couple of beers just might endup having "2". Welcome, please, depost your keys.

I think that's more in matters of Murder or Robbery where you become an accessory. Even if the guy manslaughters someone, there's no way you could feel guilty because there's no way you could've known that was DEFINITELY going to happen, only that there was a possibility. Either way, those aren't Good Samaritan laws.

I think the laws only apply to buisness establishments, although I could be wrong.

Pretty sure he's right.

I think it's ****ing **** that you care so little about your friends that you let them drive no matter how little alcohol you let them have.

It doesn't take alot of alcohol to ruin someones judgement.

[QUOTE=Dj Yoshi]That'd be the ultimate in awesomeness. "HE'S NOT OKAY TO DRIVE!" *breathalyzer says otherwise* "Well, ****."[/QUOTE]

My parents bought me one for Christmas a couple of years ago. It was kind of an awkward moment.