Author Topic: Designated Drivers  (Read 2142 times)

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Offline Phantasmatron

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Designated Drivers
« on: April 23, 2011, 07:09:37 PM »
What is the general consensus on a designated driver's role? 

My understanding was that the designated driver is the guy that hangs out with the people who are drinking but doesn't drink any alcohol himself.  That way there's a sober person to drive everybody home safely.

Is it normal for a designated driver to just be the one who drinks the least amount of alcohol?  I realize that drinking one beer is not going to make someone swerve wildly off the road and into a tree, but it seems somewhat irresponsible for the designated driver to consume any alcohol at all.

I don't drink or spend much time around people who are drinking, so I beg this question of you, DTF:  How do you guys usually arrange for designated drivers and what is their usual role?

I feel like this post is a cross between AndyDT and tick, but I swear this is not a parody thread in any way.

Offline Gadough

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Re: Designated Drivers
« Reply #1 on: April 23, 2011, 07:15:54 PM »
This is why my friends love me. I don't drink and have no interest in drinking. So they always have a designated driver.

And yeah, buzzed driving is drunk driving. Haven't you seen that ad campaign?
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Offline Rina

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Re: Designated Drivers
« Reply #2 on: April 23, 2011, 07:19:48 PM »
This is why my friends love me. I don't drink and have no interest in drinking. So they always have a designated driver.

And yeah, buzzed driving is drunk driving. Haven't you seen that ad campaign?

This. You shouldn't be drinking if you're the designated driver.

Sure, if you only have one drink early into the evening it's not a huge deal. Especially if it's been enough hours for the alcohol to not be affecting you so much/etc, but it really is more responsible to avoid doing so if people are counting on you.

Offline Jamesman42

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Re: Designated Drivers
« Reply #3 on: April 23, 2011, 07:33:01 PM »
The DD can drink, but he better not drink to where, when it comes time to drive, it is in any way noticeable.

My best friend was driving us home from a concert and had some drinks in the very beginning of the concert...we got pulled over, and he answered the cop honestly that he had a few beers. Cop gave him a breathalyser test, and my friend passed it. I wasn't worried because I knew it was out of his system enough at that point (6 hours later).

Offline Fiery Winds

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Re: Designated Drivers
« Reply #4 on: April 23, 2011, 07:55:50 PM »
The general rule is that it takes one hour for one "drink" to be metabolized through your system.  As long as the DD makes sure enough time has passed from the last drink to time to drive, you should be within legal limits.

Offline Dr. DTVT

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Re: Designated Drivers
« Reply #5 on: April 23, 2011, 08:18:56 PM »
There is a great little saying, "Better safe than sorry."  If you're going to be DD, just suck it up and don't drink.  If you want to drink, just wait til next time; the DD should rotate unless you have someone like Gadough who doesn't want to drink (and Gadough, when you DD make sure you drive someone else's car incase someone ends up puking).  A lot of bars will give perks to the DD too.  At one bar where I was an undergrad, DD's got free soda all night, and could order one appatizer free of charge.
     

Offline wolfking

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Re: Designated Drivers
« Reply #6 on: April 23, 2011, 08:28:05 PM »
If I drive, I usually have 1 drink only.  If I won't be driving for another 2 hours at least, I may have another one, but rarely.  A designated driver should have zero alcohol in his/her system IMO.  Even slightly over can be dangerous, especially if you have 4 other drunks in the car.  You have all their lives in your hands and being drunk in a vehicle together can get quite distracting.
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Offline Jamesman42

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Re: Designated Drivers
« Reply #7 on: April 23, 2011, 09:05:57 PM »
Oh, uh, one time me, yeshua4, and some of my friends were going to see DT and I had a drink at the restaurant (got a nice buzz), and I drove us about 5 minutes from the restaurant to the concert. But it was all slow driving.

SO ASHAMED

Offline Phantasmatron

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Re: Designated Drivers
« Reply #8 on: April 23, 2011, 09:21:03 PM »
There is a great little saying, "Better safe than sorry."  If you're going to be DD, just suck it up and don't drink.  If you want to drink, just wait til next time; the DD should rotate unless you have someone like Gadough who doesn't want to drink (and Gadough, when you DD make sure you drive someone else's car incase someone ends up puking).

See, this is the way I'm thinking, but apparently I have some acquaintances who disagree.

Offline KevShmev

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Re: Designated Drivers
« Reply #9 on: April 23, 2011, 09:25:54 PM »
Not that I hang out with people who drink themselves stupid (15 years ago would have been another story :lol), but I always seem to get stuck driving to concerts, outings, etc. since I am almost always the least likely person to drink a lot.  I usually have one or two drinks at most, if any.  Doesn't really bother me, though, as I like driving since I am one of those people who likes being in control of when I can come and go (as opposed to riding with someone and being at their mercy for leaving or whatever).

Offline Jirpo

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Re: Designated Drivers
« Reply #10 on: April 23, 2011, 09:34:48 PM »
I'm on my P plates so I can't drink anything if I wanna drive. Luckily I'm not usually designated to drive :p

Offline carl320

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Re: Designated Drivers
« Reply #11 on: April 23, 2011, 11:34:02 PM »
There is a great little saying, "Better safe than sorry."  If you're going to be DD, just suck it up and don't drink.  If you want to drink, just wait til next time; the DD should rotate unless you have someone like Gadough who doesn't want to drink (and Gadough, when you DD make sure you drive someone else's car incase someone ends up puking).  A lot of bars will give perks to the DD too.  At one bar where I was an undergrad, DD's got free soda all night, and could order one appatizer free of charge.

Bars around my area have a program where the DD gets a wristband, and that gets them free sodas.  I hardly ever go to bars, but when I do I don't drink alcohol.
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Offline Gadough

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Re: Designated Drivers
« Reply #12 on: April 23, 2011, 11:37:18 PM »
(and Gadough, when you DD make sure you drive someone else's car incase someone ends up puking).

Hasn't happened yet, but duly noted. :tup
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Offline Dr. DTVT

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Re: Designated Drivers
« Reply #13 on: April 24, 2011, 12:38:39 AM »
He ended up cleaning it that night and the next day, but still, you don't want to have the puke car.  Tomorrow I'll dig up my old licence plates, which are very relavent to this thread.
     

Offline ReaperKK

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Re: Designated Drivers
« Reply #14 on: April 24, 2011, 07:13:45 AM »
Most people that DD don't drink at all. When I do it, I'll have nothing or one beer, and I always make sure I'm not driving my car.

Offline Scrub206

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Re: Designated Drivers
« Reply #15 on: April 24, 2011, 10:40:26 AM »
Yeah i have a one drink rule when i drive. i can only have one drink when i get there and then i just drink like soda and stuff. 1 drink absolutly wont get me tipsy or anything, or even buzzed so it works for me.

honestly, i know a lot of you will dissagree, but if you know your limit like what will get you drunk or buzzed. i dont see the harm in having one or two if you KNOW 100% that you wont even be buzzed by the time you leave.

Offline tri.ad

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Re: Designated Drivers
« Reply #16 on: April 24, 2011, 11:00:52 AM »
Well, I'm usually not in groups where a DD is needed, but in general, when I'm going somewhere by car and it's bound to be a slightly longer evening (2-3 hours, give or take), I'll have a beer and that's that. I've never driven buzzed or drunk before, and I'd like to keep it that way.
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Offline Sigz

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Re: Designated Drivers
« Reply #17 on: April 24, 2011, 11:11:53 AM »
yeah, I don't see a problem with a DD having one drink early on into the night.
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Offline pogoowner

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Re: Designated Drivers
« Reply #18 on: April 24, 2011, 11:51:24 AM »
yeah, I don't see a problem with a DD having one drink early on into the night.
I don't see a problem with them having more than that either. Depends entirely on the person's ability to handle alcohol and how much later they'll be driving, though.

Offline Scrub206

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Re: Designated Drivers
« Reply #19 on: April 24, 2011, 01:39:15 PM »
exactly, it all depends on their tolerance.