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Comment by xyzzyz | Hacker News Reader

people who are driving drunk will do so no matter how much public transportation there is

This is pretty unconvincing. I've only driven after drinking alcohol twice, and both of these occasions were in the US (just for the record, I drank only a drink or two). In my home country I've always driven 100% sober, every single time.

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If you have enough public transportation there's a good chance you don't actually own a car...

If I've drank anything in the past 24 hours there is no amount of money you can offer me to drive a car. There are fundamental differences like that.

That's not necessary. Driving after having a drink is normal. It's drunk driving that is a problem.

"Driving after having a drink is normal."

Uh, no it's not.

Having a beer than driving home after work is quite normal.

Having a glass of wine with dinner then driving home afterwards is quite normal...

In the US there is a blood alcohol level below which it is legal to drive. There are also frequently legal definitions of how much alcohol can be in one drink.

In most places there is, just because it's legal doesn't mean it's ok. Current state of knowledge is that any alcohol reduces ability to drive safely. Yes there are still holdouts who think they will be 'all right' after one, two or three (or more) glasses, but that doesn't make them right. I'm appalled that there are apparently several (many?) people on here who think that it's ok to drink and drive. Look, I don't care you all kill yourselves, but I do care that you expose others (like strangers, my family and yours) to such reckless behavior. How hard is it to drink water when you know you'll be driving?

No, it's fine. This shouldn't be appalling, virtual every alcohol consuming adult does this, and the effects are well understood. It's not a risk and shouldn't cause you grief. Are you inexperienced with alcohol?

I've been drinking alcohol if not every day then three-four times a week for more than a decade and only stopped half a year ago to loose some stubborn weight; and while my wine collection might not be 'extensive' it's still a collection. So no, I wouldn't consider myself 'inexperienced'.

It must be sample bias, but literally nobody in my (quite diverse, both culturally/ethnically as well as geographically) circle of social contacts would consider somebody who drank two beers before driving anything but a hillbilly Cletus (or their countries' local equivalent). The notion that 'virtually every alcohol consuming adult does this' is nonsense.

If by geographically, you're counting North America, your contacts are lying to you. I can't speak for Europe, but I'd be shocked if what you said initially is true there. Note that you've gone from denouncing driving following a drink over a meal, to drinking two beers and then driving. The latter is still fine for an adult male over an hour or two, but you're moving the goal posts.

Note also that 2 European beers often are 3 American beers (0.5L vs. 12 fl oz), so it is more ethanol, and usually takes less time to ingest, so one is more drunk during the peak. I certainly wouldn't drive after 2 European beers.

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