Not a very attractive choice. However, with the holidays coming, it’s something to think about. Even if an officer catches you via her trusty breathalyzer on only a relatively minor first offense, DUIs cost many thousands of dollars in fines, increased insurance costs, and what not. A drunk driving charge can even result in a lost job and perhaps hundreds of hours of precious time in classes, court time, and community service. That’s aside from the humiliation and inconvenience of having your driving privileges suspended. In many cities with poor public transit, a car is close to a necessity. Depending on where you live, you may well be in huge trouble just in terms of getting to work in the morning.
That, however, is a walk in the park compared to what could happen to you if the fact that too much booze turns you into a complete dithering idiot who can barely see and hear properly gets you into an accident. Even a minor fender bender is a huge expense and may well exponentially increase the seriousness of your DUI, legally speaking. By the way, you could easily subject yourself to a painful death or a crippling and/or disfiguring injury. But let’s say you somehow escape all that. How’d you like to have a dead or permanently handicapped person, maybe a child, on your conscience for the rest of your life?
On the other hand, we know that having a drink or two at a bar or at your friends’ place is a part of life that a lot of us genuinely enjoy, and a designated driver isn’t always practical. Also, sometimes it’s not so easy to judge the difference between being dangerously over the line and maybe just being a cup of coffee away from being perfectly safe on the road. That’s why it makes a lot of sense that more and more folks are buying themselves a consumer breathalyzer. It gives you reassurance that the big martini or pint you drank ninety minutes ago is now safely metabolized. It’s also a great way to persuade friends and acquaintances who might have enjoyed the proverbial “one too many” to accept a ride home. Even a very drunk person might have a hard time arguing with something as objective as a breathalyzer.