Is SA actually the drunk driving capital of the world? (Keller: condo, home) - San Antonio - Texas (TX) - City-Data Forum

rd2007 · 08-03-2009, 11:16 PM

I have never been anywhere that had this bad of a drunken driving problem. However, this is what is leading me to wonder if this is actually as bad as it gets: http://www.woai.com/news/local/story/Deputy-constable-arrested-for-driving-drunk-in/TN7II5rUfUCmZX0zSRGYaQ.cspx
This is absolutely a pathetic disgrace to the entire community and should be investigated further. If there is actually someone here with a badge that is that stupid, are they really taking the problem seriously? or is this why there are so many drunks on the road? Is the local LE ignoring the subject because maybe it is a little too close to home for a lot of them?
I am not insinuating that all LE in the area are drunks or anything like that, but this is just crazy.
BTW, this all became a lot more relevant to me after I literally came within inches of getting slammed by a drunk idiot on westbound 90 early Sunday morning. I was going home from work, when an idiot came up behind me and the car next to me at about 90-100 MPH. I saw him coming and luckily the car next to me did too because they swerved over quickly into the exit lane for 410 just as the idiot would have slammed into the back of him. The fool had absolutely no intention of stopping and could not have. I have little doubt the person next to me would have died instantly if they would not have seen it coming. I called 911 immediately after the fool did that and threw a beer bottle out his window, but I am sure they did not do anything. I gave a perfect description of the truck, followed him up to 1604, and gave the operator directions, but all they did was say they would have someone look into it. I gave up at 1604 because he turned south and I have never been down there before, so I did not feel that I could safely escape if he did something very stupid.

sapphire · 08-04-2009, 06:15 AM

Yes, SA is the drunk driving capital of the world. This story is disgusting. Lots of people think it's just hilarious to go get liquored up and then try to make it home.....it's almost a sport here. To me, they are despicable, and God help them if they hurt one of my kids. Lousy pieces of crap.

zhugeliang1 · 08-04-2009, 06:31 AM

It doesn't help that on the corner of JacksonKeller and West avenue there's a liquor store that supposedly you can drive through and get alcoholic beverages, it's called Bare n All. Is it me or what - just the idea of driving through to get beer condones the idea of drinking and driving? I wish they would get rid of that place.

TXtrkgrl · 08-04-2009, 06:52 AM

This is a horrible story.
But all I can think about is.... Can you imagine getting pulled over by them?

Or if they would have pulled over a drunk driver, I would have loved to see the police video of the drunk cop and the drunk driver.

I'm glad that nobody was hurt.

Buffyfan · 08-04-2009, 06:57 AM

I don't know. I was in New Orleans a couple weekends ago. Seemed like everyone was drinking at 10am Saturday morning. Literally saw people being carried out of bars. DRIVING while drunk I'm not sure.

Bulldawg82 · 08-04-2009, 07:50 AM

Kuwait City was super-bad (and alcohol is illegal there). Seoul was bad as well. I don't see how SA is even in the top 10 worst.

majormadmax · 08-04-2009, 07:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zhugeliang1

It doesn't help that on the corner of JacksonKeller and West avenue there's a liquor store that supposedly you can drive through and get alcoholic beverages, it's called Bare n All. Is it me or what - just the idea of driving through to get beer condones the idea of drinking and driving? I wish they would get rid of that place.

Drive-thru liquor stores are all over Texas--even Drew Carey joked about them in one of his stand-up shows. Still, Texas has an open-container law so while it is legal to purchase alcohol from these stores, it is still illegal to drink and drive. Plus, it doesn't really matter how the alcohol is purchased, it is the drinking and driving that needs to be stopped!

I also applaud the SAPD officer(s) that pulled the deputy constable over for reckless driving! If anything, that may be an argument that the police are trying to curtail the amount of drinking and driving going on...but I will agree that there still is way too much of it!

zhugeliang1 · 08-04-2009, 08:26 AM

Quote:

Still, Texas has an open-container law so while it is legal to purchase alcohol from these stores, it is still illegal to drink and drive.

And therein lies the irony.

So, we can drive into a drive through beer store and buy beer. That makes it more convenient to open the beer and start drinking while driving out of the drive through beer store. So those places "enable" drinking and driving is what I'm thinking.

By the way this Bare n All is within walking distance of Lee High School.

So that's why I decided to transfer my son to Churchill this year.

By the way a resource for you folks on this forum who want to do something about drunk driving is MADD - Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

perticusrex · 08-04-2009, 08:32 AM

That story is disgraceful and embarassing for the city/county.

Places like BEER n All isn't necessarily the entire problem - the problem is self control (or lack thereof). Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should.

majormadmax · 08-04-2009, 09:20 AM

Exactly, there is no irony, just lack of self control. I don't see any difference between driving into a store, driving up next to a store, or going into a store to buy alcohol. I do that all the time, and I never open a beer for the drive home. There is no "increased temptation" due to the convenience.

I also don't see the problem with Beer N All being in its present location, I am sure they card anyone under the age of 35 and if someone's kid has a fake ID than there is a bigger problem to be dealt with!

We don't need stiffer laws to counter DWIs, we need the ones we have enforced. I see these commercials all the time warning people that if they drink and drive, they will get caught; but honestly I can't recall the last time I saw a DWI checkpoint in SA. However, since I try to stay off the road during the late evening hours on weekends, they may exist. I figure my odds of being hit by a drunk are greatly reduced by being home when these morons are out and about!