Some people follow the laws, and never have to learn from their mistakes. Others have to mess up first and then learn. Still others never learn.
Many many kids are drinking and driving. It is illegal to drink underage, it is illegal to drink and then drive, but they are doing it because kids have a "it is not going to happen to me" attitude.
It often takes a scare like this to wake them up and realize the gravity of what they are doing.
And unfortunately, some are not lucky enough to be caught running a stop sign where no one was hurt. Instead they do cause an accident, sometimes fatal. Do other kids learn from this?
It often seems not, because of the above attitude.
The fatalities I have heard about lately in our County with drunk drivers have not been teens drinking, but older people who are habitual, repeat offenders.
And when a teen's example is a parent going to a party getting bombed and then driving home, how will they ever learn? I recently went to a wedding reception where the beer flowed freely and it seemed adults and kids alike were drinking. And everyone drove there. When I left, earlier than many, I remember thinking about all those people leaving and trying to drive home, and how scary it would be on the road that night. It is very odd to be at a party when everyone is drunk except you. It certainly does alter peoples perceptions.
So I am not defending anyone getting behind the wheel after drinking, it is wrong. But Phelps was acting like a stupid 19 year old having a good time with his friends and probably had that teen attitude of it can't happen to me. He should take his punishment(and that seems to be the case), learn from it, and hopefully influence friends to learn from it( may or may not happen).
Maybe Geek has a right to be so angry, but Phelps is unfortunately one of many, many drivers who have made this bad choice. I don't know what the solution is to get people to stop drinking and driving, do you?
Some people follow the laws, and never have to learn from their mistakes. Others have to mess up first and then learn. Still others never learn.
Many many kids are drinking and driving. It is illegal to drink underage, it is illegal to drink and then drive, but they are doing it because kids have a "it is not going to happen to me" attitude.
It often takes a scare like this to wake them up and realize the gravity of what they are doing.
And unfortunately, some are not lucky enough to be caught running a stop sign where no one was hurt. Instead they do cause an accident, sometimes fatal. Do other kids learn from this?
It often seems not, because of the above attitude.
The fatalities I have heard about lately in our County with drunk drivers have not been teens drinking, but older people who are habitual, repeat offenders.
And when a teen's example is a parent going to a party getting bombed and then driving home, how will they ever learn? I recently went to a wedding reception where the beer flowed freely and it seemed adults and kids alike were drinking. And everyone drove there. When I left, earlier than many, I remember thinking about all those people leaving and trying to drive home, and how scary it would be on the road that night. It is very odd to be at a party when everyone is drunk except you. It certainly does alter peoples perceptions.
So I am not defending anyone getting behind the wheel after drinking, it is wrong. But Phelps was acting like a stupid 19 year old having a good time with his friends and probably had that teen attitude of it can't happen to me. He should take his punishment(and that seems to be the case), learn from it, and hopefully influence friends to learn from it( may or may not happen).
Maybe Geek has a right to be so angry, but Phelps is unfortunately one of many, many drivers who have made this bad choice. I don't know what the solution is to get people to stop drinking and driving, do you?
