The Traffic Chief and bar surveillance

Dec 17, 2019 Editorial

“Traffic Chief, Linden Isles has made a decision to carry out breathalyzer tests on drivers leaving night spots” (KN December 10).
Without one heartbeat missing, the hue and cry hit the heavens, but seeing it’s liquor involved, it might be wiser to say the protesting noises reflected the now characteristic regurgitating of the insensible, which saturates Guyana.
It is any port for a storm, for those looking to celebrate sending as many as possible ‘down the hatch.’ Under normal circumstances, involving something less dangerous and less costly to society, it might have been a case of continuous cheers for the boys and another one hoisted. But the truth of local circumstances, is that it isn’t.
The broken bones and brutalized bodies stand as the disturbing testimonies of a culture long tolerated, and long severely damaging, which must be addressed, starting with the first small steps, commonsense and necessary steps. Individuals, families, hospital wards, communities, and wider society can all attest to the follies of drinking and driving, the associated hurts, and the ongoing hesitancy and leniency that pervade dealing with this crisis (and it is) in a no holds barred, unflinching, and unswerving manner.
This paper extends a word of commendation and hand of support to Traffic Chief Isles for his efforts, which make a world of sense. If he is serious and determined enough, he should be allowed to make our roads safer for all of us, and not cater to the caprices of the besotted.
We say remove the kid gloves and deal with the situations, as they occur and as they warrant, in a thoroughly legal way, but also in a bold and brave approach. It is not being done consistently, it is not being done cleanly, and it is not being implemented to the degree required that instills caution, if not apprehension in the minds of drinking drivers, who feel it is their God-given right to guzzle and then menace the rest of us.
Here drinkers and their comrades are gearing up for resistance under the banners of what is done elsewhere. It should be known – and if not, is made clear – that there are more concerted and intense pushes to tighten and not loosen drinking and driving standards.
In some overseas locales, blood alcohol limits are being reviewed, with further reduction of existing limits high on the table. Some societies think a Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of 0.8 is too conducive to problems, others have enforced a level of 0.5, and in Japan, it is as minimal as 0.3. It is noteworthy that no society, even the liberally liquid ones, is contemplating lessening existing standards or giving intoxicated drivers an easier street on which to wobble.
As for bars and this complete nonsense about police stalking, the Traffic Chief and his planners have to get creative to overcome the usual self-serving Guyanese craftiness and shoddy legalistic conveniences. Then, it is recommended that the dragnets be more strategic in timing and placement. The bars and hangouts are familiar to most, including nondrinkers, and the rollicking ones where the heady envelope can be pushed (or be permitted to) beyond what is safe can be cordoned appropriately and acted upon accordingly.
When drinkers are not even borderline in terms of the legal limit, and more like double and so forth over what is legal, then let the challenge be to determine those who desire to have this plastered all over police blotters, court records, and the press pages, with pictures to boot.
For those who volunteer the specious and vacuous through positioning that they feel threatened, the response of an endangered populace and those who obey the law is simple: more of us feel more threatened more of the time, than the soggy and addled, who wish to have things their own way, and to the greatest degree possible.
Individuals are free to drink as much as they desire in the sanctuary of their homes (domestic violence and health considerations and work readiness all temporarily ignored), but they should not be allowed to think, and then live, as though they can do the same on the roadways.
Mr. Isles said, “I only want to save lives.” He should be allowed to do so.

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