cvskates

I came in to work today (BC Ferries) and the morning crew told me a scary (though not shocking story).

Today's 08:00 sailing loaded and departed and a passenger reported a drunk driver aboard. The passenger also reported the drunk driver to police, and the crew coorrdinated with the RCMP to ensure they (the police) were there on the ship's arrival.

Our normal practice is to unload until we get to the vehicle the police want to stop, then stop discharge so there is no one behind the car they want. The driver in question was so drunk (remember, the ship left at 8 am) that the crew couldn't wake him up to drive off. The RCMP had to come aboard, and one of the officers had to drive the vehicle off. Keep in mind this guy would have been on the road before 8 AM to get to the ferry, then had he gone unnoticed, again at 9:30 AM.

JoeyBike

"If...I...can...just...*hic*...make...it...to...*hic*...the...ferry..."

Then he could sleep it off. At least until some nosy ferry employees got involved.

DX-MAN

I tellya, damned do-gooders anyway, trying to keep people safe and all -- what's up with them? They're stunting that guys' shrinkage...........................

CB HI

I once saw a drunk driver pass out and plow into a light pole. The crash did not even wake him up, nor could anyone responding.

Myosmith

"Honest Occifer, I'm not half as think as you drunk I am. I'm perfectly helpable of caping myself. I've only had ti martwonies . . . OK, take me drunk, I'm home."

dynodonn 

" No, Occifer, I'm serfectly pober, I only have ti martwonies, If youse dink I'm trunk, youse awsta see my firlgrend. Sheese wearying her nylonzzz on her arms and everys time I kiss herz sheese goes Phhhhhhhhhht."

Yeah, I think I've met this guy a few times during my lifetime.

Don in Austin

I WAS that guy until about 25 years ago. Miracle I didn't kill myself or others. Deserved thousands of DUIs and never got one. Enjoying my ethanol-free body these days.

Don in Austin

Myosmith

Congratulations, Don

Chris516

lol

Those are even better than one I heard on M*A*S*H

'I'm not think as you drunk I am'.

dynodonn 

There's been a few times in many years past that I should have received a CUI, but didn't. Since my children work for a local brewery, I will support their employment by having a couple of their brewery's beer every so often.

I also congratulate you.

Worknomore

Of course I'm driving!! I'm too drunk to walk

baron von trail 

He obviously handled his crap well since he made it to the ferry without hitting anything. THey should have just let him sleep it off.

baron von trail 

Damned straight.


THat's why cars have four wheels.

baron von trail 

I wonder how many of us here on BF led unhealthy lifestyles until we finally found the two-wheeled outlet with which to release our inner demons. Lord knows I made my share of poor decisions---thousands of them---before I found a better way of living.

JoeyBike

For me it was financial. I drank a tanker truck worth of beer during college because it was generally free or dirt cheap. After college when I had to start paying for the stuff I gave it up (I never liked the taste of alcohol much to begin with). Apparently I was lucky with genetics and had no problem just moving on.

Dchiefransom

That's why tadpole trikes are made.

Bikepacker67

Boy, you guys get no love.
I live in Penticton, so I don't deal with ferries, but everytime your place of work is the topic of the CBC, it seems someone's slagging on your underfunded butts.

Bikepacker67

Stop calling me out.


My bad lifestyle consisted of a corporate job and a corpulent belly - helped along by beer of course; both.

cvskates

If you want to work here you have to learn to seperate yourself and your job from the politics. All I can do is get the boat back and forth safely, be nice to the passengers, keep the crew motivated, and try to keep the whole thing on time. Everything else is well above my pay-grade. In public I generally don't tell people where I work because everyone has a ferry horror story, and they have no interest in hearing a reasonable explanation of what happened.

And if you take my ferry (or any ferry), please be nice to the crew; none of the stuff that pisses you off is their fault.

JoeyBike

There's CREW???

Just funning with you. Sorry.

Chris516

I feel the same way about the taste. To me it tastes like foot odor smells.

turbo1889

As to drunk bicycle driver stories, I have one of those (not me) where I witnessed an individual going through a parking lot late at night when I got off work and he ran straight into a light pole head on at speed. I ran over to him to see if he was okay or not and when I got within about eight feet or so of him I could smell the alcohol and when I asked him what happened he said he saw two light poles and tried to go in-between the two of them (there was only one) !!! I was really surprised someone could be that drunk and successfully balance a two wheeled bike.

RideroftheStorm

The big question is, if he was that drunk, was he even intending to board a ferry?

Pibber

i'm not sure if this is the place, and i hope i don't offend anybody, but i was that dude until Dec 9 '12. i had just started a new job, went out with the crew after work one night, dropped my friends and a new co-worker off, and headed home.

it had sprinkled a little while i was dropping people off. by the time i dropped the last person off i was well into the drunk. no drink and drive, but it started to settle in, if you know what i mean. i got downtown by the hospital, rounded the circle and lost the back end of the car and hit two parked cars. right in front of the hospital.

i freaked out. i've never been in an accident that was my fault. i'd never even been close to an accident when i'd driven buzzed or drunk(too many of those days in my youth to count). i drove on. i got home with a demolished front end. thankfully, the rodeo i was driving was a tough POS and bore the brunt of the collision right on the bumper, but lost most of the plastic grill and and the headlights. somehow, one light was still in the housing and worked.

i haven't driven since, and i never will again. i just can't do it. my drinking has dropped to a minimum(three beers gets me nice and buzzed/drunk) and i like it that way.

i'm completely wary of any and all drivers, now. you never know who's alert, distracted, angry, much less drunk. i can't tell you how lucky i was that nobody was in either of those cars. don't know if i'd be here to ride a bike today if i'd hurt anybody. i really don't know.

B. Carfree