(Possibly) Drink-driving mates, what would you do?

[El Saxo]

I have just been out to the pub with a long-standing mate. When the pub chucked out, I caught him in his car (which he had driven to the pub car park) trying to drive away with another mate (not a friend of mine, a mate by association) to go back to said mate-by-association's flat for the night. I immediately stopped my mate and said something along the lines of "Where the F**k do you think you're going, you're not driving anywhere!!". At that point, my mate and his passenger got out, locked the car and started walking with me, in the direction of the local takeaway. The three of us stopped and got a kebab etc, and walked out of the place and said our goodbyes.

I am fairly (85 per cent) convinced that my mate and his passenger have made their way back to the car and driven the 5 min journey back to the mate-by-association's house. Normally this mate would stay at my place (in walking distance) but I told him he couldn't tonight (for various reasons).

I now have a dilemna, should I say anything to my mate the next time I see him, given that I can't prove anything, or should I let the matter go, for fear of wrecking a 10+ year friendship?

[G]

If he drives for a living or 100% has to use his car to get to work, then remind him of that. As he will be banned if caught for a fairly long time.

Otherwise I would say let him face the consequences....but then if he killed someone else......well :( you would forever hold yourself for reposible for not saying something.

[Ollie_07]

Tell him to stop being such an *******!! If he has any common sense, he will understand.

Or next time you go out on the razz, get another of your mates to get some cheap flashy blue lights, ask him to hang around in the car park, then if your mate drives off, get him to follow with the lights going! :D

May scare him enough to make him stop!

[DoubleD]

hmmm, I would ask if he drove and say he was an idiot for driving while drunk.

You wouldn't fall out over it as you are mates after all and your looking out for his well being.

I would also drop in a "if I catch you doing it again I'll shop you in" which I have said and I have not fallen out with mate. (and he hasn't done it again)

[falc]

If your really good mates and seems like a long time then I think he would value your input on anything. Just talk to him about it and get it sorted, if you stop him going out and drink driving you may of saved a life, family etc. So do the right thing and sort him out. He'll thank you for looking out for him I sure.

[WicklowSV]

If he's a serious mate (and it sounds like he is) he'll appreciate that yer trying to look out for him. Thats what mates are for... If something had happened to either him or someone else you would have to live with that every day going forward. So say something to him about it - he should be able to take it on the chin.

Long while back a mate of mine insisted on driving his car whilst locked. Tried to get the keys of him but we failed and he drove off. Couple of hours later he returned with the car being towed. He'd rolled it, crashed into a tree and climbed out unhurt. Got away very lucky but I swore I'd never let it happen again. Car was his pride and joy too but it was a write-off.

[hovis]

how drunk was he?

i would just ask him if he drove, and tell him that you do not aprove (if he did).
and leave it at that

[Ed]

I'd be a bit more subtle and leave this thread open on your PC when he's next at your house.

[plowsie]

Yeah, just ask him, tell him he's an idiot. That will do!

[Baph]

IMO, keep it light hearted, tell him he was a plonker for wanting to drive a 5min journey in the car after a couple of drinks. If he values your mutual friendship, he'll probably either say "yeah, tell me about it, cheers for stopping us" or "nah, it was fine, nothing happened" (as in he'll be honest about it)... in which case you'll know if he did or not.

5mins (by car) is still easily walkable (even at motorway speeds - no, not walkable at motorway speeds!!). There's no excuse for drink driving, especially if it's just pure lazyness.

[BoltonSte]

Pretty much what the rest said, should say something just don't preach....I've actually taken keys off a mate in the past because he was thinking of driving his scoob home, up the motorway after 1am after having a few pints because his misses had been chucking up from the booze after he'd had a few.

[sandy]

Hi all these replies on this thread have answered your question. What I would say is when you do have this chat with him, make sure he is away for this other mate, as your friend maybe trying to impress him in some way. I recently dealt with a man who was 5 times over the limit, and he has never been caught before, the court have told him he will be going to prison, when he next appears. Also most of the public think if you get caught you get banned for 1 year only, that is not the case. The ones a deal with get a 2 or 3 year ban. Oh when you do have this chat make sure he is sober too .. goodluck wish I had a good mate like you.... sandy

[El Saxo]

Thanks for all the replies guys, I will have a word with him and see what he says. Hopefully like you all said, he'll understand that I'm not having a pop at him, it's just I don't want to see him or anyone else getting banned / injured / killed for the sake of a walk home.

[Warthog]

I'd have a word, if he is a good mate. One of my Belgian mates used to do it regularly, I used to tell him off loads but it never ruined our friendship. He just said he knew and smiled. Then one day he went to uni, and they built a new roundabout on the road to our local, and he hit it fast and launched his car clean over it and wrote it off. Now he doesn't drink and drive. Still good friends. Some people jsut don't get it until the worst happens.