None for the Road

We have one of the highest legal limits in Europe of blood- alcohol at 80 milligram’s of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood while at the same time we have one of the highest road fatalities in Europe.  Is this merely a coincidence?  

Many rural publicans have thrown in the towel and have called it a day after years of running pubs that are no longer viable since people no longer have the means of getting there or more to the point getting home. 

That’s sad for the publicans and sad for the old timer’s who have lost their social outlet but not so sad for people who might be using these dark unlit country roads. 

The evenings are getting darker and if you find yourself on a country road it is very easy to see how a pedestrian or cyclist can be knocked down particularly if they’re not wearing the correct reflective gear. 

Picture a dark night with a darkly dressed pedestrian on an unlit country boreen and torrential rain and down the road comes John-Joe after half a gallon and sure what harm is he doing since he’s been driving that road for 20 years after 4 pints. 

I would put it to you that John-Joe would have had difficulty seeing the pedestrian under those circumstances after 2 glasses of Tanora, let alone four pints, but you’ll never win that argument. 

Once upon a time smoking was the norm here and all around the world we smoked around food, around people and more significantly around babies, the fact that our mothers and fathers and grand parents and great grand parents did it before us didn’t make it right. 

Same can be said for drinking and driving, just because we’ve been drinking and driving since Henry Ford set up shop doesn’t make it right, when it comes to driving “none for the road” makes a lot more sense. 

Personalised funerals

Death might be a leveller but if that is the case the equality doesn’t kick in until after the funeral and burial arrangements. 

Funerals are as personal as any other big event where one man’s taste is another man’s poison.  Some people find the whole idea of personalised gifts, eulogies, or modern music at the mass quite offensive while others think it is wonderful and quite frankly it should be left up to the family of the deceased and the church of course.