Biking While Intoxicated

[39cross]

From the NYT (http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/09/biking-while-intoxicated/). Many interesting comments posted on the website below the article.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A new study of New York City bicycling accidents over a decade found that one in five cyclists who died had alcohol in the body.

“It’s something we have to call attention to,” said Catherine Stayton, director of the health department’s injury epidemiology unit, as reported by the City Room blog. “To learn this is new for us. We want to get that information out there.”

While the information about alcohol and cycling could lead to an awareness campaign, it’s not clear what role alcohol actually played in the deaths. It’s important not to blame the victim, said Wiley Norvell, a spokesman for Transportation Alternatives. “It’s a no-brainer to be sober when you ride in New York City,” Mr. Norvell said. “Being alert and conscious of everyone else on the road is the best protection a bicyclist has, and biking while impaired makes our already dangerous streets an even greater risk.”

To read more about the link between bicycle deaths and alcohol, read the full City Room post, “Study Links Alcohol and Bicycle Deaths.”

[Tom]

On more than one occasion in college I rode home to my off campus apartment and simply can not remember the ride. I used to drink a lot.

[Blue Jays]

Some people who ride are riding simply because they've lost their driver's license due to DUI / DWI convictions.

[Russell]

Some people who ride are riding simply because they've lost their driver's license due to DUI / DWI convictions.

I prefer the George Jones route and take the riding lawnmower to the bar

[Kevan]

I can't imagine how people's knees work when they're pissed.

[false_Aest]

I had a friend in college, Brielle, a vocal major--the only white girl I've ever met that could belt out gospel music like a large large black woman--full scholarship for her voice.

On her 21st birthday she rode her bicycle into a parked car and landed on her teeth--literally. Imagine taking a hammer to any instrument you can think of.

Eventually she lost the scholarship.

Even now she hasn't regained the voice she once had.

[fiamme red]

Seems to be a problem in France:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article6005270.ece

I've ridden twice in my life while seriously drunk: I mean, to the point of being unable to walk in a straight line. Strangely enough, I found both times that I was able to ride in a straight line, as long as I kept my eyes on the road ahead. But the second time, as I was riding home through midtown Manhattan late at night, I turned my head to see the traffic behind me, and I nearly fell over. It was quite a shock.

If I'm ever intoxicated like that in the future, I'll just take the subway.

[goonster]

In Pennsylvania, riding a bicycle on a public road while intoxicated is in violation of the vehicle code.

Don't know if that's ever enforced, or if all the standard DUI/DWI standards with BAC limits, etc., apply.

I wonder what percentage of NYC pedestrians killed in traffic accidents have alcohol in their system?

[William]

I knew someone who was very drunk once and added mushrooms to the mix. Riding a bike across a golf course in the middle of the night….at least there were a lot of soft places to fall down…and they did that a lot. :bike:



William :beer:

[toaster]

People who ride bikes at night while intoxicated do not post at the Serotta Competition Bicycle Forums.

They are poor, uneducated, often illegal immigrants, and many times just homeless.

That they ride against traffic, on sidewalks, on old bicycles with little air in the tires is just another way of identifying them as possible accident victims or causes of accidents.

I read headlines in the local paper that say bicylist hit at night and they always seem to be riders of the above persuasion.

[JeffS]

They are poor, uneducated, often illegal immigrants, and many times just homeless.

You forgot black, female and gay. :rolleyes:

[csm]

You forgot black, female and gay. :rolleyes:

and probably pirating in the med.

[goonster]

They are poor, uneducated, often illegal immigrants, and many times just homeless.

. . . and we all know that none of these people deserve to live. :rolleyes:

It bugs me that these folks, who are true utility cyclists, cannot ride safely*, and that you read about them in the paper and essentially say "eh, they had it coming."


(* = They should be properly lit and ride on the proper side of the road, but not all factors are within their control.)

[torquer]

Seems to be a problem in France...
Germany too, or at least it's seen as an enforcement "opportunity."

I was visiting family in Dresden (this was shortly after reunification), and after dinner, which was served with wine, but was hardly a slosh-fest, another cousin unrolled a bedroll rather than ride her bike back home. The local constables, she told us, were known to stake out the bike paths and do DUI (BUI?) testing. I don't remember whether a conviction endangered one's drivers license, but the fines were significant.

Back in the DDR-day, they reportedly had a zero-tolerance policy for blood alcohol for drivers; driving a rented Mercedes attracted enough attention, so I sadly couldn't sample the local brews for fear of confirming those reports. I say sadly, since my previous experience was that all German beers were good...

[Ti Designs]

People who ride bikes at night while intoxicated do not post at the Serotta Competition Bicycle Forums.


Well, not at the same time...

[csm]

back in the day (way back...) we used to do full-moon mountain bike rides. and we'd start by having a few beers and/or cocktails. amazingly fun and amazing that nobody ever got seriously hurt.
one that sticks in my mind was after a bunch of snow had fallen and hardened up. this was in the day of homemade lights and self-studded tires. good times.

[Acotts]

When I was 16 and living in Europe, I used to ride home from the bar pretty dangum all summer long. It was a blast. I only hit a couple parked cars.

Now in my old age, I am too fragile to do it. But back then, it wasn't an issue. I would just bounce off stuff.

Also, I should mention that I was riding a steel 3-speed town bike on old cobble stone roads. Big, sturdy, and not very fast. We used to actually play a game where we would try to ram eachother into the curb by leaning on each other. It is a very handy skill as a cat 5. I hadn't seen a helmet since my BMX dirt jumping days.

Can I get a "what-what!" for all the homies drinkin' 1664 like it is going out of bidness!!!

Out in Boulder, my brother and I would run home from the bars during the summer. Talk about cramps. but if you get through 'em, the whole run turns into a blur and you end up running really fast and burning off the whole hangover. I am not sure why, but the chix never really thought it was that cool. I thought it was awesome. Stupid girls.

I would never ride a road-bike drunk. That would be dangerous. I would not be able to contain my inner speed demon. Nor a mountain bike. I know that I like to "huck" things when I drink and I cold see myself loosing some teeth jumping some stairs.

But a nice townie with a warm gyro et frites sitting in a basket in the front...seems ideal to me. Or a Big Dummie with a pony keg in the back...that would be pretty cool as well.

[fiamme red]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7994857.stm

"Two thousand Poles are currently in prison for riding a bicycle whilst under the influence of alcohol."

[csm]

another not-so-brilliant time was riding back onto Schofield Barracks in Hawaii after a beer run. I think it was 9ish (2100 or so) on a Sunday. I was riding no-hands with a 5 pack in one hand and a popped and nearly empty can in the other. ended up wrecking in front of the mp guard house. fortunately, they thought it was funny and made certain I was ok. (I was, think one or two cans didn't survive) they insisted I walk the bike back to the barracks and even gave me a bag to put the remaining cans in.

[Acotts]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7994857.stm

"Two thousand Poles are currently in prison for riding a bicycle whilst under the influence of alcohol."

I read somewhere long ago that something like 82% of all crimes in Finland involve alcohol. i cant remember the exact stat, but it was a very, very large majority.

My finnish buddy Agi, used to ride and drink with me. He was a bad influence. He was 18 and practically pickled he drank so much.

At the time, Americans used to have bad reps for binge drinking. I couldn't hold a candle to my Euro friends.

[flickwet]

People who ride bikes at night while intoxicated do not post at the Serotta Competition Bicycle Forums.

They are poor, uneducated, often illegal immigrants, and many times just homeless.

That they ride against traffic, on sidewalks, on old bicycles with little air in the tires is just another way of identifying them as possible accident victims or causes of accidents.

I read headlines in the local paper that say bicylist hit at night and they always seem to be riders of the above persuasion.
Did wallace get it first! or Darwin was afraid.

[Ti Designs]

Serotta will never be able to produce a good drunk bike - what a shame.

I own the best drunk bike ever. It's an old Raleigh 3 speed frame, built up as a fixed gear. It has no working brakes, but with a 34/19 it's hard to build up enough speed to need them. It's not so much a fixed gear as a broken one that's still working somehow - I bolted a cog to a high flange hub and called it good. I spent nothing on the bike. The chain is made up of the extra links you get when installing new chains - some 3/32", some 1/8", some silver, some black. The headset doesn't work too well either, it rides like you're drunk when you're not, but it's fine when I drink... The other odd thing about my drinking bike is that it can find it's way home all by itself. One night I left it at the Hong Kong in Harvard square and took the T home (don't worry, I wasn't driving). Two weeks later it showed up in the basement of my shop. Anotehr time I left it at the Black Rose in Boston. A friend saw it and brought it to my house. Then another friend wanted to make a bike shaped christmas light display, I told him to take it. Once again it returned to my house, lights still attached...


many people question the need for a drunk bike. I question the need for a dozen road bikes, but not the drunk bike. A bicycle pub crawl is a care free celebration of stupidity, thus everything about it should reflect this. On one pub crawl most would ride to the next bar and take their time to lock the bikes. Not me! Sometimes I would throw my drunk bike over a parking meter so another drunk couldn't just drag it away (no sober person would ever take this bike). Most of the time I would just hop off the bike at the door of the bar, knowing my bike would ride itself into the next alley and crash into the trash cans.

[toaster]

What, my post is being hinted at being offensive or something?

If you can't accept that people (whatever kind they are) that are drunk and riding a bicycle at night and aren't the type of people we see on high end bicycles who ride for fun and not as a primary mode of transportation, then just say I'm a whatever "ist" and be done with it.

Jeez, the political correctness is crazy.

[Ti Designs]

If you can't accept that people (whatever kind they are) that are drunk and riding a bicycle at night and aren't the type of people we see on high end bicycles who ride for fun and not as a primary mode of transportation, then just say I'm a whatever "ist" and be done with it.


OK, you're a whateverist! (soon to be one of the banned words on the forum)

Hey, it was that or "learn how to drink".

And to be clear on this subject, I ride a La Corsa, which is not considered a high end bicycle by Serotta's standards as it's fallen off the bottom of their list. And you don't see me out riding my La Corsa at night 'cause it's dark out...

The last time I was at a forum gathering/ride, one of the last things said to me, by one of the forum moderators here, was "you have 40 miles left to ride and it's gonna get dark soon - better have another Guinness."

[Pete Serotta]

Nice ride and now I need some vino for my wonderful glass from Ti.


Thanks again. PETE

[Ti Designs]

Nice ride and now I need some vino for my wonderful glass from Ti.


It's just one glass, so you're drinking alone. If you want a set you'll have to organize another open house...


Funny you should bring up the glass (I etched a "Giro del Toga" glass for the last open house) in this thread. The whole glass etching thing started at a bike pub crawl when Nathan said "I'm going to take a leak, when I get back I expect a beer with my name on it here". So I etched "Nathan" on a beer glass, I thought about drilling a small hole near the bottom so it could take a leak, but why waste beer like that?

[csm]

I may have to come up to Mass for a bike pub, uh, crawl.

[woolly]

Well, not at the same time...

My iPhone has decent internet capabilities. It could happen.

Just sayin' . . .

[mister]

What, my post is being hinted at being offensive or something?

If you can't accept that people (whatever kind they are) that are drunk and riding a bicycle at night and aren't the type of people we see on high end bicycles who ride for fun and not as a primary mode of transportation, then just say I'm a whatever "ist" and be done with it.

Jeez, the political correctness is crazy.

i have a nice bike or two (by most people's standards) and i ride for fun and primary transportation....and i'll drink and ride, sometimes heavily under the influence.
when the pub taps one of the homebrews and it's a nice IPA (maybe even dry hopped) it's hard to have just a glass or two :beer:

[woolly]

I read somewhere long ago that something like 82% of all crimes in Finland involve alcohol. i cant remember the exact stat, but it was a very, very large majority.

My finnish buddy Agi, used to ride and drink with me. He was a bad influence. He was 18 and practically pickled he drank so much.

At the time, Americans used to have bad reps for binge drinking. I couldn't hold a candle to my Euro friends.

What percentage of the non-crime activities in Finland involve alcohol? That would help put things in better context.

One of my riding buddies recently spent a year working in London. Next month, a gang of friends he made there are coming to visit. Don't know how they stack up to the Finnish, but those brit boys can drink - my liver is scared.

[benb]

I'm sure there are other Serotta owners besides Ti who ocassionally drink & ride.

ISTR a team meeting at a bar in years back and several people showed up on their fixies and had a hell of a lot more to drink then I did.

[Ti Designs]

I'm sure there are other Serotta owners besides Ti who ocassionally drink & ride.


This could explain why I can't get a Boston area forum group ride going - they're all out drinking...

[mosca]

This could explain why I can't get a Boston area forum group ride going - they're all out drinking...You need one of these:

[Steve in SLO]

While in college in a rare moment of mature insight, I used a combo lock for my bike. If I got too drunk at a party, I'd forget the combo and have to walk home. Worked great...I still have my front teeth.
The trick was finding my bike the next day.

[Acotts]

What percentage of the non-crime activities in Finland involve alcohol? That would help put things in better context.

One of my riding buddies recently spent a year working in London. Next month, a gang of friends he made there are coming to visit. Don't know how they stack up to the Finnish, but those brit boys can drink - my liver is scared.

Thats hard to say. Every time i hung out with Agi, I got drunk. So lets do some math.

He was sober at least 4 out of 5 days his sophmore year during class hours. But he often got drunk right after school and was drunk all weekend.

With 168 hours in a week, 50 hours spent sleeping, 32 hours spent in class sober....that leave us with 86 hours spent drinking. That is right about 50% of his conscious life spent drunk.

So, from my atmo, Fins are drunk 50% of the time. The weird thing was, he really did not come off like an alchoholic. Euros are crazy like that.

I wonder if Agi is still alive.

[OldDog]

I knew someone who was very drunk once and added mushrooms to the mix. Riding a bike across a golf course in the middle of the night….at least there were a lot of soft places to fall down…and they did that a lot. :bike:



William :beer:

That sounds like a hoot! I got the golf course, you bring the Jack and 'shrooms!

[csm]

golf courses at night are for motocross bikes.....

[William]

That sounds like a hoot! I got the golf course, you bring the Jack and 'shrooms!

I think that if we invite 73camarodude to the next Tour De Bivalve we'll be all set. :beer: :banana:



William ;)


PS: You know, if you listen to Loverboy's "Working for the weekend", and watch the dancing Banana at the same time....he's got the beat down exactly! :crap: Put down the shrooms William, just put them down....