# Drunk driving in the 1950s and 1960s **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 30, 2012, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drunk-driving-in-the-1950s-and-1960s/626855 "2012-06-30T22:12:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2012, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drunk-driving-in-the-1950s-and-1960s/626855/21 "2012-07-01T06:31:16Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > One of the DWI arrests I made in, like, circa 1984 or so the guy brought a liter of Southern Comfort to court, slammed it (I’m not kidding: he fuggin’ slammed it in like 30 seconds flat) and then insisted we give him a FST (field sobriety test) to prove he could hold his liquor. > > We didn’t have to but did anyway. > > He failed **profusely**. > > You had to be there friends. You just had to be. You’d be on the floor laughing hysterically now if you had been. You had to see this guy and what he was trying to pull. After he was convicted (of his 3rd OWI BTW) he Ralphed his guts out all over the place. Maybe I’m jagged from the job but it was a riot!!! He was trying to scream through the puke throat “I’m just sick, I’m not drunk!!”. Haa! _In court?!_ WTF? ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2012, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drunk-driving-in-the-1950s-and-1960s/626855/22 "2012-07-01T06:46:11Z")
I remember my uncle in the seventies taking corners slow so he didn’t spill his drink. He put his drinks in lowballs so the corners could be taken faster, and left the drink on his dash when we went in to stores. I don’t recall it being an issue to anyone. ---
**Author:** ![Kenm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2012, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drunk-driving-in-the-1950s-and-1960s/626855/23 "2012-07-01T11:34:31Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > How often do you ever hear anyone say “one for the road” today? And that ruined a perfectly good song: “It’s a quarter to three/No one’s in the bar but you and me/So set 'em up Joe… I’ll have one for my baby/And one more for the road”. Of course the joke "It’s a quarter to three/No one’s in the bar but you and me/So stick 'em up Joe didn’t help, either. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2012, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drunk-driving-in-the-1950s-and-1960s/626855/24 "2012-07-01T11:50:16Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > I first got into law enforcement in the summer of 1982. I can’t remember for sure the first time I made a DWI arrest or was even a back-up officer in one but I think it was in October of that year. > > You’ll forgive me for not remembering something from 30 years ago. > > But I think the guy got a 15 day suspension and $125 fine which is like $220 now. > > One of the DWI arrests I made in, like, circa 1984 or so the guy brought a liter of Southern Comfort to court, slammed it (I’m not kidding: he fuggin’ slammed it in like 30 seconds flat) and then insisted we give him a FST (field sobriety test) to prove he could hold his liquor. > > We didn’t have to but did anyway. > > He failed **profusely**. > > You had to be there friends. You just had to be. You’d be on the floor laughing hysterically now if you had been. You had to see this guy and what he was trying to pull. After he was convicted (of his 3rd OWI BTW) he Ralphed his guts out all over the place. Maybe I’m jagged from the job but it was a riot!!! He was trying to scream through the puke throat “I’m just sick, I’m not drunk!!”. Oh my god, that’s fantastic. Talk about giving someone the proverbial rope to hang you with! ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2012, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drunk-driving-in-the-1950s-and-1960s/626855/25 "2012-07-01T12:07:53Z")
When I was 18 (legal age was 21) on weekends we would go to the drive-in with the case of beer someone’s older brother had gotten for us. And I was one of the “good kids” and the guys I was with we’re all heading to college. Different times! ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2012, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drunk-driving-in-the-1950s-and-1960s/626855/26 "2012-07-01T13:57:09Z")
I recall an episode of Quincy where a guy murdered the victim with his car, and quickly downed the better part of a fifth before the cops arrived. The premise, of course, was that he would get only a slap on the wrist for drunk driving, and Quincy had to go to some lengths to prove it was in fact murder. Nowadays, you get a worse penalty for DUI than for murder. Well, maybe not for first-degree murder, but certainly for second-degree… ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2012, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drunk-driving-in-the-1950s-and-1960s/626855/27 "2012-07-01T14:19:00Z")
Coincidental timing, this coming up today. Had a grillout with a bunch of my mother’s friends yesterday to celebrate her retirement (to give you an idea of their ages). Everyone (except me and my kids) had a personal “…and the officer told me to drive real careful on my way home and go sleep it off!” story. Even my MOM, who is not and has never been a party animal. It is, according to this group - comprised mostly of retired \*teachers \*and _school principals_, no less - almost impossible to articulate the impact MADD has had on changing our attitudes and laws around drinking and driving. I believe it. ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2012, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drunk-driving-in-the-1950s-and-1960s/626855/28 "2012-07-01T14:30:05Z")
When I started driving in CA (a long time ago), drunk driving was called a 502. It was illegal to drive with a BA of .10 or more. I don’t remember any social stigma attaching to it as it does today. Nor do I remember anyone getting ticketed for it. In fact, I don’t even know it they checked drivers at accidents for alcohol unless they saw evidence of drinking at the site. As a teenager growing up in SoCal we sometimes journeyed to Tijuana where the legal drinking age was 18. (and they gladly accepted fake IDs) We’d drink beers for a few hours and head off for the 40 minute trip home. I don’t ever remember considering the driving/blood alcohol possibilities, nor do I remember anyone ever getting in an accident or stopped by the cops. (Yes, I know, we were stupid to do it, you don’t need to remind me). My point is that back then, it wasn’t something that was as much of a social issue as it is today. ---
**Author:** ![Dufus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c77e96/32.png) [@Dufus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dufus)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2012, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drunk-driving-in-the-1950s-and-1960s/626855/29 "2012-07-01T15:14:08Z")
> [@](#): > > Now we have mothers against drunk driving etc. > MADD probably had a lot to do with current laws and attitudes. > It just wasn’t a crime the police enforced much until MADD got a lot of influence. > thanks to MADD your driving record does not clear faster than your suspension. I wonder if MADD will ever show any outrage about the highway carnage caused by Mothers using the rear view mirror to apply their makeup, while yakking on cellphones? ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2012, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drunk-driving-in-the-1950s-and-1960s/626855/30 "2012-07-01T18:40:41Z")
> [@Dufus](#): > > I wonder if MADD will ever show any outrage about the highway carnage caused by Mothers using the rear view mirror to apply their makeup, while yakking on cellphones? There should be. I was a member of the backlash group DAMM (Drunks Against Mad Mothers) for a long time. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2012, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drunk-driving-in-the-1950s-and-1960s/626855/31 "2012-07-01T21:42:15Z")
> [@SpoilerVirgin](#): > > I’m having difficulty locating a cite, but my understanding is that prior to the drunk driving laws of the 1980’s, being drunk was counted as a mitigating factor in car accidents and vehicular homicide. That is, your penalty would actually be less if you could show that you crashed the car or killed someone because you were drunk, instead of just being a reckless driver. I seem to recall people actually attempting to prove in court that they were drunk to lessen their punishment. Does this sound familiar to anyone else? The way I remember it, drunk driving wasn’t really considered to be a bad thing, but you were expected to be able to handle your liquor and not crash. If you did cause an accident, you were looked down upon as being an out of control drunk instead of a proper social drinker. I don’t know about something like vehicular homicide, but if you were in a non-fatal accident I can picture the courts wanting you to clean your act up and be a responsible drinker again, instead of treating you like a reckless criminal. The overall attitude towards drinking was significantly different than today. In the 70’s, our neighbor across the street would routinely drive home drunk and, more often than not, would take out his entire row of trash cans attempting to turn into his driveway. He was looked down on as a drunk and gossiped about, but no one felt any need to try to stop him from driving. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2012, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drunk-driving-in-the-1950s-and-1960s/626855/32 "2012-07-01T21:50:52Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > In general, DWI convictions usually had minor penalties – usually a fine. The judge, prosecutors, and most of the jury usually could imagine their getting behind the wheel drunk, so had sympathy for the accused. Plus, if you’re drunk, that impairs your judgement anyway, so you might not realize you’re too drunk to drive. ---
**Author:** ![slowlearner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@slowlearner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slowlearner)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2012, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drunk-driving-in-the-1950s-and-1960s/626855/33 "2012-07-02T01:42:24Z")
pickups with heavy gauge steel dashboards, no seatbelts, no ac, ice chest in the front seat, beer opener on the keychain, slinging empty longnecks at roadsigns, drunk sex at the drivein movie, late night car chases and streetfights, curing a hangover with a quart of bud and a chili dog on the way to work the next morning…they used to let us do whatever we wanted in Texas. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2012, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drunk-driving-in-the-1950s-and-1960s/626855/34 "2012-07-02T01:48:54Z")
> [@slowlearner](#): > > pickups with heavy gauge steel dashboards, no seatbelts, no ac, ice chest in the front seat, beer opener on the keychain, slinging empty longnecks at roadsigns, drunk sex at the drivein movie, late night car chases and streetfights, curing a hangover with a quart of bud and a chili dog on the way to work the next morning…they used to let us do whatever we wanted in Texas. And yet we all lived through. Most of us anyway. All of the funerals of friends and family did drag down the mood after a while but it was a blast if you were lucky enough to be alive back then. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2012, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drunk-driving-in-the-1950s-and-1960s/626855/35 "2012-07-02T02:24:23Z")
Old joke: A priest hits a car driven by a rabbi. They both get out of their cars to look over the damage, and the rabbi offers the priest a flask of whiskey “to calm your nerves, Father.” The priest takes a healthy snort, wipes his mouth, hands the flask back and asks, “Don’t you want one, too, Rabbi?” The rabbi smiles, puts the flask away and says, “Well, maybe after we’ve spoken to the police…” ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2012, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drunk-driving-in-the-1950s-and-1960s/626855/36 "2012-07-02T02:32:54Z")
Attitudes vary by country even today, just for example in Germany it is even more taboo than in the US despite alcohol being much more culturally accepted(although it could be argued they really hold imparied driving taboo not the detectable trace thing in the USA). Here in Trinidad I still occasionally get in a taxi with a driver nursing a beer at night or in areas with less intense LEO attention. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2012, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drunk-driving-in-the-1950s-and-1960s/626855/37 "2012-07-02T02:37:45Z")
> [@Andy\_L](#): > > Yeah, I visited Texas in the late 1980’s and an open container law was being debated then. I’ve said it before in these types of threads, but I disagree that drinking in the car=drunk driving. Not even MADD would suggest that if I have one beer at a bar before heading home that I should be charged with a crime. Since that is the case, then why should there be a penalty if I stop at the convenience store and have a beer on the way home? My BAC would actually be lower if I did the latter. Plus open container laws target passengers as well. Who cares if my passenger has a BAC of .22 and ready to pass out? That’s fine, but if he is enjoying his one beer and not affecting my driving at all, he gets a ticket. It makes no sense. Further, if I was cleaning up litter in my community and threw an empty beer can in the back seat, I could get ticketed even though nobody ever drank in my vehicle. Just silly all the way around. DUI laws accomplish all that open container laws accomplish without the added nonsense. ---
**Author:** ![Victor\_Charlie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7ea924/32.png) [@Victor\_Charlie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Victor_Charlie)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2012, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drunk-driving-in-the-1950s-and-1960s/626855/38 "2012-07-02T02:49:17Z")
Texas may have an open container law, but what constitutes a closed container can be as little as a to-go cup that hasn’t yet had a straw pushed through the lid. Unless the situation has changed very recently, some drive-thru establishments offer margaritas to-go. ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2012, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drunk-driving-in-the-1950s-and-1960s/626855/39 "2012-07-02T02:59:09Z")
> [@Victor\_Charlie](#): > > Texas may have an open container law, but what constitutes a closed container can be as little as a to-go cup that hasn’t yet had a straw pushed through the lid. Unless the situation has changed very recently, some drive-thru establishments offer margaritas to-go. Yep there was a margarita place near where I lived in Houston that had this exact setup, they even sold jello shots to go in little condiment cups with saran wrap. BUT that said my understanding was you could still be ticketed for those items, basically it was up to the officer if he wanted to buy it or not. Same for hauling beer cans for recycling, fancy restaurants in Houston started offering to recork expensive bottles of wine so you could take them home and they would tell you while what they were doing satisfied the law you were taking your chances. ---
**Author:** ![Victor\_Charlie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7ea924/32.png) [@Victor\_Charlie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Victor_Charlie)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2012, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drunk-driving-in-the-1950s-and-1960s/626855/40 "2012-07-02T03:19:12Z")
> [@grude](#): > > BUT that said my understanding was you could still be ticketed for those items, basically it was up to the officer if he wanted to buy it or not. I suppose if your margarita was half empty you’d have a tough time convincing the constable you hadn’t broken the seal. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drunk-driving-in-the-1950s-and-1960s/626855.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drunk-driving-in-the-1950s-and-1960s/626855.md?page=3)