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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

What would you do in this difficult situation?

172 replies

cantwontwouldnt · 15/06/2022 20:43

Your child who is 12 or under is away for the night. They call you and say that the person in charge of them has left and there is an emergency they cannot handle. You have had a bottle of wine/or 4 fine/or 6 beers etc. There is no option of walking/taxi/ambulance/calling someone to help. Would you get in the car and drive to them? About 30 minutes away.

OP posts:
GinaDonatella · 15/06/2022 20:52

Fake scenario….. uh oh taxi
call my family members or friends who have not drank

emergency services
most people my child would stay with at age 12 are in walking distance so walk I suppose but that’s pretty unique in that school friends etc are close family is close

Vapeyvapevape · 15/06/2022 20:53

@GetOffTheTableMabel you wouldn't lose your licence because apparently there will be no police to arrest you.

user1471453601 · 15/06/2022 20:54

Do not, under any circumstances drive and drink.

during first lockdown our dog became ill, after consultation with video vet, we were advised to get her to the vet asap. Daughter, the only driver in the house, had one large glass of larger. She phoned next door neighbour. NDN agreed, against lockdown rules, to drive them to duty vet.

on balance, daughter and NDN thought this was the least worst option.

find your "least worse" option. It's not drink driving btw.

dog (darling Bella) died of cardiomyopathy.

IncompleteSenten · 15/06/2022 20:56

cantwontwouldnt · 15/06/2022 20:48

There is no police/ambulance/fire service. This isn't a real scenario by the way just curious.

In this hypothetical situation the emergency services do not exist?

thistimelastweek · 15/06/2022 20:58

So, the OP's question really is, can you ever justify drunk driving?

Well yeah, if you are the last man alive and there's no one to crash into.

You can justify anything if you set the right parameters. (Ask this government.)

420Bruh · 15/06/2022 20:58

A whole bottle of wine? No fucking way.

MrsTerryPratchett · 15/06/2022 20:59

cantwontwouldnt · 15/06/2022 20:48

There is no police/ambulance/fire service. This isn't a real scenario by the way just curious.

If I lived somewhere with no 999 service, and I have travelled in many, and my DD was away from me and in any way vulnerable, I wouldn't drink.

Frlrlrubert · 15/06/2022 20:59

After that much alcohol I wouldn't be fit to walk 200 metres to help, never mind drive anywhere.

In some sort of zombie apocalypse scenario I might drive while over the limit to collect my child (on my the way to the Winchester), it would have to be an exceptionally extreme situation.

comealongponds · 15/06/2022 21:00

YABU

its a pointless scenario because in real life there are emergency services and taxis

and anyone drinking and driving is VVVU

FishcakesWithTooMuchCoriander · 15/06/2022 21:00

Why even ask the question? It makes precisely no sense.

DoubleShotEspresso · 15/06/2022 21:02

What a completely bonkers thread!?

ShinyMe · 15/06/2022 21:02

It's not just about driving drunk to get to your child, your scenario has us also then driving drunk with your child presumably? Absolutely no, no way.

DwightShrutesYFronts · 15/06/2022 21:03

You should have made it clear from the off that this is a hypothetical scenario (and a pretty silly one at that) otherwise people are just wasting their time on this.

AmaryIlis · 15/06/2022 21:08

cantwontwouldnt · 15/06/2022 20:48

There is no police/ambulance/fire service. This isn't a real scenario by the way just curious.

Why would NONE of those services be available?

If it's because they're on an island in the middle of nowhere, it probably would be OK to drive on the basis that I assume there would be no-one else on the roads.

FishcakesWithTooMuchCoriander · 15/06/2022 21:12

Why don’t we all just offer equally bizarre and unlikely scenarios?

What would you do if your child aged 12 or under (so they could be 2 🤷🏻‍♀️) has been abducted by creatures that may or may not be fairies? You’ve eaten a pork pie or 2 bags of crisps or an out of date pickled egg. You cannot call the emergency services because they don’t exist. Do you arm yourself with an iron fire poker and go to find the entrance to fairyland (c. 30 minutes away)?

CPL593H · 15/06/2022 21:14

What is your interest in making up this nonsensical scenario OP?

LIZS · 15/06/2022 21:14

Call whoever was supposed to be there.

maddening · 15/06/2022 21:14

Your hypothetical situation is ridiculously unlikely that there is no other way of finding help/ getting there without drinking driving.

Kerrangutan · 15/06/2022 21:16

cantwontwouldnt · 15/06/2022 20:48

There is no police/ambulance/fire service. This isn't a real scenario by the way just curious.

Then YADBU lol why not post in chat and say that, because there is virtually no way this could ever be a real scenario?

In what situation would a child be able to call you but not the police or ambulance? Why wouldn't you call them? If you could drive why wouldn't you get a taxi? If you had zero money why wouldn't you have a friend or relative paypal you on the way? If you have no friends and family why wouldn't you ask a neighbour to drive you?

And as if all that wasn't enough: who would actually drink in the first place when their child was elsewhere and you knew you couldn't get to them via taxi / relative / friend etc should something happen? (Regardless of wether there is or isn't functioning emergency services).

1FootInTheRave · 15/06/2022 21:16

There are no circumstances that would make me drink drive.

Januarytoes · 15/06/2022 21:18

It depends on what "or 4 fine" is.
If it's 4 fine slices of toast, then drive over and pick them up.

Otherwise just let the house burn down or whatever the emergency is. There are no real children in this scenario.

glamourousindierockandroll · 15/06/2022 21:19

No, I wouldn't because if I had an accident then I could die or be imprisoned, and then what would my child do?

I would coach them on what to do on the phone.

KeyWorker · 15/06/2022 21:21

Surely if someone has left under 12’s alone then that is grounds to call the police?

Jackanackanory · 15/06/2022 21:22

cantwontwouldnt · 15/06/2022 20:48

There is no police/ambulance/fire service. This isn't a real scenario by the way just curious.

Well, if it’s not real I’d call Batman. 😉

Wizzbangfizz · 15/06/2022 21:23

I’d get a taxi and go and get them.