To have a drink and drive?

[Drinkinndrive]

About 18 months ago I moved a 10 min drive away from my previous house, it was in a nice little village where there are some social events that I used to attend.
Every month I go to a quiz night in my old village, when I lived there I'd have one or 2 drinks sometimes and walk home but now that I have to drive I rarely have a drink now.
Except maybe once every 3rd month or so I fancy a gin so I have a single gin & tonic always when I first get there and the night ends at least 2 but sometimes 2 1/2 hours later and then I drive home.

If I've ever mentioned having a drink to my DP he has a go at me saying I shouldn't ever touch a drink if im driving and I completely agree as a general rule but I only have 1 (I've looked up the units and as far as I am aware it wouldn't put me over the limit) I always have something to eat too and I've never felt tipsy/drunk after this one drink.

There is no backstory, im not an alcoholic, i rarely drink at all (for context I brought a bottle of gin maybe 6 months ago and it is in my cupboard about a quarter drunk) I never drink while out at a restaurant etc and I don't go on nights out, this one quiz night a month is my night out 🤣

So be honest am I being unreasonable?

Cos some people don’t just drink to feel the effect. I actually really like the taste of gin.. Bombay Sapphire especially. So that’s why I’d want one.

OP .. you are an adult that wants to do something that is perfectly legal to do . You don’t need permission from your partner or from Mumsnet!

So they said. People are knocked over by sober people.

it’s best to drive with no alcohol at all in system never mind what is legal ? Yes?

So driving 2 hrs after a single G and t is totally fine because there isn’t any alcohol in her system at that point

argh

This is true but I still think it should be one or the other. Like in Europe.

I will have to see if they have it to be fair I'd never really thought of that but I'd be quite happy to make the switch as I said I dont drink to get drunk I just enjoy the taste of the odd one now and then.

do you have little kids? If not then your DH can collect tou

You could choose to have that on your conscience but it wouldn't really make any sense to. You metabolize about a unit of alcohol an hour. Have a glass of wine with 2 units and drive three hours later, and you've left a 50% margin to be safe in knowing you have literally NO alcohol in your system. Even if that margin isn't enough, any trace amount you have is going to be so small it won't affect your driving. Response curves are not always linear: try drinking a teaspoon of wine and see how much it affects your response time (for that matter, do the people being hardline about this check with the kitchen that no alcohol is being used in the food they're eating?)

I understand the desire to look for absolutes. It's like being vegan to avoid hurting animals or vowing never to fly again to reduce global warming. It's a clear way to be confident you're doing everything you can. Simply having a no drink rule is probably an easy way to handle driving, and I'm certainly not telling anyone they SHOULD drink. But I don't think anyone should feel they have to hold to an absolute that is completely unscientific just out of principle.

I often have single drink and drive it's there is a decent gap.

Wine I limet to 125mls as otherwise I do feel it.

Gin one shot I feel nothing.

Yes, you do.

OP I often have a drink and drive. If I'm out for hours I sometimes have two. I'm never over the limit and driving on slow roads that are well known to me (as would be the case for you).

I am quite a big person though and to be fair, normally I just switch to 0% beer.

I love a drink but dont bother even having the one if im driving because if I dont have enough to feel it then what's the point, and if I Do feel the affect then I dont want to drive ! But I absolutely love all of the new non alcoholic beers and drinks now available. I was out last weekend and had two na beers and because I was holding a beer around everyone else who was drinking, as opposed to a Fizzy water I totally felt caught up in the general relaxation. Also the drinkers reacted to me as if I was drinking. Subtle stuff but it was there. So non al for me when driving but still love a drink other times

Good luck with finding a 0% gin that tastes anything like gin ! The beers and Guinness are good but gin and wine... long way to go !

@Lakeyloo Nosecco is one of the worst things I've ever tried.

Turning worrying about drink driving into an abusive partner issue.. Maybe a stretch?

He probably doesnt like her running with scissors and playing in traffic either; what a bastard!

You are assuming she’s being truthful. This being MN, you must know that anything from weight, calorie intake, alcohol consumption, grocery spend, age is massively under-quoted. And wealth, qualifications, husband/son’s height, house size, numbers of showers per week, and amount of scratch cooking done is massively over-estimated.

You should never drink and drive. Not Even 1.

In your opinion. It is however, legal to drink to the legal limit. So your opinion is just that.

Its not about safety when she isn't over the limit though

I drink alcohol because I like the flavour, it’s not about the ‘hit’. But I do feel one drink because I’m not a big drinker. BUT as op says, I wouldn’t drive straight away and the alcohol wears off.

I think once you've been driving for a few years then one drink or even two if it doesn't put you over the limit with food is OK. Ideally, don't drink or drive.