Austin’s Drunk Drivers Revealed
The APD has released statistics detailing where the drunk driver last drank. This data tells us which establishments may not be cutting people off when they should. Austin has a lively nightlife scene and, personally, we’d like to think people keep cab fare in their pockets. Is your bar listed as one of top producers of drunk drivers in Austin? Check out the full list here.
Bar Name (No. of DWI Arrests)
Dallas Nightclub (40)
Cool River Parmer Lane (27)
Sherlock’s Baker Street (23)
Chuggin Monkey (14)
Rain (12)
Club Rodeo (12)
Kelso actually had a decent column on this yesterday. I’d meant to comment on this over the weekend, but he beat me to it.
When I first looked at the stats, I immediately thought of several things. First, none of the bars that I frequent are on that list. Second, I’d divide the bars that are on the list into two categories: bars frequented by stupid people and bars frequented by people originally from our neighboring country to the south.
The former can be attributed to many things: You’re dumb enough to drink and drive. You’re an amateur and unable to handle your drinking.You’re stupid enough to incriminate a bar that you frequent (remember kids, if you mention the last place you were before you got stopped, in all likelihood, The Man is going to march right down there and fine the bar and the server who didn’t cut your dumb ass off).
The latter can be attributed to cultural differences, something I’ve heard the APD mention at neighborhood meetings. They’ve apparently been working with the local office of the Mexican consulate to get the word out that driving under the influence here is a no-no.
My first thought was that the most egregious violators are a long way from downtown, and that some of this situation is confounded with poor access to cabs.
But the data tables in the Spaceman article suggest something more chronic is going on. The bulk of Dallas’ 40 busts were either before midnight on Wednesday or after midnight on Thursday. Cool River has a similar pattern, pushed back a day.
It might be that APD has targeted busts around those specific times and places, but it’s more likely that these clubs and patrons have established a pattern of drunkeness around specific events. Wednesday night is Ladies Night at Dallas, which always brings out drunken cowboy shenanigans. Thursday night is Poker Night at both places, so there’s something for the anti-gambling nannies to get bunched up about. I don’t have a good theory for Friday night at Cool River, other than the unpredictable effect of mixed drinks on the Cedar Park crowd crossing 620 in search of big city fun.