My son picked up his tux for this weekend’s Northwood High Prom and as he’s trying it on and adjusting his necktie, he says to me, “Brian LAST NAME OMITTED got arrested today for manslaughter and DUI. The cops took him away from school in hancuffs.”
“Brian, the eagle scout from our cub scouts group! Are you serious!” I exclaimed, reachng for the phone to call his parents, both long time friends. Alex smirked and laughed, saying, “it was part of the Every 15 minutes presentation.”
Every 15 Minutes [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOI3ZNidp5A[/youtube]is a program every high school kid who drives should take seriously. It can be a tad overdramatic, but there’s nothing funny about driving drunk and the pain drunk drivers can cause to complete strangers through their carelessness and selfishness (just ask Andy Quatch).
The program is all about:Â an event designed to dramatically instill teenagers with the potentially dangerous consequences of drinking alcohol and texting while driving. This powerful program will challenge students to think about drinking, texting while driving, personal safety, and the responsibility of making mature decisions when lives are involved.
The program at Northwood was timely with the prom coming up this weekend. It’s quite a change from my high school days in New York where the drinking age was 18 and we had keg parties in someone’s backyard after the prom. I’ve already ponied up $50 for the shared limo and I think its some of the best money I’ve spent. I want my kid to have a great time at his prom. And I want to make sure he gets home in one piece.
So I turned to my son and we had a discussion about it. And we talkedabout the long time contract we have that no matter where he is, no matter what time of day it is, if his ride home shouldn’t be behind the wheel, he is to call me and I come and get him no questions asked.Â
For those who do drink, a handy tip: if a friend suggests they give you a ride home or if they can get you a cab, you’ve had too much to drink no matter how you feel. Take your friend’s advice. Take a cab home. Been arrested and convicted for drunk driving more than once? I have no pity for you.Â
Hats off to IUSD for a timely presentation. If the goal was parental involvement in the drinking/driving issue, it worked.
LMAO