What Do You Say?

About this headline in the ToI? While the subject of the story doesn’t lend itself to levity, I’d imagine there’s something like attention to detail.

Now here’s something else that I saw in the newspaper, but simply doesn’t seem to have made its way online:

Drunken drivers headed for big trouble

The Mumbai police’s newly tough stand on drunken driving has just got tougher. The drive against the social menace will now be extended to weekend afternoons as well. What’s more, on weekdays the nakabandi will start from 7 pm instead of the usual 10 pm.
There’s more bad news for those accustomed to knocking back one for the road before getting into the driver’s seat. Even one drink could get them into trouble since anyone whose blood test reveals over 30 mg of pure alcohol in 100 ml of blood is considered an offender. Furthermore, the police have taken a conscious decision to plead for a punishment much harsher than a mere fine in court. “The judge decides on the quantum of punishment but we have decided to ask for strong deterrents from the court,” says Vijay Kamble, joint commissioner of police (traffic).
The maximum punishment for drunken driving is 6-months for the first offence and 3-years in case of a second offence. Officials say - without ascribing any motive to the court - that the judge’s decision may depend on a number of factors, including the offender’s attitude, which is why some offenders are left off with a fine while others are jailed.
On Thursday, ten more persons were sent to prison for driving after drinking, taking the number of persons in jail for drunken driving to 16. They are the first Mumbaikars to go to jail for this offence under section 185 of the Motor Vehicles Act, and will have to spend 3-days in prison.
From The Times of India, Bombay, August-3 2007

You can check out what different spirits do to the blood alcohol levels here.

But more than the mundane practicalities of how to beat the system, what’s troubling me is what I’m going to term - the growing intolerance. While I’m not about to make a case for drunken drivers, I’m struck by the non-discriminating nature of the response. Is there really no difference between having had 1 drink or 4? No answers, only questions. And in the mean time, more room for the cops to put some money in their pockets…… I imagine that they do have the judgment to be able to discern and discriminate among the numerous people who breath out 30-mg into the analyzer!