Do you look away? Or take action?

Yesterday gave me a great opportunity to decide if I will take action, or look away.  I think far too many look away, decide not to get involved, or believe that there isn't anything you can really do to change the situation.  The result of that thinking?  Sometimes nothing.  Sometimes it's true, nothing really changes so everything stays the same... But sometimes it really matters that you stand firm and take action.  Maybe you won't see the results, maybe you will... but at least you know you did something!!!

Kailee and I took the little girls to town to babysit.  We were craving popcorn and hot tamales so we stopped at the theater to grab our treat, and were headed home.  A white jeep was in front of us and right before a stop light I see a woman climb over the seat and open a cooler.  I could not comprehend what in the world I was seeing, and asked Kailee, "ummm... is she naked???".....  She was BUCK NAKED, climbing over the seat, grabbing a beer from the cooler and swaying all over the seat as she tried to climb back.  The driver meanwhile is swaying across the lines, almost into oncoming traffic.  I am ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN that the cars around them HAD to have seen her naked self climbing over the seat.  The windows were not really tinted and there was several vehicles, with children in them.  It was obvious they both had open beer cans in their hand, and that they were both intoxicated.  HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE TO DIE before people learn to stop drinking and driving????  We just had an accident up the road from us that killed four people, including children, and alcohol was involved!!!  ENOUGH already!!!

Kailee grabbed my phone and called the police.  We continued to follow the jeep.  Naked woman was back and forth trying to get sat back down and they finally pulled into their driveway, under a carport.  Thank heavens for the carport.  An ice cream truck was right on the road by their trailer, with several little kids standing around.   The man got out first, with a beer in his left hand.  Kind of swayed but shut the door and went into the trailer.  The woman sat in the jeep a little longer than him.  When she got out she almost stumbled and fell.... yes STILL naked.  She stumbles to the porch, tries to put her leg over it and kind of flipped over (yes, it was hilarious watching, sorry!) and went into the trailer.  I backed the truck up and sat talking on the phone with the police when the man came out and looked at us.  He then gives me a thumbs up mouthing, "everything ok?".  I gave two thumbs up, with the police on the phone and smiled, thinking it would be way more ok when the cops got there!  Thankful we had popcorn and hot tamales to go with the show!

One officer finally showed up and we told him what was going on.  He told us that it was likely that nothing would be able to be done because they were home and that the people could lie about the whole situation, and we would have to decide if we wanted to do a citizen's arrest to cite them for open container.  I asked if there was anything to be done about her nakedness too! :)   We told him that we are sick and tired of the accidents caused by alcohol and YES we would sign and make a citizen's arrest!  He went to the front door and of course nobody answered.  We told him they went through the back door so he went around to that door.  He came back and told us that she was indeed drunk AND said that her husband was gone, and said that she was the one driving the jeep.  By then a second officer came.  The woman came outside, with what looked like a fresh shiner on her eye.  She sat on the step howling not to ruin their lives.  Begging us not to ruin her life.  I WAS DONE!  I asked her exactly how we would ruin her life?  I asked her if she had any idea how RUINED their life would be if her husband had killed somebody, including her because of his drunk driving.  I asked her how many other lives would be ruined because they were so irresponsible!  I told her that her husband was a coward by hiding and making her take the rap and maybe, just maybe if she tried to get some help maybe she could save herself and the lives of others!  She continued to cry.  The officer that had just showed up seemed to know this woman, and her husband, who happened to be on parole, with two prior felony DUI's!!!  I told the officers that if they looked in the back seat of the van they would see the cooler that she had gotten the bear from.  Sure enough, it was there.  Since the man was on parole and since they had probable cause they looked, and found the man hiding in the shed.  He did not want to cooperate, but ended up failing the field sobriety test, blew over the legal limit and his parole was revoked and he was arrested.   The poor wife was distraught and crying and screaming very loud not to take him away, that it would ruin their lives.  People.... this is his THIRD felony DUI.... ruin YOUR life???  I wanted to scream!!!  He has also, on several occasions, beaten the tar out of this woman, both before and after she married him!  She was crying that she would never see him again.  Kailee and I bust out laughing when the officer said to her,  "You can visit him in prison!!!"  :)   I told the cop I wished there was something to do to help her.  He explained that some people choose not to have help.  Seems this woman has had the opportunity to go to rehab, on the state tab, for months, only to go right back to this man.  Dysfunction at it's finest I suppose!  It made me sad, but it made me MAD!!!  Do NOT risk the lives of others because you choose to feed your addictions!!!!!

What amazed me most was that the officers kept asking us if we were sure we wanted to sign the complaint because you know, it would mean we would have to show up for court.  Did we want to have to do that?  To be inconvenienced???  Oh yes, we are SURE!!!  There are many times doing the RIGHT thing is not convenient, but we really MUST do it anyway!  He won't spend any time in prison.  The system is too backed up and too full.  But I sure hope that some day he learns the damage he has, and could cause if he continues in this way!  Maybe that woman will wake up and realize that she does not deserve to be abused!

The officers were telling us that our county has THE HIGHEST alcohol rates in the state.... above even Vegas!  They have no idea why, but they said that DUI's are happening daily and that we all need to keep a look out AND call in when we see drunk drivers... it might be a child next time!!!  The officer told us that one vagrant had a blood/oxygen level of 6.0.... SIX!!!  Not .06. 0r .6, but 6.0!  They said one time he had a 5.8 and an aneurysm... and lived!  UGH!!!

Stand up!!!  Take action.  If you see a drunk driver... call... wait for the police and make sure you press charges.  It may save a life!!!!