Drinking and Driving in Suburbia

[gunhilltrain]

If I have a story set in the city, it's easy for two lovers to go to a bar and then take public transit or a taxi. But what about a married guy who gets involved with a co-worker at a suburban office?

If he does take a cab, his wife is going to wonder where the car went. "Oh, it broke down and it's at a garage," sounds a bit lame and it brings up further questions. And you can only use that excuse once.

I never was that married guy, but I'm trying to remember what the protocols were at suburban office parks about thirty years ago. For groups, there could be a designated driver. I think some people followed the two-drink limit, but that was a bit risky. Maybe years ago people were quite careless about it, but not anymore.

Any ideas?

 

[Handley_Page]

If I have a story set in the city, it's easy for two lovers to go to a bar and then take public transit or a taxi. But what about a married guy who gets involved with a co-worker at a suburban office?

If he does take a cab, his wife is going to wonder where the car went. "Oh, it broke down and it's at a garage," sounds a bit lame and it brings up further questions. And you can only use that excuse once.

I never was that married guy, but I'm trying to remember what the protocols were at suburban office parks about thirty years ago. For groups, there could be a designated driver. I think some people followed the two-drink limit, but that was a bit risky. Maybe years ago people were quite careless about it, but not anymore.

Any ideas?

Does "she" have a car ?

 

[jaF0]

There can be a certain amount of honesty with partial omission. He can tell her he went out for drinks after work and a co-worker drove him home, or he took a ride share. He doesn't have to mention the dalliance.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Lunchtime or mid afternoon assignations with limited booze, just a meal; or a suburban motel, or back to her place.

Having thought about it but not done the "motel or back to..." bit, I've had some very nice long lunches with co-workers. It's sex through sublimation.

 

[MColton84]

Have you considered the possibility of a business trip? He's out of town, it's a bit cliche but that one works. I've also written it to where they were at a hotel bar, and after the actual sex he drove home. I'm not condoning drinking and driving, but it doesn't have to be a deal breaker in the story. I personally wouldn't worry so much about it. That's just me.

 

[MelissaBaby]

I don't think readers would have any trouble believing a guy who cheats on his wife might drive after a few drinks.

 

[HappySpouse]

Ride shares and taxis are not common sights out of the city. I don't think the guy would take a woman home by Uber then call another one to pick her/them up, because neighbors would probably notice both cars and look to see who got in and out. The rumor mill would be running at high speed before sunrise.

It may sound lame, but if they are in the under 40 group (Millennials) , one of them would probably DD. Which also works with the neighbors because that way they can just pull in the garage. If they need to be drunk, then the tryst could take place closer to the bar like electricblue suggested.

Also like Mellissababy pointed out, the guy is obviously not making good decisions already. Maybe a little swervy driving can add to the craziness or excitement of the evening.

 

[Bray123]

One of them could be on the orange juice. Simple as that.

 

[lovecraft68]

I don't think someone reading an erotic story-especially one already involving a questionable moral choice-is going to stop and say "that guy had five drinks and he's driving? That's it, I'm out!"

Unless you go out of your way to say he was drinking to excess and describe him as being outright blotto it shouldn't be a problem.

 

[SimonDoom]

I feel like I'm missing something here.

People go to bars, and they have drinks, and then they get in their cars and they drive home. That's what they do. If they're drunk to the point of being impaired, they might call Uber. But there's no reason that you have to raise this issue in your story. I don't see how this is a problem for the storyteller.

 

[Kumquatqueen]

No idea what the actual limits are in various US states, but generally one drink and driving, or two drinks, wait an hour, then drive were totally normal. My colleagues went to a conference in NO in the 90s and tried walking from the hotel to the bars so they could get smashed. Police stopped them and ordered them to drive, and said that being drunk on a straight road was safer than walking...

Especially 30 years ago, if the character can walk, it's not going to break the illusion of reality if they drive.

 

[PennameWombat]

I feel like I'm missing something here.
<snip>

Ditto. What’s the OP’s real question, the sex or the driving?

My last suburban period taxis were rare but Uber/Lyft/etc. were becoming common enough to depend on. If the story is set current days, fine.

So “had too many drinks with coworkers, got an Uber” (invent your own company) would fit. Well, maybe not if he does it twice a week. But a perfectly reasonable thing, especially if his office has a history of doing this sort of thing (I’ve worked in ones that did this regularly and others that didn’t.)

But what’s the issue? Do they get blotto at the bar? Why? Isn’t their goal to go and get jiggy and a couple of drinks are to get mellow first? Most adults are able to drive after a couple of drinks, even with a third many would likely be fine. And to repeat other good advice, these are people who violate other norms, why would they care?

Here are a couple of tables to calculate approximate BAC:
Blood Alcohol Chart and Drinks Chart.

But why? There seem to be many other issues that might be of concern in writing such a story as this, but this question confuses me. Issues around being seen together in a car? Or at a ‘rooms let by the hour’ motel? Those issues, sure, depending on the town or suburb or how well known are the couple. But that doesn’t seem to be what was asked.

 

[BelleCanzuto]

Gunhilltrain said "30 years ago" No Uber, Lyft or the like.

Personally, I'd think an area built up enough to have an office park and a bar would also have taxis. The character would call a number from a phone book, probably the bartender knows the numbers, and wait. (Rather than stepping outside to hail).

The other question is explaining why he doesn't have the car.

But, I agree with Melissa, it's completely plausible that the characters would drive home inebriated. Just don't write them as falling down drunk. In the 1990s (30 years ago) that wouldn't be uncommon.

 

[jaF0]

Gunhilltrain said "30 years ago" No Uber, Lyft or the like.

If I have a story set in the city,


but I'm trying to remember what the protocols were at suburban office parks about thirty years ago.

OP says the story is set in the city, but doesn't give a date reference. Then there is a recollection of personal experience from long ago.

But I'm not clear on why the car or driving or not driving is relevant.

 

[MColton84]

30 years ago in the city... I wouldn't think that drinking and driving has ceased to be since then. If you don't want your character to drive home inebriated, then simply call a cab. It wouldn't be all that hard to explain to his spouse. If the issue is not bringing the car home, drive intoxicated. I feel like this is more complicated than it has to be. It's been mentioned previously that people driving intoxicated wasn't an uncommon occurrence in 1999. I was looking at the CDC report on self reported cases of drunk driving and 1999 was a particularly bad year for it. Here is the link if you want to see it. Also as previously mentioned, he's already cheating, so why not make him a drunk driver too?


https://www.cdc.gov/transportationsafety/impaired_driving/impaired-drv_factsheet.html

 

[PennameWombat]

Gunhilltrain said "30 years ago" No Uber, Lyft or the like.

Personally, I'd think an area built up enough to have an office park and a bar would also have taxis. The character would call a number from a phone book, probably the bartender knows the numbers, and wait. (Rather than stepping outside to hail).

The other question is explaining why he doesn't have the car.

But, I agree with Melissa, it's completely plausible that the characters would drive home inebriated. Just don't write them as falling down drunk. In the 1990s (30 years ago) that wouldn't be uncommon.

Ok, if that is the setting, I lived in a couple of different US suburban areas (one each side of the country) around that time and worked in offices. In both, in the kinds of bars most office workers would drop into in the ‘burbs, at least the ones I was in, they almost always had a couple of phone numbers of taxi companies posted near the bar, usually prominently next to a pay phone (no mobiles). And if not as you say any bartender worth anything had phone numbers handy. Hell, I knew one who had a friend he could call who’d come pick someone up for twenty or thirty bucks (Uber before Uber) and they’d split the money. He apparently made some pretty good cash on some weekends (and he was a big mean-looking dude so, um, he didn’t take much crap.) Dram shop liability laws were in their infancy but plenty of bartenders would’ve at least tried to keep the truly blitzed from driving.

Taxis weren’t huge in number so at peak times, they’d be slow.

Explanation to spouse is easy, “got drunk, got a taxi, it’s at the strip mall” (where the bar is, or the office, a coworker drove him to the bar.) Or is he trying to ‘hide’ the car from his lover? That makes less sense.

But sorry, I still don’t truly understand what’s being asked. The OP did say “thirty years ago” but also the last sentence about “Maybe, years ago... careless... but not today.” If the story is set thirty years ago, then why are we discussing? People were careless, they’re driving... But if set today, not so much, but Uber/Lyft are widespread. So the posting remains ambiguous to me.

They can’t be that worried about being seen together since they’re at the bar.

And as has been mentioned, driving tipsy would’ve been common, most folks would’ve barely thought twice about it. Unless they’re getting blackout drunk this seems a non-issue.

 

[SimonDoom]

I'm still not understanding this.

The OP says the 2-drink limit was "risky." Why?

For an average adult male, one drink equivalent consumed quickly can boost your blood alcohol up to .02. You need 4 drinks in quick succession to get to .08, which is the standard for criminal driving while influenced in many states in the US. I'm not aware of any states that have a lower limit. You can be prosecuted for being influenced by less than that IF your behavior while driving shows you to be influenced.

If a husband meets his girlfriend at a bar and has a couple of drinks, he's going to drive home. He's not going to call Uber, or a taxi, or a friend. He might feel a bit of impairment, but not enough to deter him from just driving home, especially if leaving his car behind will create suspicion with the wife. A man in that position is likely to take his chances driving rather than take his chances with a suspicious wife.

This seems like a non-issue to me, for story purposes, unless there's something I'm missing.

 

[Emirus]

Why does alcohol have to be involved? A man, or woman, doesn’t have to have an alcoholic drink to be in the mood for having a good time with a member of the opposite sex. Or the same sex. It could even be mentioned in the story as to how much better it was in the old days when you could go out and have a few drinks without worrying if you would be stopped and breathalysed on the way home.

 

[JaxRhapsody]

I don't think readers would have any trouble believing a guy who cheats on his wife might drive after a few drinks.

Right. Despite what the gov't wants you to believe; it is entirely possible to drive for some people.

 

[SisterJezabel]

I read lots of stories where I wonder if people should be driving, but then again if they can down bottles of wine and shots of tequila, drive and still keep it up to give 5 orgasms, I'd say driving is within the realms of probability ;-)

This is a fiction site!

 

[oggbashan]

30 years ago drinking and driving in the UK was almost socially acceptable. Fifty years ago it would have been normal.

in 2021, unfortunately, drink driving accidents and deaths are more frequent than they were in recent years. There is a campaign no to reduce the blood alcohol level at which an offense is committed

Drink driving (but not by the main characters) is a significant part of one of my recent stories:

https://www.literotica.com/beta/s/new-year-roadkill

 

[MsNatalie99]

Drinking and driving is still pretty prevalent where I was living. That's with party stores, liquor 7 days a week up to 2 am, and winter driving so swerves aren't always a dead giveaway.

And as Emirus also pointed out, people will bone even if they're not drunk. That's why we still got Amish.

 

[gunhilltrain]

I didn't expect so many answers; thank you. It is set in 1989 in New Jersey, and it is entirely fictional; it is not based on any experience that I've had. I did have co-workers then, and it's surprisingly hard to remember exactly how they handled various social situations. I remember them usually being pretty careful about it.

1. Probably the best solution is that they have dinner and a couple of beers or glasses of wine with it. Hard liquor affects me much more profoundly. Some people could drive okay with two shots, but I probably couldn't.

2. This is going to be an on-going affair, but episodic, not every day. She does have a car, but he still has to explain to his wife where his own car went. He does work a lot of late-night over-time, so that's not an issue.

3. There were police checkpoints in New Jersey back then, but they weren't common. They would come down pretty hard on you if you did get caught. Also, I think the allowable blood-alcohol limit has been lowered since then, but that varies by state. Like Bruce Springsteen was recently arrested for drunk driving, but he was under the limit and got away with it.

4. The guy in this may be a cad, but he's still a cautious kind of person. He still worries about his what his wife thinks and possibly getting caught by the cops.

So it's not an insurmountable problem. I think what I said in my first point works.

 

[SimonDoom]

I didn't expect so many answers; thank you. It is set in 1989 in New Jersey, and it is entirely fictional; it is not based on any experience that I've had. I did have co-workers then, and it's surprisingly hard to remember exactly how they handled various social situations. I remember them usually being pretty careful about it.

1. Probably the best solution is that they have dinner and a couple of beers or glasses of wine with it. Hard liquor affects me much more profoundly. Some people could drive okay with two shots, but I probably couldn't.

2. This is going to be an on-going affair, but episodic, not every day. She does have a car, but he still has to explain to his wife where his own car went. He does work a lot of late-night over-time, so that's not an issue.

3. There were police checkpoints in New Jersey back then, but they weren't common. They would come down pretty hard on you if you did get caught. Also, I think the allowable blood-alcohol limit has been lowered since then, but that varies by state. Like Bruce Springsteen was recently arrested for drunk driving, but he was under the limit and got away with it.

4. The guy in this may be a cad, but he's still a cautious kind of person. He still worries about his what his wife thinks and possibly getting caught by the cops.

So it's not an insurmountable problem. I think what I said in my first point works.

Keep in mind it's not illegal to drink and drive. People do this all the time and they always have and always will. It's illegal to drink so much that it impairs your ability to drive, and it's illegal to drink to the point that your blood alcohol is above a certain threshold, regardless whether you are impaired or not. Some people are really feeling it after two drinks, while others can get theirblood alcohol well over .08 and still function.

If your characters go to a bar, have just a few drinks, and then drive off, you don't have an issue to deal with.

1 12 oz beer equals 5 ounces of wine equals 1.5 ounces of hard liquor (a standard "shot") equals one drink equivalent.

 

[jaF0]

The part I'm still missing is how the car, or lack of one figures into the story. Does the wife wake up, find him there but not the car? Is that it? If so, why wouldn't getting a ride home because he had a few work? Or does she suspect him of diddling the help and is trying to catch him in a lie?