Stupid Idea of the Week Award II

From the Irish Examiner.

Fianna Fail’s Ned O’Keeffe has suggested a two tiered alcohol limit one for rural drivers and one from city drivers.

“We could have a two-tier system,” he said. “I could have 80 milligrams in an urban area and 100 milligrams which would be fairly normal in rural Ireland and that would give people a chance at having two pints and then they’d be working within the law because most people who go to the local rural pub are retired people and they go for their game of cards.”

I mean is this guy serious. Firstly when you see crashes on the TV where are they happening.

By and large you see crashes on country roads rather then city roads. The reason being with traffic, traffic lights and junctions you are not going to speed in the city. Where as in the countryside you have large open expanse of roads. If anything the limit should be more in the city not the other way around. And this is also how would this work? Wait for someone to be caught in the middle of the 2 limits and claim in court that the definition of rural is hard to define. (Remember for instance a fair portion of Limerick city is not actually classed as the city). Claiming that the area they were in was actually Urban. Totally unworkable.

But this is Ireland and only in Ireland would you get this.

Nearly 60% of TDs surveyed by Newstalk said the issue of drink-driving will be important during the upcoming General Election.

The Examiner also details other ideas the guy has had. Here is my favourite.

“With the agricultural industry suffering as a result of Mad Cow scare, people in the media and film producers need to be more responsible and realise that what may seem to be a good story or a bit of harmless fun for them can cause suffering and hardship to others and especially those who depend on pigs for a living.”

— The pig farming TD speaking in 1995 amid fears fans of ‘Babe’ might stop eating pork.