CHRISTINE ROBINSON Star-Tribune staff writer | Posted: Monday, March 17, 2008 12:00 am
St. Patrick's Day is a time for luck and everything green.
Beyond corned beef and cabbage dinners, shamrocks and leprechauns, St. Patrick's Day is also known for parties and booze.
Even though today may be no different, if you've been drinking, Casper area law-enforcement agencies are asking you to rely on something other than the luck of the Irish to get you home.
"St. Patrick's Day is a holiday expressly marketed to partiers," said Pete Abrams, Casper's crime prevention officer.
It's one of the biggest drinking days of the year, Abrams said, and drunken driving is always an issue.
Casper-area law enforcement agencies will use tonight as March's Combined Accident Reduction Traffic Enforcement. Abrams said between the five agencies, Casper, Mills and Evansville police, along with the Natrona County Sheriff's Office and Wyoming Highway Patrol, eight patrol cars will specifically target drunken drivers.
"There's no excuse not to take a $10 cab ride," Abrams said. "If you even begin to think you've had too much to drink, you've had too much to drink and you need to call a cab or find a sober driver."
Ignorance is also not an excuse, Abrams said. Between the taxi companies, the bus and the amount of educational information, residents should understand the hazards of drunken driving.
Casper Cabs owner Tom Elliot is providing Casperites who've had one too many with a flat rate tonight. For $10, a Casper Cab will take you where ever you need to go in the Casper metropolitan area.
"I wanted to be part of the solution," Elliot said in a recent release.
A drunken driving ticket can cost as much as $1,000, cause higher insurance rates or require rehabilitation or alcohol classes, Elliot said, which makes a $10 cab ride seem cheap.
On St. Patrick's Day in 2007, nearly half of drivers in fatal crashes had a blood alcohol level of .08 or above, according to Susan Sherwood, the Wyoming Department of Transportation public involvement specialist.
If you have any doubt about your sobriety, Abrams said, pay the $10 and take a cab.
Contact city reporter Christine Robinson at (307) 266-0639 or christine.robinson@trib.com
Tips for a safe St. Patty's Day
* Plan a safe way home before the festivities begin.
* Before drinking, designate a sober driver and give that person your keys.
* If you're drunk, use a taxi, call a sober friend or family member.
* Don't hesitate to contact authorities if you see a drunken driver.
* If you know someone who is about to drive drunk, take his or her keys and help him or her find another way home.
-Susan Sherwood, WYDOT spokesperson