Every day around lunch time I watch my next-door neighbor stumble up to his door drunkenly after his all-night shift. And he is REALLY hammered every time. For example, today, he opened the screen door and started knocking into empty air. I suppose he thought the main door was closed so he just knocked into nothingness.Today I was doing some painting outside when I heard him cursing and shouting at someone -- maybe to no one in particular. A sure sign that he was plastered. Then I noticed his cab.
The rear bumper was dangling off and dragging the ground and his side view mirror was smashed and dangling by a single wire. As I walked closer, I saw that the entire right side had dents all along it -- an obvious side swipe of another car or a guardrail.
I hope he doesn't kill someone. Maybe I should report him. To all DC residents: perhaps be safe and choose the Muslim cabbies. At least they're teetotalers.
There is no question you should report him--to both the police and yellow cab! Then you should find a sack of oranges and beat him to death---put him out of our misery!!
ReplyDeleteI called MADD to see what their advice would be. They said if I call the police, they cannot do anything unless he is caught actually driving drunk (he is now at home in bed, I assume). I could call his employer, but I really have no idea if he already reported the accident (he might have). I didn't see the accident occur nor did I see him actually consume any alcohol so I'm kind of at a loss. Any advice is welcome.
ReplyDeleteYikes! I think you should at least phone the police the next time you see him coming in so wasted after driving home. If they knocked on his door even to verify, it might scare him into being more careful, if nothing else. Have I said "Yikes!" yet?
ReplyDelete=F
I would call his company every day I witnessed him arriving home drunk in their cab. Create a record of complaints and eventually he will be removed.
ReplyDeleteI might also consider filing a complaint with the police every time as well - esp, if I had a kid on the way.
Unfortunately LB, I don't think there is much you can do to help in the long term. Short term, if you persist, you may be able to get him fired from the cab company or even get him arrested. But either way, he will still drink and find a way to drive.
ReplyDeleteYou see, there's also the issue that he is my next-door neighbor and I don't want him to find out that it's me calling his company.
ReplyDeletereminds me of a night i had a few years back. there was a DUI checkpoint on 16th street and i was coming home in a cab around 930pm I remember the cabbie pulling a u-turn about 5 blocks south of the stop. We dipped a couple of streets to the east and ran all the way up 14th towards my apartment. I realized that he wasn't avoiding the checkpoint for my benefit. luckily i made it home fine.
ReplyDeleteEveryone's advice is to talk to the wrong person. Do you know him well enough to talk to him directly? Even jokingly say, "man, I will never get in a cab with you....do you at least have airbags?"
ReplyDeleteMaking him aware that it's obvious might just help.