It is great that the community is trying to find ways to help. I definitely think having a “fund” that people can donate to for hiring uber would help much more people than $650 for just one limo. Are they thinking that these individuals wouldn’t want to be in an uber v a limo because of status quo or something? Many of the bars here (not in the club districts but just stand alone bars) will stop those who are obviously inebriated who grab for their keys and call a taxi for them. There is a fund that patrons donate to so we can help our own and get that cab paid for. I usually just drop $1-$5 in the cab jar every time I’m there and those funds add up. Not every bar is going to be willing to do this, but it has worked really well here. Off duty officers is another great idea. We have them everywhere and people know it so they usually make sure to have uber on deck or a DD with them because our officers will be monitoring everyone as they leave.
A lot of drinking, by people of all ages, starts at WEF on Saturday nights and then moves on the other locations.
Does anyone know if MADD has any literature that might provide some helpful suggestions?
How about HADD (horsemen against drunk driving) participating in the Great Charity Challenge?
What is the Great Charity Challenge ?
Another idea… Horseman against drunk driving( HASS) having their own uber app that everyone at the show can download and use free of charge fri-sun nights in the Wellington area. ( maybe type in a code or something so it’s just used for horse related people) The uber bill could be paid for from the great charity challenge or a sponsor.
Maybe pass out t-shirts at WEF for people to wear to encourage peers to use the service.
It’s a big jumper class organized at WEF each year where local charities get prize money and a lot of recognition/exposure by having top riders win prize money for the charity. That’s a simplified explanation, but it could be a great way to spread the word for this kind of effort. And it’s usually towards the beginning of the official season in January.
I agree that the idea of more police presence as a deterrent to bad decisions is a valid one.
The problem, particularly with young people, is that they believe they are invincible. And add alcohol to that young mind and they are not going to make a good choice for Uber or even a fancy ride service. And sadly not even to refuse to get in the car of somebody they know is drunk. I don’t know if this particular sad situation was a drunk driver but there is certainly a drinking and driving problem in Wellington. When I was at the Grand Prix on Saturday night lots of people I walked by reeked of alcohol. How can we get them out for the night without their cars? And then home safely? It seems to me it’s much harder to solve the situation of somebody once they already have too much alcohol in their system because you are no longer dealing with a rational human being. I like the idea of HADD! And I love the Great Charity Challenge. I’m in! How can I help?
[QUOTE=equisusan;n9944878]
I don’t know if this particular sad situation was a drunk driver but there is certainly a drinking and driving problem in Wellington. /QUOTE]
It just occurred to me that while no public statement has been made about this tragedy being caused by drinking and driving, Robert Dover’s sudden call to action seems to be indicating that. 
It doesn’t matter what uber costs-- if you’re intoxicated you CANNOT DRIVE. Full. End. Stop. So you must find another way home. Whatever it takes, people NEED TO LEARN THAT.
Does anyone remember the days where people in social groups alternated being the DD? It was part of being a responsible person so everyone could have fun and get home safely. These plans should be made before all going out together at night.
I feel terribly for the loss but am I the only one who wonders where the personal responsibility has gone? This seems to be a cultural issue.
I agree with you. While bartenders need to be aware of how much a patron is drinking to prevent overserving, patrons themselves need to plan their transportation ahead of time if they want to drink.
The limo thing is a good idea in theory, but I would think that putting that $650 per limo toward Uber rides would go much further. When you’re too drunk to drive, you won’t really care that much if you’re in someone’s Honda Civic vs. a limo, and you’ll still get home safe. And they could get more people home that way. But again, personal responsibility should mean that everyone at Player’s (or any bar) should have already planned for their own uber (or a sober friend) so that the community doesn’t have to pay for them.
The problem is that a lot of people - and not just young people - think they can drive just fine intoxicated (drugs or alcohol). Bring on the self driving cars. Has to be better than having humans in charge. The best help for these issues is always to bring the light to them and social pressure. The bright light of open discussion. The bright lights of police cars. Young people are particularly susceptible as they feel such peer pressure to join in or not push back when an intoxicated person offers to drive. How do we make it cool to plan your way home before you even go out? Can we get a lot of high profile riders to do public service announcements and run them on the Jumbotron over and over and over? Preferably riders without drug or alcohol problems…
Why does the Palm Beach sheriffs office not have sobriety checks every Saturday night when some big event is happening?
In a more ideal world, people would make smarter choices and we wouldn’t have this problem in the first place.
In the real world, or more specifically in Wellington, people make poor choices all the time. So we need to figure out the most effective approach to saving them from the consequences. And saving others on the road from the consequences.
Anybody who drives out to the barn to do night check on the weekends shouldn’t have to risk their lives due to drunk drivers.
That’s an extremely pertinent question. They should also be out in full force on Sunday nights, when many people go out since they have the day off on Monday.
The police are very visible during the day, and very enthusiastic about handing out speeding tickets on those same roads all day long.
Agree 100% now what the heck is that approach?
Why do people do something that is obviously a bad idea? I am trying to understand why this is happening. I don’t think we need to pay for their stupidity.
“Save them from their consequences”? really? this is our problem?
I am in CO, I have never been there, am I missing something? I feel terrible for the loss, but I have a hard time feeling like we need to pay for ubers when people are this rich, and who probably won’t go for it anyways…???
It does not seem like an idea that will stick, if they are this illogical they won’t listen to reason in any form.
Just my opinion. i am not rich, and I don’t drink much. I don’t get it.
I think the idea of trying to promote the car service, along with increased police activity and sobriety checkpoints, could be effective. In horseman’s terms, it’s the proverbial carrot and the stick.
There are always young people in Wellington, maybe for the first time, who will think they’re invincible. And they won’t remember the previous tragedy. Or the one before that. Or the one before that.
You personally don’t need to lift a finger, or donate a penny, if you don’t want to. People who want to help can brainstorm, or donate money, or whatever suits them.
It’s only “our” problem if we’re interested in preventing further loss of life. And it is my problem if I don’t want to get hit by a drunk driver on my way to do night check. Knock wood.
This. Parents who pay for a Lyft or Uber account (I have 2 kids–its worth the money if the choice is getting in a car when someone has been drinking). And wearing a seatbelt always.
I just can’t get behind making a free service for people who are in Wellington showing their horses and going to parties to save them an extra $20-$100 to get back and forth from a social event they are not required to attend.
I am sad for the situation obviously, but I don’t think creating a free taxi or limo service (paid for by… donations from people who aren’t attending these parties presumably?) is the answer.
I completely agree. Hiring $650 limos to take these irresponsible young (and apparently some underage) people home after a night of drinking is the very definition of enabling. It seems to me that maybe some tough love might be a better solution to the problem. Work with the police to set up sobriety checkpoints and let the chips fall where they may. As soon as one or two of these people gets busted, the rest of them will figure out how to pool their own money for an uber.
