Monday, February 21, 2011

Prelude to Spring

Awfully nice weather graced Lincoln on Friday and Saturday.  I took advantage of the February thaw to dust of the bike for a nice ride on Saturday morning.  I can attest that there is a lot of gravel out there, the motorists aren’t used to seeing humans on two wheels, and every other person in the city must be training for the Lincoln Marathon. 

The third shift also had a prelude to spring, with 69 disturbance calls on Saturday, and 26 alcohol-related calls—including 8 drunk drivers.  The hour of power—bar break, was particularly busy.  The reality of February returned yesterday afternoon.  It won’t be long, though, until warming weather exerts its inevitable change on the pace of police work in the City.

Saturday also offered the second screening of an excellent new feature on Nebraska Educational Television.  Binge features a few comments by yours truly, and some arresting video of Officer Megan Riffey, Sgt. Jason Goodwin, and Officer Josh Atkinson dealing with the binge drinking scene in Lincoln.  There is some particularly good footage of the O Street scene in Lincoln that I believe would be valuable for more Lincoln residents to see and contemplate. 

Binge will air again this coming weekend on NET: Thursday, March 3 at 6:00 PM, Friday, March 4 and Saturday, March 5 at 7:30 and 10:30. 

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Times have changed for drinking alcohol in our world, for the better I am not sure.
Their is less of open containers in vehicles. Some years ago this was common. Serving drinks to minors was common and I think less happens now. BAC level for intoxication has been lowered. State prison is now an option for those who prefer a DWI after every bar visit. What has not changed, in my opinion, is parents and the media marketing alcohol as a fun and even sexy recreation. remember the Sweedish Bikini Team? Yes, their it is in your imagination. Four blond women in a two piece bikini. They arrive to greet several men as the men enjoy an old milwacki beer. Youtube has a funny spot or two, (keyword:sweedish Bikini Team) I must say the Bikini team did not assist in my binge drinking as I did just fine without any pressure from media. But, parental views of alcohol as being anything other than a drug was a stamp of approval. In fact my Mother never has had a drink in her life that I know of. But the male gender that I had as mentors was all I needed to binge on. Besides being a little drunk is funny and not a medical condition, right?
Times have changed for better, but we have a long way to go. People will still die in alcohol related crashes. Students will still die on alcohol poisoning. Dad's and Mom's will still drink and fight.
And we (some of we) will still toast the drug at Thanksgiving dinner, giving thanks to moderation, the only thing that has not changed. Having a critical view of alcohol has really been shown in the evidence that even the sight impaired can understand.

Anonymous said...

I think Jim J pretty much nailed it concerning "binge" drinking in our younger generation. Usually by the time a person turns 25 to 30 they no longer binge on Alcohol except for the SMALL percentage of those who are predisposed to a lifetime as an Alcoholic. The advertising industry has marketed booze as a product that will make you more attractive to the opposite sex (or in some the same sex) and popular with everyone. Similar to the advertising we see for the automobile industry. NEWSFLASH. . . if you really believe that having a few drinks or driving a new car is going to make you a better person send me $50 a week and I will send you a book with all the answers.

Gun Nut

J said...

We should be far more worried about the death and destuction alcohol has than we seem to be with the relatively minor number of deaths and damage caused by firearms.

Seems like everyday someone is killed due to a drunk driver or being drunk while driving in Nebraska, and yet there are no picket signs, no legislation, no blog posts.

And yet had these same people been shot with guns, we'd have an issue right?

Anonymous said...

I still yearn for a hi-res 30fps webcam with a view of O st from 13th Street, looking from west to east, toward Centennial Mall.

Anonymous said...

you think the barstool open had anything to do with the activities on saturday?

Anonymous said...

Chief-A few short years ago, liquor companies were on the verge of going out of business. Our parents generation would have a cocktail before dinner. Our generation drank beer primarily.
The only people that drank shots were a few blue-collar guys that would order a shot and a "short" beer.

So the liquor companies designed a plan to ruin the lives of the next generation. They concocted shots with fancy names, invented Goldschlager and Jaegermeister, and turned a significant portion of the next generation into mush-brains every weekend.

From a parent of kids in their late thirties to early twenties. Just an observation.

256

Anonymous said...

Remember, our generation was more stable, smarter, and well, just plain better than everyone who came along after our salad days. Repeat this statement for every successive generation.

Anonymous said...

12:54

We were just as stupid Our opportunities while being stupid were different. But our music was better.....

256

Anonymous said...

I'm glad our chief passed the early spring bike trial unharmed. Remember folks take your time and be a careful driver.

Tom Casady said...

Jim J,

Yes.

Gun Nut,

Yes.

J.,

Yes.

9:23,

Yes, please.

10:01,

Yes, probably.

256 @ 10:49,

Yes, quite true, and I believe the data on alcohol sales will bear that out.

12:54,

Yes, indeed.

256 @ 1:35,

Most emphatically yes!

Anonymous said...

256: The music was DEFINATELY better! :-))

Anonymous said...

Sounds like a regular night of television shows...

Brandon said...

I have noticed that over the years alcohol has become more and more readily available.... It used to be just liquor stores had booze.... Then a few supermarkets did....then a few convenience stores sold beer....Now half the convenience stores rival full scale liquor stores!