The Drunk Driver

This is a true story that happen to me.

“When a person is in danger, no one can afford to look the other way.”

True story that happened to me. So, I’m out for dinner with the family at our favorite Chinese restaurant, Hong Garden in Paoli many years ago. I happen to be seated by the window, looking out at the street below. A few minutes after we order, I notice a guy staggering down the street. It’s clear he’s very, very intoxicated. At first, we found the spectacle kind of amusing, but then things took a turn. The guy started fumbling with the door of a parked car—it was obvious he was about to drive under the influence.

Without thinking, I jump up from my seat and rush outside to stop him. By the time I get down there, he’s already behind the wheel. I stand in front of the car, waving my hands, trying to get him to turn off the engine. He sticks his head out the window with a confused look and asks, “What are you doing?”

I quickly respond, “Dude, you can’t drive in your condition. You’ll kill yourself or somebody else.” Without even thinking about my family watching all of this from the restaurant, I ask, “Where are you going? I’ll drive you home.”

The guy, still dazed and confused, agrees. Now I’m thinking, “What the hell did I just get myself into?” But it’s too late to back out, so I see it through. He gets into my car, and luckily, he doesn’t live far—about ten minutes away. It turns out he lives in a very nice townhouse development in Malvern.

On the way, he starts sobering up a bit and realizes what I’m doing for him. He begins to cry, telling me his wife just left him, how messed up he is over it, and how he struggles with alcohol. Through tears, he thanks me, saying he can’t believe I’d do this for a total stranger.

What he doesn’t know is that I lost a sister to alcoholism and drug abuse, so I really feel for people dealing with this issue. I tell him that if he wants to thank me, he should get help, and maybe—just maybe—I was sent by God that day to give him another chance. He promises he will.

When I get back to the restaurant, everyone thanks me and gives me high-fives. Wow, that felt good. I was glad it had a happy ending—for now. I often wonder what ever happened to the guy.