In today’s episode of “Please be a joke,” a growing number of TikTokers are seemingly defending drunk driving.
Rolling Stone finds that the term “booze cruisers,” the term for those who drive intoxicated, is blowing up on the video-sharing site. Some are saying the law is coming down too hard on these offenders and that driving drunk is not as bad as texting while driving.
Some people identify themselves as part of the “Gang Alcohol” subculture — or those who drink their fair share of liquor. Videos using that term have amassed about 7 million views on TikTok.
Additionally, #BoozeCruise on TikTok has amassed over 64 million views. Most of the top-viewed videos are ironic in nature, such as claiming people who are popped for drunk driving are the victims of “Big Sober” and “Big Water.”
But, there are some people who truly believe they are being oppressed for not being able to drive drunk. One individual spoke with the outlet — on condition of anonymity — and believes there is a “demonization” of drunk drivers.
“Few would react the same to someone announcing they occasionally text while driving as they would to admitting to the occasional booze cruise while statistically there isn’t much difference in added danger,” he said. “I would more broadly support a system that held drivers responsible for the consequences of their actions rather than their choice to drink.”
But, for real, don’t drink and drive. It’s illegal for a reason.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says drunk drivers kill 32 people every day, or one person every 45 minutes. “These deaths were all preventable,” the NHTSA says.