hey guys this is really important so thanks for taking the time. i've got a story to tell with a moral at the end.
on the morning of the 28th of january, a woman and her friend walked outside into the bright sun after a night of partying. it had been a good night, they'd had a couple of drinks and a pill each, but nothing out of the ordinary. They left the club tired after hours of dancing, and got into their car.
cruising home, the girl's friend fell asleep in the passenger seat. holding off yawns, the driver pulled onto beach road and shook herself awake.
as they reached brighton, the driver slipped into a doze. her head dropped and the car began to drift. with driver asleep, the car drifted across 4 lanes of traffic, colliding with a group of three cyclists travelling in the opposite direction. the car kept going, crashing right onto the beach foreshore, flipping and sliding in the process.
of the three cyclists, one walked away, one was seriously injured - spending the next week in intensive care, he is still in hospital and will be for some time. the third was killed instantly.
the man killed was my father.
the man in hospital is the father of a close friend of mine, my friend is also a bluelighter.
i tell you all this story because i hope it will make a difference somehow. the story is my own dramatisation based on facts gained from the police.
i'm not in a position to make judgments on the girl for taking drugs or being a raver - having experienced the scene myself i know what goes on. all i want to say is PLEASE guys, when you go out, do it responsibly.
Don't drive when you're affected, or when you're really tired. catch a taxi, public transport or get a friend to pick you up. Or get a designated driver to stay sober - just like if you go out drinking.
taking a responsible attitude can save lives, not just people like my dad, but the life of the driver (who was not injured) who has to live with what she did. and i'm sure if the press find out (which they most likely will) at the inquest into the accident that the driver had taken ecstacy at a "rave party", the papers will scream for raver blood. nobody wants any of these things to happen, ever.
i also want to make it clear that i'm not aiming this at anyone to cast blame, but it's a warning that if you come across these sorts of choices - particularly regarding driving - you know which choice to make. and you know why to make that choice.
thanks guys.