Social Media Shitdiots and Hijacking the Toronto Police #RIDE Hashtag on Twitter




Social media shitdiot

Over on Twitter, Toronto police are using the #RIDE hashtag to counter drunk driving this holiday period. Standing for Reduce Impaired Driving Everywhere, #RIDE aims to educate against drunk driving, and offer alternatives from the Toronto police on getting home safely.

You’d think it’s a great use of Twitter, and an important topic to be aware of, especially at this time of year.

And it would be – except for the shitdiots that have hijacked the #RIDE hashtag and begun tweeting locations of the random breathalyzer checks so drunk drivers can avoid them.

Now, I’ll be the first to admit – as someone who’s lost an uncle to a drunk driver and saw a friend suffer severe brain damage after being dragged 300 yards by a drunk driver, I’m very biased on this topic.

To me, there’s no excuse for drinking and driving – you either cab home, or don’t drink. Or, if you absolutely must drink, stay within the legal limits as set out by the law – they’re there for a reason.

However, all bias aside, tweeting the locations of #RIDE checkpoints makes you one of the biggest assholes in the history of assholes.

Unless you’ve seen the damage a drunk driver can do, you have no idea how much devastation that “one more drink” can wreak on peoples’ lives. And the ironic part is that usually the drunk driver walks away without any injury…

The reason used by some of the Twitter users, like Trevor Algar and Justin Tutay, is they want police to “stop abusing their powers.” Here’s the thing, though – stopping drunks from getting behind the wheel and destroying a family is not abusing police powers.

If you want to talk about abuse of power, talk about kids getting pepper sprayed for peaceful protests. Or racial profiling. Or over-reacting to G20 protests.

That’s abuse of police power – not saving lives from stopping idiots getting behind a wheel.

So, to the Twitter users that are using the #RIDE hashtag to warn drivers of spot check locations – go ahead, warn them. Be that shitdiot that forces a mother to explain to her children why their father won’t be coming home.

Just don’t expect my sympathy when you become the victim of a drunk driver yourself. Because that’s the kind of karma you deserve.

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Hey Danny.

Thank you so much for this post! I have done dozens of interviews on the issue and the reasons why people choose to support the potential for assisting in the continuation of a criminal offence. I really believe that many people think they are doing a harmless "civic good" for their fellow drivers, not ever considering the potential consequences.

On December 24th, when I tweeted "If you tweet a #RIDE location tonight, make sure you also apologize tomorrow to any families who lose a loved one to a drunk driver" I never would have predicted the result.

Many people removed tweets from their timeline, apologized and, I believe, "got the big picture."

We are often quick to act and don't always consider all the ramifications...those who think it's ok to facilitate criminal acts or turn a blind eye to those who think its fine to drink and drive, are in that group.

All the best.

Tim

Unbelievable. Makes me ashamed to be a Torontonian. Great post. Agree with absolutely everything you said. I wish the police could fine for that sort of thing - isn't it an obstruction of justice in some sense? Then we could all 'out' those on Twitter abusing the medium to undermine the cops. Sounds like a good idea, but it's probably unconstitutional or something.

Merry Holidays, My friend.

Stuff like this is like poking me with a pointy stick and expecting NOT to get pistol whipped for your own stupidity (and my sheer pleasure).

You go, man!

Absolutely! As a retired alcoholic (yes, yes), I can honestly say I was thoroughly sloshed for a long enough period of time that I'll probably be pretty well pickled for decades to come...so I feel like I am kinda an expert. (Call Dino!)

(No, seriously- THAT was a joke! ...cringe)

No matter where I was, what bar, who's home, garage, campfire, what state, country, city or town - no matter where I was, there is ALWAYS someone who can get you a ride home.

EVEN the coppers.

Driving under the influence is STUPID. Helping (and yes, encouraging) people drive under the influence is beyond STUPID. (More like, "Yep, you are stupid. Sterilize Immediately. NO BREEDING permitted!")

Thanks for being The Man on this one, Danny- it is really important, to us all.
~Amber-Lee

Here's the thing, Amber. A lot of people quote the cost of a cab, or the time it takes to get home on public transport, or hotel costs, as a reason why they drive home.

But what about the cost of a fine; or jail time; or a lost job/broken marriage due to your stupidity? Not to mention the unmeasurable cost of destroying aother family's live?

Do the math, idiots. ;-)

Take care, miss, and have an awesome (and safe!) New Year!

Danny,

Good to point this out. It is really a ridiculous and childish way to protest something. It's the old "rebel without a clue" syndrome.

More importantly, you use the term shitdiots a lot. Isn't it properly pronounced shitediots where you are from? :)

Have a great new year!

I reserve the right to cross-jump between language and grammar when it comes to shitdiots/shitediots. ;-)

Happy New Year to you too, mate, and all the best with the blog makeover!

G'Day Danny,
Thanks for speaking out about drunk driving. We've had quite severe penalties about this Down Under for more than 20 years.
Given my Celtic antecedents, I enjoy more than a wee dram or four. But drink driving is not only dumb. It's plain bloody selfish. As one of the slogans used here says, "Drink. Drive: You're a bloody idiot!"
If severe penalties for drink driving are what it takes to keep drunks off the road, that's an "abuse of police power" I totally support.

By the way, Sydneysiders are complaining about the coolest December for 50 years. Average daily temperatures have been in the mid-high 20s--About 70+F.

Whether it's drink driving or weather, some silly buggers dunno they're alive.

Duck! Here comes 2012! I'd hoped to follow that line with a clever and witty second line to make up an amusing couplet. But I can't. You try finding a decent rhyme for "!2."

Take care
Leon

Completely agree, mate, and yes, there's nothing wrong with getting sloshed. But there's a hell of a lot wrong when that sees you thinking you can be Superman behind the wheel...

Haha, 70 degrees is cool? Mate, you need to come to Canada in January. ;-)

Have a great New Year with you and yours, hope it's a safe and very prosperous one!

Hey Danny
I'm missing the agility of the old Livefyre - any news?

Hi mate,

I continued to have a couple of issues with Livefyre (space between post and comments, no comment box appearing). So I'll have native WordPress on here for now, and keep an eye on future updates to see if that changes.

Cheers!

Hi Danny
Not come across the term "Shitdiots" but good to see/hear someone speaking out.

With you all the way on drunk drivers, and the police deserve our support.

Well, here in Europe some people not only drive drunk but under the effects of drugs and every weekend there are deaths on the road. And they do it because if something happens you just get a slap and that's it. Being stoned while driving is more of an excuse than a crime. Italian Justice System. But you can have your driving licence cut in two if you drink a beer more.

Anyhow, hoping to not offend someone, I don't think the real problem lies in drinking a couple of beers more. I still remember 20 and so years ago when there were no alcohol tests and people who drunk too much went home slowly and calmly even if this meant driving at 5 mph. Today people get drunk, maybe take some drugs, go in their car, pump up the volume and begin driving like a Formula 1 driver. That's the real problem for me: either they don't care to arrive at home safe or they think they are in a kind of superhuman mode and if something happens they just have to put another coin in the videogame and begin another game. It's not they they drive drunk, it's that they don't care at all about what can happen.

This is the real issue imho, which is helped a lot if like in Italy you risk almost nothing if something bad happens. Just to give a real life example some months ago a man drunk and under drugs killed eight people in a row and was sentenced less then ten years of jail which with all benefits people have in Italy means more or less four years at most. Imagine if this can be a deterrent.

But especially with youngs the real problem is that they don't care and they think they are cool and somehow immortals and don't care about others.

People have always drunk but they wanted to arrive at home safe without causing any damage. This is what has changed, their attitude to life. Or said differently peple has changed and alcohol has little to do with this. As you say Danny if you exaggerate and drink too much you can just call a taxi or sleep in your car. That's what people in Italy were used to do in the past because they cared about their life and that of others. Well, we all know and see everywhere that the world has changed right?

Note: I've generalized a bit, I know. :)

I totally agree with what you have said here. I think the original post has a good point but is a little too hard lined.

I have never been negativly effected by drink diving, when I was much younger I have driver and know I will have been over the limit on a few occasion but was never caught. My cousin was recently pulled over and has lost his licence. It has effected his life, job and business. I understand it was his choice and he made a bad one but really, in the state he was in with the common sense he has I dont think that he would have caused any harm to anyone as he was already home at the time they tested him so his drive was over.

It is like you say, there are a few morons out there (driving when they are not fit to walk or driving when they are not intelligent enough to drive anyway) who, to deal with, we need a single sweeping system that covers everyone taring them with the same brush.

In response to the people who need the polices help and run to them when needed while still having an us and them reputation, I have been in need to the police only twice in my life and have been badly let down on both occasion.

So you are saying that because your cousin got home without incident then he isn’t guilty of drinking and driving? It’s “logic” like that that gets people killed. If you are STUPUD enough to drink and drive you should get any penalty that is within the law no matter whether you “made it” or not. People get arrested for having illegal firearms who haven’t killed anyone yet. Should they just be allowed to carry them until someone is killed? Geesh.

I concur with Frank that your logic is badly flawed. If you run across the highway 10 times without getting hit by a car does that mean that you are surrounded by a force field that protects you or that you are just lucky.

Drunk driving is something that people shouldn't do because the risks are too high. It takes one minor mistake and you have murdered someone and destroyed a family.

Let me repeat, a drunk driver who gets into an accident in which someone dies is a murderer. It should be taken that seriously.

Sorry, got to agree with both Frank and Jack and say your cousin lacked common sense just by getting behind the wheel while inebriated.

Luck of no accident doesn't change the fact he was breaking the law and and endangering innocent travelers into the bargain.

I think the big difference is volume of traffic and pedestrians. As society has moved forward, so has the amount of cars on the road, bars on the street and people on the pathways.

Mix these together, and no matter how slow you're going, all you need to do is hit a mother pushing a baby and pin that baby to the wall...

Attitude is the game changer here - make that mindset change and the safety numbers increase again. Of course, changing people's attitudes is far easier said than done...

Surely there is a difference between now and 20 years ago as regards traffic and pedestrians and such but if you look at the age range of drunken drivers causing accidents you see that 90 percent of them are under 40 yo, mostly under 30. That's the big difference, the age range of drivers causing deaths on the road. Usually if someone over 40 drinks too much he or she just doesn't drive because as you said there are other options. It's difficult that as a way of life someone over 40 thinks that for having fun you just have to become stoned as soon as possible and then go on all night long. That's the real difference: attitude to life. Gosh here in Italy we have guys and girls 13 to 14 yo who got drunk, and this was something almost impossible and unthinkable 20 years ago.

Alcohol is a kind of false problem, the real issue is the personality, attitude and character of those who drink and the reason why they drink. That is what makes the difference and that's why some stop drinking before exaggerating, some don't drive because they've had too many drinks, and some will just drive anyway.

Alcohol just takes out what's already inside the person and this also applies to being intelligent or not. At least this is my opinion based on what I see, so I might be also wrong. Here we say that if you are not able to handle alcohol you'd better avoid drinking it, but not everyone agrees.

I'm too for considering deaths caused by car or trucks as murders. Whether alcohol, drugs, being too tired or prescription drugs are involved or not. Everyone is personally responsible for his or her acts.

Fabulous post Danny! RT'd of course.

Fortunately, I've not been touched by any tragic events related to drinking & driving but only an idiot would argue that it is not a problem. I've tweeted many times over the past few weeks about it as — unbelievably so — charges stemming from the RIDE program (in Durham Region) have increased this year over last. Even as I write this I still can't believe it...are we that bloody stupid!

I wish they would put zero tolerance to a vote. I'd be at the front of the line saying YES! Any legal drinking limit is just not acceptable. Especially these days when people are distracted by so many other things while driving.

Thank you for this Danny — and the other good works you donate your time to.

Hey there Bob,

Completely agree, mate - if preventive measures are the best way forward, then it should start with the drivers themselves, and that means zero tolerance.

If you have a law that says you can drink X amount and be legal to drive, and you still ignore that, you deserve all the law throws at you.

Cheers, sir, and a Happy New Year to you and yours when it arrives!

Hey Danny, just saw this. Talk about abuse. The Toronto Police services are starting to use Twitter more often as a way to get citizens help them spread the word about their initiatives. I remember when I talked to them over a year ago they were very hesitant to even use Twitter because they'd open up a Pandora's box. It only takes an idiot few to turn good initiatives into a fiasco. The good news is that I see a lot more people like you and everyone on this thread attacking the very people for misusing the hashtag. I think TPS feels pretty good about their frontline defence right now:)

Hey there boss,

That was one of the great things when scanning through the #RIDE hashtag, the amount of condemnation going the tweeters' way. I was called an "obnoxious cyberbully" by the person/people behind the Twiiter account tweeting the locations:

https://twitter.com/#!/RIDELocationsTO/status/152551360179617792

To be honest, I'll take that as a badge of honour and enforces my view of the mindset behind that account. ;-)

Hi Danny,

We live in sad times. The increasing stupidity of people seems to be paralleling the ability of people to make their voices big and loud. Good for you for calling this out.

Cheers, Margie, and yes, there's always someone (or some people) willing to add to the crazy factor. Ah well...

Great new avatar, by the way!

Thank you, Mr. Man!

Happy New Year :)

OK, Wordpress said this comment was not long enough. I am not even kidding. So...how far do I need to go before this comment is accepted? Should I write a book in here?

What up, Wordpress? What up?

Ah, yes, that would be the spam filter I have in place, with a Dynamic Word Count option to help keep real folks like you separate. ;-)

Interesting take on this Danny. I agree with you.

But in the US drivers flash lights to oncoming traffic to expose hidden speed traps. And in Los Angeles the Police actually list the checkpoints in the newspaper and online. They are never secret. People tweet the DUI checkpoints here in the US all the time.

I don't agree with doing it. The problem here is if you are within the legal limit and admit just one drink chances are you are going to be made the do the curbside tests. So everyone denies drinking and hopes they make it through. We all know sadly enough people can pull that off and drive on their way.

The fact is no one has a right to endanger others that way. You want to get loaded. Drink at home or at a friends and sleep over.

Here's the thing though, Howie. A speeding (sober) driver can slow down to regulation speed within, say, 5 seconds. You can't sober up in 5 seconds. So while I see the comparison, I don't think it works in this case, mate.

Like you say, there's no need for it. Public transport, cabs, sleepovers, hotels - each one is worth the cost to save a life.

Twitter certainly is the best of times/the worst of times. Yesterday I tweeted I would unfollow anyone tweeting RIDE locations AFTER I publicly shamed them.And the trolls, my word the trolls!!People are actively searching for #RIDE to further their agenda.I fully realize my tweet is reminiscent of a villager with a pitchfork.And I'm ok with that.I say we shine the light on these enabling asshats and sharpen our pitchforks.

Hey there Charlene,

I think I may have seen your tweet (and others like it), and thought it was awesome.

Like you say, the trolls and idiots will come out - but that's cool, because it makes them easier to identify and block. ;-)

I am always amazed at people like Trevor and Jusin...they want the police to stop abusing their powers...but at the first instant they need help from the police, they are on the phone with them and pleading for help.

Shitdiots...I like that word. Methinks I shall use it in the future.

Happy New Year Danny.

Exactly, mate! Everything's a hindrance and a "them against us" mindset, until the people these loons are railing against are needed. Different story then - and the ironic thing is, the police (and others like them) are required by law to try and help. You know, the same law they're trying to uphold that keeps people alive, versus those that would tweet locations and play with lives...

Funny how people work, eh?

All the best to you and yours, mate - hope it's a happy and safe one!

There is a major difference between not wanting police and just not wanting them to do their job. Of course I would want their assistance if I was in trouble, but I wouldn't want them to abuse that power.

For instance, my friends store was broken into on Christmas day and there is footage that shows who did it. I would not expect the police to go to the theifs house and pepper spray/beat him up. Just arrest and hopefully the justice system will do its job.

There are more good cops than bad and I am fully in support of the police force. Much like the rest of society, a few bad apples can ruin the bunch.

I've already bombareded Danny with tweets (sorry for that - 140 characters) regarding my stance on RIDE programs, but I will share it again.

I think they do too little to prevent drinking and driving, both short and long term. Everyone has a Superman complex where they say "that will never happen to me" and some of those people will take unnecessary risks, including drinking and driving.

After they do get caught, do they stop? No. They still 'need' to drive to get to work, pick up their kids, etc and they continue to take risks. I know far too many people who have been in those shoes, or been victims of those who have.

What needs to happen is preventive action, not reactive. Ignition locks in every vehicle is not a horrible idea. It would effectively stop drinking and driving, make RIDE programs a thing of the past. It would mitigate the risks people are able to take behind the wheel of a vehicle.

I'm not sorry for my stance on this subject, but I am sorry that it was this tweet that was picked up. I do have respect for the police as a whole, but I have a serious disdain for those who misuse their powers.

Have a good new year, boys.

Hey there Trevor,

Thanks for jumping in over here to add your thoughts.

The reason I picked your tweet as one of two was that it used both the #RIDE hashtag, and the #cantalwaysgetwhatyouwant one as well, which suggested even further disdain for the police that are trying to do a job, as well as the public in general who are affected by drunk drivers. It also used the "we" as opposed to "I", which suggested a bigger movement, which was kind of worrying. Not so much from a movement angle (freedom of speech is important), but from the particular hashtag it was part of - which is, essentially, trying to save lives.

Do some authorities use drink driving as a cash cow? For sure. But if people didn't drink in the first place and then get behind the wheel, there wouldn't be the need for policing in this way, above or below the fold.

I completely agree on the preventive action - but there's an easier way all round to prevent drink driving, and it's the idiots getting behind the wheel. They stop, drink driving stops.

So make punitive measures more effective. Forget fines - make it an instant demerit on your license. Never mind the three strikes and you're out approach - the first time you lose X amount of points, and if you do it a second, you lose your license, full stop.

Be interesting to see how many people take the risk then when they could lose a lot more than just their license.

As for those tweeting locations? They're essentially obstructing justice and should be held accountable that way.

Thanks again for sharing your thoughts here, appreciated.

What's even worse, these drunks are probably reading their tweets while drinking and driving.

More than likely, Bill, more than likely. There's no limit on idiocy, it would seem.

As someone who has experienced the devastation of what happens when some idiot drinks and drives, I concur. Thanks for this.

That's the problem, Ken - usually the people that cause the devastation don't see the long-term results, nor do they get injured themselves.

Kind of a messed up logic.

Well, in my case the person saw the devastation, but only after it was too late. For me, it's been 30 years and it doesn't make it any easier.

I hear you on that, mate. Sorry to hear.

It's not about being biased or not, Danny. One doesn't have to be touched personally by the tragedy of drunk driving to see how stupid this is. I hope these people come to their senses and leave the #RIDE hashtag alone.

Hey there Lexi,

First, LOVE the new avatar! Oh, and thanks for the "additional action" you took on the blog too, hope you enjoy! :)

You're right - the way I view these folks is simple. They're encouraging breaking the law and therefore endangering lives, and charges should be allowed to be brought against them.

The great thing is, there are way more people condemning the actions of the shitdiots than there are supporting. Seems good sense is stronger than idiocy.