Another fantastic episode. I spent most of it absolutely stunned that someone would feel it was in any way acceptable to drink that amount of alcohol and then attempt to drive. And that no one was killed, especially having looked up some photographs.
I read the report for this accident some time ago, and I was fairly appalled that someone could have so much alcohol to drink and then get behind the controls of a locomotive. Back then things were a bit different, though.
These days we think nothing of getting in a car and putting on a seat belt, for example; it's an automatic action, for me at least. For people of my grandfather's generation the compulsory wearing of seat-belts in 1983 was quite an alien concept. Also consider that it wasn't compulsory to
fit rear seat-belts until 1986, and the wearing thereof until 1991.
To an extent, drink-driving (of cars) was tolerated. I've heard tales of people being stopped by the police on country roads and simply being advised to slow down a bit. I've driven along a few roads where there has been a pub at a crossroads in the middle of nowhere and wondered how on earth anyone would be able to get there and back without a car!
Attitudes towards driving under the influence have changed enormously over the years, and rightly so; where once it might have been acceptable to have a couple of jars before taking the controls, these days it's taboo (and that's the way it should be).
Anyhow, thanks for another great podcast
The quality is getting better each time, please do continue your work!
