Eighth Time's The Charm?
Back in December of 2003, washed-up country singer Gary Gibbs was arrested in nearby Georgetown for driving while severely intoxicated. You can see a video of the field sobriety test here.
A year and a half later, Gibbs was finally convicted of drunk driving and using his car as a deadly weapon. Yesterday, during the sentencing portion of the trial, it took the Williamson County jury just over an hour to reach their consensus: in a singular voice they declared that what Gibbs deserved was a one-way ticket to the state penitentiary. Austinist, for once, believes wholeheartedly in the Texas judiciary system.
But why such a harsh punishment?, you might ask.
It was hardly Gibbs' first conviction. And it wasn't his second, or third. No, keep counting.
It was his eighth.
It turns out Gibbs had been locked up twice before, and even underwent substance abuse counseling, but obviously this wasn't enough to convince him to end his dumbass ways. Maybe by the time he's up for parole in thirty years, he'll be better able to think things through. But likely not.
Austinist absolutely despises drunk drivers, although we can't say why exactly. Perhaps it's their disgusting lack of self-control, or their blatant disregard for other drivers and pedestrians. Or maybe it's because they're responsible for nearly half of all traffic fatalities in Texas.
Austin has its fair share of measures to curb drunk driving, combatting it with dual efforts of Enforcement and Prevention. Random DWI screening zones are set up throughout the city; this helps alleviate the immediate problem of drunkards on the roads, but seems to do little in the long-term. On the Prevention side, the city is trying out a new program at a local bar to encourage and reward designated drivers.
Personally, when Austinist predicts a night of heavy drinking on the town (we like to call them "Saturdays"), we'll leave the car keys at home and call a cab instead. We've found them to be fairly cheap and surprisingly clean inside.
Austinist would like to invite our readers to solicit suggestions in the comments below as to how we should combat the scourge of drunk driving.
