Danger lurks on hometown roads on Thanksgiving Eve
When most people think of the biggest drinking night of the year, New Year’s Eve, the 4th of July or even St. Patrick’s Day may come to mind. Although there is no hard evidence to support the widely-held belief, bartenders all over America agree that “Black(out) Wednesday” is actually their biggest alcohol sales night.
Never heard of it? It is Thanksgiving Eve, the night before the big family shindig. It is the evening when all the prodigals return to their hometown watering holes.
A Wednesday night with high school pals
Regardless of where your opinion falls on the issue of large gatherings of extended clans — an interminable bore or a festive communal occasion — most relish the idea of meeting up with childhood friends who are also home for the holiday.
These gatherings are usually held at bars with the raising of many convivial glasses of pre-Thanksgiving cheer. Revelers know that their collective hangovers can be nursed the next day with groaning platters of comfort food and generous servings of “hair of the dog” as they zone out watching football.
For many, this pre-holiday celebration with their peers provides a welcome counterbalance to a holiday otherwise devoted to family.
It’s also a night fraught with danger
Thanksgiving Eve is considered one of the most-traveled days of the year. Families pile into cars and SUVs to head over the river and through the woods. Add a high number of Black Wednesday partiers to that extra traffic and you’ve got a Thanksgiving recipe for disaster.
If all of the people meeting up with friend used designated drivers or had a local Lyft or Uber driver on speed dial, there would certainly be fewer drunken drivers on the road on that night. Unfortunately, a significant percentage of them will make unwise choices.
Sometimes bad things happen to good people. If you or one of your family members are hurt in a collision due to the negligence of an impaired driver this Thanksgiving holiday, you may be entitled to compensation under California personal injury laws.