It is de rigueur to have a drink while in Goa. In a manner sometimes not seen when one is back home. If one is a visitor from another state that is. The party scene in the State is possibly one of the most varied and raucous in the country. If one could describe it as such. Another aspect that is worrying is the tendency of partygoers to drink enthusiastically and then drive. This has led to serious problems. Accidents leading to serious injuries and deaths on the roads of Goa are a regular occurrence. One has to only look at the pages of the local newspaper to realise how regular it is. So then what are the authorities doing and more importantly what are the people doing to ensure, they party in a safe manner.
In cities like Mumbai and now Pune, partygoers make arrangements for a safe evening. It is not unusual for friends to decide that one of them will not drink to ensure he or she remains sober. Or they hire the services of a driver to transport them from the club to their residence. In Goa are partygoers contemplating similar action. Are they considering similar behaviour as they go partying in the North or at some of the fancier spots that have come up all over the place?
Joanne Da Cunha an actress said “Usually when I go out with a group of friends, one or more people in the group definitely cuts down on drinking to ensure that we get back home safely post the party. Alternatively, we would hire a taxi like the Goa Miles or anything convenient, in case things may go out of hand, and to ensure that no untoward incident takes place in the evening”.
Shruti Chaturvedi, a marketer, said she usually had a chauffeur. She said “If not, then one person (usually me) who doesn’t drink takes the responsibility to drop everyone home, as the app-cab services are unreliable”.
Marishia Rodrigues when she is not spending time saving the ecology likes to ease up with friends. She said “When I go out with friends, one person doesn’t drink and they are the designated driver usually. We rotate amongst ourselves every time we go out.” For film professional Aadore Mukherjee who is based in Goa, partying is a way to network and to relax. She said “I always make sure we have a driver, this also so that I can leave whenever I want to, It’s not safe to drink and drive or sit in someone’s car while drinking. It is better to have fun and get home safe”. For sure.
Anu Visvanathan a communication consultant said “It is often difficult to go out in Goa especially at night if you don’t drive as there are no great taxi services such a Uber or Ola. Tourists and residents alike end up having to pay exorbitant prices or a small fortune in season time to travel even short distances. This does not help the drink and not drive issue, quite often leading to accidents that could have easily been avoided if there was a good transport system in place or taxi service. My friends and I often hire drivers for the evening or we pay overtime to our regular daytime drives cater to our needs”.
Nupura Hautamaki who is a digital marketer and one who likes to spend time with friends in various watering holes said it all depended on the situation. She said “One could either hire a driver or one friend stays sober. Taxi rarely as they tend to really rip you off”.
One can always depend on Colin D Cruz famed musician to have a unique take on the situation and a way to sort it all out. He said “In Goa drinking is a way of life and feni is the nectar of life. People in Goa rarely misbehave or get drunk out of their senses. If at all alcohol has an effect on them, it would simply be to broaden their smiles. Liquor in Goa is probably the cheapest in the world and this is a huge tourist attraction. Most visitors land up in Goa and hit a bar before hitting their hotel rooms. If it’s a reckless drunken driver you can bet it’s an outsider pigging out on alcohol in Goa. Locals should be given a green card for driving while a red card for driving is issued to every visitor to Goa. An intoxicated person holding a red card and driving should be immediately deported to Saudi Arabia”. Hmmm well.
In all this however, what are the police doing. Brendon Dsouza PI Traffic said they were following a multi pronged approach to handle the problem. He said “We advise club owners to assist inebriated customers to their residence by ensuring a driver is available. Everyone needs to take responsibility. We would also like passengers using public transport to inform us if the driver is not in a state to drive. They should provide us with the location and we will come over. We are also conducting random tests on the road. In addition we are now filing FIR’s if anyone is found drinking and driving. This would mean they will have to attend hearings and it is very serious. Give it time, people will understand the seriousness of the problem and will slowly fall in line.”
One can only hope, common sense dictates the decision making of all partygoers. It could save limbs and life.
