Teen punished for helping drunk friend

[Estes]

Hell, when I was a teen I used to call my parents at ungodly hours to come get me because I was drunk and wouldn't drive. They would rather get up and pick me up at 4am rather than me drive. Things change it seems, hopefully that's all she gets is a wrist slap from the school. While I do agree with most of you, she was doing what any normal person would do if a friend called looking for a ride because they were drunk, we all know how the media works.

[Vudak]

It's called looking out for your friends. You don't leave your friends out, you help them when they are in need. Hell if she's didn't take her home should could have fell face first a died in a ditch or from puke... Only to be punished for potentially saving a friends life.

If we're assuming that she's telling a 100% truthful story.  That a captain of a sports team in high school has no intention of actually socializing with her peers, and is only showing up to a party for a fleeting moment to save a friend before whisking her away to sober safety watching lifetime reruns together in their parents living room.

OK....

[VonMessa]

She was issued a summons for minor in possession.

"Erin Cox, was suspended for five games and stripped of her captaincy of the volleyball team at North Andover High School for the incident two weeks ago. She received a call from a drunk friend at a party. When she arrived police were already there making arrests and handing out summonses to everyone at the party for underage drinking.  Cox was given a summons even though she hadn’t been drinking and at least one officer had vouched for her sobriety. The school acted because it has a zero tolerance policy for drinking."

The charge probably won't stick, but she DID get charged for MIP.

Didn't see that in the link posted.

Regardless, waiting outside may have not gotten her in trouble at all, with school or police.

[Bizman]

Waiting outside for someone who's drunk? Come on! Have you ever tried to get someone who's drunk out of anywhere?

[MrRiplEy[H]]

Good thing she wasn't charged with a crime, just repercussions from her school.

If the school gives 'repercussions' for something that's not illegal she should sue the school to high smitherines.

[VonMessa]

Waiting outside for someone who's drunk? Come on! Have you ever tried to get someone who's drunk out of anywhere?

Yes, many times.  You grab them by the back of the head and tell them, "OK, time to go now",  Otherwise, you leave them there.  Go ahead and tell me how terrible of a friend that I am.  The bottom line is that I didn't make them that drunk.

My point is that if she was so worried about her volleyball status, knowing the rules, she would have kept her arse far from the action.

All I am seeing is excuses about this "poor girl" and how noble her actions were to "help a friend in need" at a time that was conveniently after her work shift.

I smell a big, steaming pile of horse-apples and a teenager that is trying to duck her responsibilities.

Of course she wasn't drinking, the cops got there right after she did.  She didn't have a chance to start, yet.

[VonMessa]

If the school gives 'repercussions' for something that's not illegal she should sue the school to high smitherines.

Horse crap.

The school made the rules, she agreed to them as part of her participation as an athlete (which most schools require now) and she broke them.

Most school rules aren't about things that are illegal.  That's what the law is for.  There are many, many school rules that have nothing to do with legality, such as public displays of affection, no cell phones in class, dress codes and some teachers even have rules about chewing gum in class.  Violating any of those rules has repercussions.

Using that logic, I suppose that my kids should be able to sue me when I punish them for not obeying my rules, since they aren't doing anything illegal?

[Wiley]

Yes, many times.  You grab them by the back of the head and tell them, "OK, time to go now",

From outside, when they're inside?  You're good!

 Otherwise, you leave them there.  Go ahead and tell me how terrible of a friend that I am.

Can't speak to that, but you do kind of come off as a dick.

Although it's hard to believe, some people don't drink by choice when they're out.  The school stuff, whatever.  If their policy is no attending parties where there's alcohol, that's the end of it.

Charging her with being in possession of alcohol or drinking is BS though if she wasn't.

Wiley.

[Bizman]

Yes, many times.  You grab them by the back of the head and tell them, "OK, time to go now",  Otherwise, you leave them there.  Go ahead and tell me how terrible of a friend that I am.  The bottom line is that I didn't make them that drunk.

Well, yeah... The times I've been in that situation have had a couple of variables, like: I was getting paid to get the band back home from 500 km away. The problematic guy had one and a half of my weight, at least. With the attitude of a three-year-old rebel during his negative age. Having been drinking three days in a row. And continuing that for a week or two after getting home. It usually took an hour or so to get him into the car. No way getting him aboard by sitting in the car just waiting. But of course a weeping sloppy drunk teen princess whom nobody loves would be an easier case to fetch.  

Not saying this story were waterproof by what's been told here so far...

[VonMessa]

From outside, when they're inside?  You're good!

Can't speak to that, but you do kind of come off as a dick.

Although it's hard to believe, some people don't drink by choice when they're out.  The school stuff, whatever.  If their policy is no attending parties where there's alcohol, that's the end of it.

Charging her with being in possession of alcohol or drinking is BS though if she wasn't.

Wiley.

Obviously not. You go in and tell them it's time to leave, sometimes you have to be more persuasive than others.  There are many times that I have had to go shepherd drunken GI's back to post.

I am not going to dispute that.  Point is, there have also been many times where I have left GI's at the hotel when they became belligerent and there was no making them go.  If they wanted to miss formation, it becomes their problem, I wasn't their Daddy.  You can only help people so much.


In forty years, I have never seen a bottle or can jump up and pour itself down someone's neck.  If you are talking about peer pressure, perhaps it is high time that one learns to say no.  If your are referring to someone forcing someone else to drink, that is another matter entirely.

[VonMessa]

Well, yeah... The times I've been in that situation have had a couple of variables, like: I was getting paid to get the band back home from 500 km away. The problematic guy had one and a half of my weight, at least. With the attitude of a three-year-old rebel during his negative age. Having been drinking three days in a row. And continuing that for a week or two after getting home. It usually took an hour or so to get him into the car. No way getting him aboard by sitting in the car just waiting. But of course a weeping sloppy drunk teen princess whom nobody loves would be an easier case to fetch.  

Not saying this story were waterproof by what's been told here so far...

That is my biggest point, so far.  I don't think that anyone has the full story, yet.

As to getting paid for the rounding up of drunken band members, sometimes you just gotta use a wheelbarrow 

[Wiley]

In forty years, I have never seen a bottle or can jump up and pour itself down someone's neck.  If you are talking about peer pressure, perhaps it is high time that one learns to say no.  If your are referring to someone forcing someone else to drink, that is another matter entirely.

Ah, ok.  I realize my words were unclear.  From what I've absorbed from the first (admittedly fairly histrionic) article I read about this situation, the kid apparently wasn't drinking and got nailed with a Minor In Possession.

What I meant about the 'don't drink by choice' was, it's not implausible that if she was there for however long, she wasn't drinking.  Some people choose not to drink, is what I should've said.

If they've proven she did have alcohol in her system, my apologies for being uninformed and I retract the statement.  My only point of contention is about the MIP for basically being present where others were consuming.

IMO dealing with GI's that you're responsible for (MP?) or trying to help out is a bit different than a drunk friend.  I'm a man of few people I actually call 'friends'.  The ones I do are pretty much family, and they're the ones I'd drop almost anything to go to help whatever the situation was.

Acquaintances who imposed on me to come get them when they're hammered, which is about the level I'd put the GI's you're dealing with by the sound of it, I can understand being a lot more curt with. <g>

Wiley.

[BuckShot]

This kind of logic is to be expected in the people's republic of Massachusetts. I escaped Mass ten years ago. Maine is a little better, but not much. Maine hunting and fishing are better though!

[VonMessa]

Ah, ok.  I realize my words were unclear.  From what I've absorbed from the first (admittedly fairly histrionic) article I read about this situation, the kid apparently wasn't drinking and got nailed with a Minor In Possession.

What I meant about the 'don't drink by choice' was, it's not implausible that if she was there for however long, she wasn't drinking.  Some people choose not to drink, is what I should've said.

If they've proven she did have alcohol in her system, my apologies for being uninformed and I retract the statement.  My only point of contention is about the MIP for basically being present where others were consuming.

IMO dealing with GI's that you're responsible for (MP?) or trying to help out is a bit different than a drunk friend.  I'm a man of few people I actually call 'friends'.  The ones I do are pretty much family, and they're the ones I'd drop almost anything to go to help whatever the situation was.

Acquaintances who imposed on me to come get them when they're hammered, which is about the level I'd put the GI's you're dealing with by the sound of it, I can understand being a lot more curt with. <g>

Wiley.

When the cops walk in the door, they are going to charge just about everyone present with the violation.  If there are adults present, they are going to get charged with supplying the alcohol.  Notice I didn't say convicted, there is a difference.  It's like throwing crap at the wall and seeing what sticks.

They are then going to leave it up to the attorneys sort it out.

[whiteman]

sounds like some of y'all work for the school district.