My rant about illegal-alien drunk drivers on last week’s Radio Derb drew this from a California fan, which I think almost rises to the level of a public-service announcement. It is at any rate very informative. Reproduced with permission (and slightly edited).
John:
Here in Southern California, we are particularly aware of the phenomenon of intoxicated illegals hailing primarily from points south. Indeed, my brother was rear-ended by a drunk Mexican in Palm Springs. The Mexican was arrested and put in jail. He made bail and disappeared — south of the border probably. I have no doubt he reappeared with a new ID purchased in the mercados of Tijuana.
I drive some 70 miles a day to and from my job. I drive home around midnight and am mightily aware that probably half the people on the road are “impaired.” I have taken two practical steps to avoid being harmed.
1) I drive a full-size pickup. My truck bed gives me a seven foot buffer in the back. My hood gives me five feet in the front. I also sit “above” the traffic giving me a bird’s eye view of vehicles coming and going. As a result, I have been able to avoid certain collision and calamity on many occasions.
2) I carry $1m of Uninsured Motorist Insurance. The percentage of uninsured motorists in this state is staggering. Most illegals who get into accidents are driving unlicensed and uninsured cars. Their way of dealing with an accident is, if they are able, to flee the scene. If you do not have Uninsured Motorist Insurance, you are, if you will pardon the vernacular, SOL. [I think that means “Seriously Out of Luck” — JD.] My brother would have been stuck with a $10K Emergency Room bill without it.
These incidents, as you reported, occur with stunning regularity. More stunning is that unless someone is killed nothing is done about it. Natives who drive drunk and get caught can expect fines, lawyer fees, increased insurance premiums, etc. that usually total between $15–20K on the first offense. Illegals skate.
WE ARE DOOMED!
Well, not all of us, Sir. Barack Obama’s uncle, for example, looks to have a pretty rosy future.