Georgetown PD, local brewery urge people to not drink and drive on ‘Blackout Wednesday’
GEORGETOWN, Ky. (WTVQ) – The night before Thanksgiving is known to many as one of the biggest nights to go out to the bars. Some refer to it as ‘Blackout Wednesday’.
It is mostly due to the fact that college kids and young adults living away from home come back to their hometowns to celebrate the holiday with friends and family.
But, it can also be a dangerous night.
Captain Josh Nash with the Georgetown Police Department says in the past few years around this holiday their department has seen one or two alcohol-related crashes.
In 2017 Georgetown police responded to 9 DUIs, and are anticipating around 5 to 10 this year now that COVID restrictions are lifted.
He says they’ve pinpointed high-traffic areas where officers will be patrolling.
“During the overnight hours during the late to morning hour’s people leaving the bars we will put officers in those areas checking for DUIs,” said Captain Nash.
He says if you do plan to go out, to plan ahead and use a ride-share service.
“It’s a time to gather, time to be with family, but do it in the safest manner as possible” added Captain Nash.
And that’s something Country Boy Brewing encourages as well, they say the night before Thanksgiving is one of their busiest nights of the year and safety is a top priority
“We always try to make sure we have the staff on so we can monitor the guests that come in and make sure everyone is served responsibly and is drinking responsibly because the last thing we want is someone getting on the roads especially when this is supposed to be a time when everyone is supposed to be thankful and gather together,” said Cory Scalf, Assistant General Manager at Country Boy Brewing.
Scalf says while they make sure to have plenty of alcohol available, cutting customers off and calling them a ride is something they are willing to do if things get out of hand.
“If they were to refuse the Uber, we would have to take the extra step and call the police and make sure they come and that everything is handled in a safe and appropriate way” added Scalf.
But, doing the right thing and not drinking and driving, aside from keeping yourself and others out of danger, has its perks too.
“Sometimes we’ll leave gift cards and thank you notes on cars left in the parking lot for being people responsible and we always want them to know it’s okay to leave your car here overnight,” said Scalf.
Georgetown Police is also warning people who are traveling this Thanksgiving to lock up before they leave and don’t post anywhere online that they are out of town.
