Be safe with alcohol at Elgin fests

The Daily Herald has provided excellent coverage of Elgin’s downtown festivals, including Art/Soul on the Fox, Walkabout Theater, various musical performances, kids activities and the DNA Pub Crawl.

I also noticed. in the same issue of the Daily Herald, that the Elgin Police Department, IDOT and the Kane Co. DUI Task Force will work together conducting several roadside safety checks at the same time.

Since the populace is encouraged at the pub-crawl to attend as many as 10 bars for prizes, including $500 cash, I would assume that many will be over the 0.8 blood alcohol level limit at various times throughout the evening’s events. It would appear that a conflict of interest exists between trying to get downtown Elgin’s activities portrayed in the light most favorable to attract lots of people and the severe financial consequences of lawyer’s fees, court costs, etc., necessitated by an arrest for DUI.

I certainly do not condone driving while impaired. However, the reputation of Elgin’s festivals, along with future plans for attendance, may be compromised by anyone snared during the traffic stops.

At the very least, I would suggest several things including free coffee for those who have consumed sufficient alcohol before they leave the downtown area, publishing the names and phone numbers of the local taxicab companies, and the promotion and encouragement of designated drivers.

Let us all a splendidly good time and please remember to be safe and courteous to all of our fellow citizens.

Paul T. Miller

Elgin