University of Virginia Library

Road Trips

One of the University's most vibrant
traditions, one that is so full of life and
enjoyment, can result in pain, suffering, and
even death. Nearly every student at the
University before taking his degree has spent
many evenings in either dingy taverns or
pastoral glades (commonly known as
boondocks or "boonies") swilling beer, or
more recently puffing some of nature's grass,
with one of the students of the state's
numerous women's schools.

Certainly the road trip can provide some
of the most pleasant memories for a Virginia
male student after leaving Charlottesville. It
provides countless anecdotes that always
border on the absurd and unbelievable, and
are usually uproariously funny. However,
going down the road can be and has been a
dangerous enterprise for some students.

The typical road trip involves a lot of beer.
When this beer is mixed with a number of
University students and one or more cars
along with the general condition of nearby
highways, there can be tragedy. The drive
back from girls' schools has proven to be
particularly hazardous, as students, wearied
form the night's experiences and tiring from
the beer that they have consumed, fall asleep
behind the wheel or misjudge a deceptive
curve.

Probably every upperclassman knows of
some student who was killed on a road trip,
and surely everyone knows somebody that
has had an accident "down the road." Only
last week, four students returning from the
Washington, D. C. area were seriously injured
in an automobile accident.

We would like to urge students, not in the
spirit of morality, but in the spirit of practical
advice, to exercise the greatest of caution and
restraint while on road trips. Do not pretend
you are a "Grand Prix" driver and that the
road between Charlottesville and Sweet Briar
is the course at Monte Carlo. Drive with your
seat belts fastened and make sure that your
passengers are wearing them too. Do not try
to take every turn on two wheels so that you
can make it back to the Spot before it closes.
On the way back from a road trip try to stay
awake with the aid of the radio or fellow road
trippers. If you feel sluggish, let someone else
take the wheel or stop for a "rest."

Above all, we urge students to realize the
dangers of alcohol for the man who gets
behind the wheel of an automobile. The
blithering drunk who steps into the driver's
seat at Hollins, Madison or anyplace for that
matter can be a killer. Alcohol can maim and
kill. Remember that.