h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I've always meant to read Behan but have never got round to it. Having read this really good article I mean to rectify what is obviously a serious omission on my part.
It's interesting that only three days before Behan died in 1964 "anyone could go into their local Garda Station and buy over the counter a full licence to drive any vehicle" (Irish Independent) before the Road Traffic Act came into force.
Ireland and the world was different in Behan's day. How quickly the time moves on.

I was one of the first lot who had to take a driving test in Ireland. My brother who is two years older never did.

Even now you can (in fact, if not in law) still drink and drive with impunity here. The police have breathalysing equipment but can't use it until they have arrested a driver on suspicion. Even then they hardly ever do; an actor who was arrested (driving unsafely, red-eyed and smelling of drink), and breathalysed, and found 40% over the (generous by European standards) limit, and charged with an offence, had the case against him thrown out of court on a wierd technicality last week.

We have a serious problem with traffic-law enforcement here. Ireland welcomes dangerous drivers.