[Anonymous]

[Swissdiver]

(Sipping a bloody Mary in a lounge at 11:15am) Wonder whether the more we travel the more we drink… I guess unless we quit, the answer has to be yes… Don’t you think?

[stevescoots]

I dont think so. like social drinking it depends on the type of drinker you are. personally I may have a G&T before take off, maybe 1 in 3 flighst i will take a glass of wine with my meal but thats it, rest of the time is water or juice.

but when I land Paaarrrttyyyyyy!!!!!! 🙂

actually i end up doing way too much drinking with Govt bods in China, so anytime i am not there i am giving the liver a rest!

[LuganoPirate]

I don’t think so also. I fly a lot and hardly ever drink. Mrs. LP (currently down with a bad cold so drinking hot toddies) however really tries to empty the bar and makes it a personal mission to try most of the offerings (well maybe I exaggerate a little). In fairness she can go a couple of weeks without booze so I guess she’s not alcoholic.

A friend of mine, big traveller and heavy drinker (ex army) gives up alcohol completely from jan 2nd until Easter Sunday. He’s now 70 and his liver is still intact.

Another friend, hardly ever travels, is in our opinion a borderline alcoholic, so I don’t think travel makes you drink but perhaps stress does!

[watersz]

It certanly can become a problem if you spend significant amounts of time on your own travelling.

Especially if its free or can be wrote off on expenses,

I’m afraid i’ve been there. But had a bit of a George Bush moment a few years ago, and decieded it was time to get a grip.

loved the way the CIA code name for him was “Tumbler”

[Swissdiver]

The word alcoholism might be a bit too strong. I’d never have a bloody Mary in the morning if not travelling long haul and tend to drink more airborne. Hence the comment. Other than that, I agree with your comments, it is happening in the head. And, yes, it can be associated to social drinking…

[AnthonyDunn]

At a health check before joining one (as I was subsequently to discover) particularly hard-drinking company, I was asked by the doc when I last did not have a drink and how often this was. Not a problem for me on either account but this might be a pair of questions you might want to mull over.

[VintageKrug]

When I read about the evils of drinking, I gave up reading.

-Frank Sinatra

[Viking777]

I would never drink in the early morning in my house – but when travelling I like to have a couple of drinks. By the time i reach the lounge or board the aircraft its not really morning in my head anymore, 1 hour to wake up and get ready to go, 2-3 hours drive to the airport, check-in, security etc. At the time I have a drink I have been awake for several hours.
Funny thing is what I choose to drink. When im alone its GTs, bloody Mary and like that. With good friends (male) we drink beer. With my wife they better put extra champagne onboard.

[Bunnahabhain]

“I was asked by the doc when I last did not have a drink and how often this was”

Take it you asked the same questions in reply Anthony. And is there going to be a minimum price per unit in the pubs of Westminster & Holyrood? Might not matter if they’re on expenses anyway.

[fatbear]

It depends if i have to drive at my destination !

[VintageKrug]

Just to be a little more serious, I think this can be an issue for some; when temptation exists at every turn, it can become “normal” to start with a snifter in the morning and carry on throughout the day – on board, over lunch, from the mini-bar and when our in the evenings.

However, I can’t say many of us would get by and be in continued employment on such a regime – but it’s surprising how many people do have a problem and you simply wouldn’t suspect it.

I would also caution that alcoholism isn’t really about quantity drunk, though that plays a part. Plenty of people I know drink copiously, but still have control and could not be classed “alcoholic”.

Here are 20 questions you can use to understand whether you might have a problem, a positive response to any one of these in isolation may be an indicator, but still mean you are in control.

If you answer two or three of these as yes, you should probably take a good hard look at your consumption, and if possible take greater control of your drinking.

More than three, and you should seek professional help:

Do you lose time from work due to drinking?
Is drinking making your home life unhappy?
Do you drink because you are shy with other people?
Is drinking affecting your reputation?
Have you gotten into financial difficulties as a result of drinking?
Have you ever stolen, pawned property, or “borrowed” to get money for alcoholic beverages?
Do you turn to lower companions and an inferior environment when drinking?
Does your drinking make you careless of your family’s welfare?
Has your ambition decreased since drinking?
Do you crave a drink at a definite time daily?
Do you want a drink the next morning?
Does drinking cause you to have difficulty in sleeping?
Has your efficiency decreased since drinking?
Is drinking jeopardizing your job or business?
Do you drink to escape from worries or troubles?
Do you drink alone?
Have you ever had a complete loss of memory as a result of drinking?
Has your physician ever treated you for drinking?
Do you drink to build up your self-confidence?
Have you ever been to a hospital or institution on account of drinking?

It’s good for even light drinkers to have a complete break for a set period each year.

[Swissdiver]

@VK: “When I read about the evils of drinking, I gave up reading.”
Henny Youngman, not Sinatra?

[LuganoPirate]

Swissdiver, 😉

[macaulay]

Guy’s, remembering the name of this site, I do think air lines push booze too hard.
In the lounge, the moment you board, throughout the flight.
I feel that they try to gloss over the poor food, poor service experience.
I do not want quantity but quality when I travel.
I most certainly don”t want a hang over/ major jet lag.
Planes get “lighter”, seats and weight are trimmed but vast quantities of mediocre booze crisscross the sky.

[Author]

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