Hotel rooms are selling out fast for New Year’s Eve, but one place claims to have abundant space for everybody too drunk to make it all the way home. The accommodations are free, free shuttle service is included and no reservations are required.
It sounds like a scam, but it’s actually part of a clever gimmick by York Regional Police targeting those who choose to drive impaired.
Officers have been tweeting pictures of jail cells behind stainless steel bars warning people that that’s where they will end up if caught drunk driving. A larger shared “suite” may be offered if demand is high.
In a poster that police created to advertise the lodgings, they included reviews from past guests with names such as Henry Highdriver, Oliver Overeighty and Diane Deathwish. The imaginary guests identify themselves with equally amusing avatars of marijuana leaves, a glass of wine and cocktails.
The reviews are unsurprisingly adverse with complaints of being “charged exorbitantly upon arrival” in contrast to other hotels where one gets charged upon checkout. Oliver Overeighty, the gluten-free wine avatar, did express gratitude to the staff for taking the bread off his egg sandwich, and Diane Deathwish said the concrete bed allowed her to stretch out after being handcuffed and cramped in the back of her free shuttle ride.
Police gave their crash pad a half-star rating, perhaps for the “excellent security” provided. Other amenities include cold water and a “minimalist industrial design.”
If impaired drivers are unable to make it to their jail cell, police are promoting the hospital in York Region as well. Twitter users who caught wind of the police campaign rightly pointed out that the evening could also end with one last limo ride in a hearse.
Although the ploy is light-hearted, it bears an obvious and serious message.
“Our message is clear: Do not drink alcohol or use drugs and drive,” police said in their fabricated poster.
@VidyaKauri is on Twitter. Follow @CP24 for instant breaking news.
