By Anna Aphrodesia
Waking up alone in bed after a night of partying is a big relief for many students. There is no awkward goodbye, morning breath kiss, or the embarrassing walk of shame back to the room. Instead, it is the calls of shame that cause the embarrassment.
Going through your cell phone the morning after a party can be even worse than the hangover that accompanies a night of drinking.
With liquid confidence surging through your veins, there are fewer boundaries when making calls. The harmless and hilarious calls soon become more annoying and potentially embarrassing, especially when an ex is called.
The drunk dial to an ex is probably the most toxic call. A secret confession of feelings or a regrettable hookup is the likely outcome of such reckless dialing.
If the ex broke up with you, chances are you are calling to admit your feelings and to ask them to take you back. The asking soon turns into begging. In the end, your dignity is shattered.
If you broke up with your ex, you may be calling them to yell at them some more. Let’s face it, trying to fight when intoxicated usually doesn’t end well.
Although we all know that cell phones and alcohol do not mix well, drunk dialing is becoming more and more popular.
Even websites are promoting drunk dialing. Sites such as www.drunkdial.org and www.drunk-dialed.com allow you to listen to drunk calls and in some cases rate them. Drunk dialing has reached its peak.
So, how do you protect yourself? The easy answer is self-control, but with alcohol in the mix that can be difficult. You could also delete numbers from your phone book, but some of them are probably engrained in your mind.
Thanks to modern technology, you can now bring your cell phone to parties and avoid drunk dialing.
The Virgin Mobile’s LG LP4100 model cell phone now allows users to block calls. The cell phone has built in Breathalyzer that measures blood-alcohol content. If the phone detects a level that exceeds .08 it will automatically block all numbers previously chosen by the user. There is some forethought involved, but usually you know who you will most likely dial when intoxicated.
In addition to preventing embarrassing calls, the phone also warns those who have drank too much to not drive. Once the user breathes into the phone, if their blood-alcohol content is above .08, the phone shows a weaving car hitting traffic cones.
Since the phone is a fairly new product, it is not available at all stores yet.
Until this blocker becomes more accessible, the options for avoiding drunk dialing are limited.
The next time you are tempted to drunk dial at a party, put something on your phone to remind you it is not worth it. I like the idea of putting a post-it note with something that will turn you off to calling anyone.
In the end, the decision to dial is your choice, but it is better to sleep in after a party than to scramble around to pick up your shattered dignity.
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