Being Mindful Stories

Story · Ajahn Brahm

The drunk driver who drove home the police car

As told by Ajahn Brahm in Develop Your Heart | Ajahn Brahm | 2 Dec 2016

2 min read

Content note: drink-driving; doubtful: told as "a true story" but this is a widely circulated urban legend

The story — as told by Ajahn Brahm (verbatim captions)

this one guy in Sydney some years ago some of you know this story in Sydney s The Last Story I promise I'll shut up after this it was Christmas office was having a Christmas party he decided to stay behind for the Christmas party I had a few drinks should not drive home he decided ah what's the chances of being stopped you know the odds are in my favor so he got in his car and he drove home unfortunately his lock was out he got stopped in this big roadblock in Sydney they were targeting one road everyone going along that road got stopped so he knew he was done probably lose his Kai's license and big fine because he was really over the limit so he had to Wai in turn when it's his turn in Sydney apparently then he had to get out of the car before they give him the breathalyzer tube so he got out of the car it was his turn he was about to take the breathalyzer tube you know in his mouth the sound of a car crash one of the cars had come a bit too fast and the roadblock it was a traffic obstacle and at rear ended another car and the policeman heard that and said to this man it's more important that I attend to this car accident than to check your blood alcohol your alcohol he took the breathalyzer away and said get back into your car and drive home he literally become within you know half a second of getting caught if he'd have blowed into that tube it would been way over the limit he thought how lucky could you be apparently this was a true story next morning he woke up with a big hangover because he'd been drinking he woke up because somebody was ringing his doorbell wouldn't stop so he got some pajamas on staggered to the door it was two New South Wales policemen at the door now of course whenever you see a policeman at the door people usually get a bit afraid but then you know he thought even though he a bit groggy I've done nothing wrong yeah I was drinking last night but they can't do anything because I'm not driving now so he was confident so he said what do you want and he said can we look inside your garage sir I said why why do they want to look inside my garage only my car there okay sure and he opened his garage door and that's when he almost had a heart attack because in his garage there was a police car not his car when they said get in your car and drive home he was so drunk he got in the wrong car

▶ Watch Ajahn Brahm tell it from 1:01:17 (to 1:04:06)

A reflection (in the spirit of Ajahn Brahm's talk)

A man let off at a roadblock drove home triumphant, and the next morning found a police car in his garage. It's an old urban legend, and Ajahn Brahm tells it for the laugh. People can be wonderfully foolish. Laughing at it, ourselves included, beats being angry, and the serious lesson is plain enough: don't drink and drive.

In brief (our summary)

After the office Christmas party a Sydney man, well over the limit, risks driving home and is stopped at a roadblock. Just as he's about to blow into the breathalyser, a car crashes into the roadblock; the officer says that's more important — “Get back in your car and drive home.” How lucky! Next morning, hungover, he answers the door to two police officers asking to look in his garage. He's confident — he's not driving now. He opens it: inside is a police car. He was so drunk he'd got into the wrong car.

Teaching point

Rather than anger at human stupidity, laugh at it.

When this story may help

Themes

Source & credit

Told by Ajahn Brahm in Develop Your Heart | Ajahn Brahm | 2 Dec 2016 · 2016-12-02 · ▶ watch from 1:01:17 to 1:04:06 · Buddhist Society of Western Australia

2 other tellings of this story

Caption notes: YouTube auto-captions: unpunctuated, words left exactly as captioned. 'Kai's license' = car licence (not changed).

The narrative is Ajahn Brahm's own telling, quoted from the talk captions. The summary and reflection are Being Mindful Stories's editorial notes. Please credit the teacher and link the original talk. Markdown version

  • The bottle ghost

    In brief: Told in Asia, where people fear ghosts: the most dangerous ghost in the world, one he has seen many times. It possesses people — they…

    Read full story

    I like telling the story of the bottle ghost. I get really serious because it's one of the most dangerous ghosts in the whole world. And I like many people say they don't believe in ghosts. But there's evidence for this ghost. I've actually I've Okay. I've seen it myself many times and I've seen what it what it does to people. You know, it it actually possesses people, the bottle ghost. And they they they don't act in the normal way. They're they're strange. You know, they they don't speak in the normal way. They don't even walk in the They don't act in the normal way at all. They're totally different characters. And I've even seen this ghost possess people. It's no exaggeration. I've seen them get killed. It's that dangerous a ghost. And so, I warn people and listen, my honesty is there. This bottle ghost exists and it does possess people and it does kill them as well. And people are actually very impressed cuz, you know, I don't exaggerate. I don't tell lies. And that bottle ghost, I explain what it really is. It lives in bottles of whiskey, rum, and other things cuz as soon as you take the bottle the top off, you get possessed. And you speak in very strange ways and you can't even walk in a straight line and you do really weird things and sometimes you kill yourself in an accident. It's called a bottle ghost. That's actually why we call these things spirits. Have you ever wondered why they call it spirits? It's the bottle ghost. But it is true. It does kill you.

    Open story page·Watch this telling

  • The stolen Harley on the wrong level

    In brief: An early member owns almost nothing except his prized Harley-Davidson. In a Sydney shopping centre car park he returns to find it gone,…

    Read full story

    I can't pass by this story of one of the people who used to come here in the very early days. The only thing he was ever attached to, the only possession he had was his Harley Davidson, incredibly beautiful motorbike. And those things are worth 50 60 thousand dollars. even more than that. just a bike; it's just worth a huge amount of money. But that was his pride and joy. He just stayed with friends, He just rented houses with people, wore old cloths but he had his Harley. And he told me once, I think he was over in Sydney somewhere, he went shopping and he parked his Harley in the shopping center. Just may be half an hour that's all it took. He went to buy something when he came back to the car park his Harley was gone. someone has stolen it. And he being a Buddhist for a long time. and he thought 'Am I attached to this', can I let it go; someone has stolen it. He wrote to me about this afterwards; and he said he really thought about it ; it is proving what the Buddha kept on telling me what the monks and nuns always said I don't own these things. It's not really mine and he actually let it go. That's what he wrote to me.. he was so proud of himself All these teachings he had been hearing year after year they finally worked. He lost his only possession, the only thing which was really worth anything has been stolen and he could be at peace with it. Ok I let it go, I can live without a Harley And he was so pleased with himself, he could actually do a letting go. Showed him that he wasn't attached. Some karmic forces which is really weird because as soon as he realized he let it go; that he felt the joy that he wasn't attached it was only then he realized he was on the wrong level of the car park. (laughs) You know what it is you have done that sometimes. And of course when he went back to the correct level , there was his Harley Davidson sitting there (laughs) He says it was a beautiful experience for him. It just tested him and now he knew he could enjoy that Harvey Davidson knowing he wasn't attached. Enjoy the extra months and years which he had with his Harley and he knew that when someone eventually stole it or got it crashed or whatever happen he knew he could let it go. He realized yes he can enjoy without being attached.

    Open story page·Watch this telling

  • The senior monk who pretended to be angry

    In brief: A nun in the Thai monastery grows skin-and-bones thin, insisting fasting helps her meditation; the monks can't get through. A very kind…

    Read full story

    I remember once there was a nun in our monastery in Thailand. Years and years ago. She had looked like a psychological problem. She was getting anorexic. Thinner and thinner and thinner, we were just really concerned about her. And whatever we said, she said no, she was fasting because it was good for her meditation. Or she felt healthy. But to look at her, she was skin and bones. Of course we were responsible if, you know I don't have that problem obviously, but if any monk had a problem like that I'd be responsible for them, I'd have to do something to make sure they're okay. But whatever we did as monks, she just would not listen. A senior monk come over from England and we said to him, 'Look, we haven't been able to do anything. [coughs] Can you help?' So he brought the nun to her and this was a very great monk, and he was such a kind monk and he looked at her and he started shouting at her and scolding her and I thought, 'My goodness, this monk, who I really respected, is getting angry.' And I'd never seen him angry like that, ever. I thought, 'what's going on?' He was shouting and scolding her and all sorts of stuff. And then afterwards she went away. And just as soon as she went away that's when he changed his demeanour and he smiled and said, 'That told her, didn't it?' [laughter] He was acting it out. And so I was actually quite relieved. The monk hadn't gotten angry. He was actually a good actor. He actually tried to use that as a skillful means. It really was out of compassion. But it didn't work. Even if you try, you just, and this was a very good monk. He had enough mindfulness and control when he played at being angry he didn't become angry. He could do it. But still it never worked.

    Open story page·Watch this telling

  • The man who shouted at the traffic lights

    In brief: On a hot day on Leach Highway, Ajahn Brahm sits in the passenger seat with the window open. A foot away, the driver in the next lane,…

    Read full story

    Just that man, actually it was in Leach Highway, on a hot day, many years ago. Pulled up at this, I think it was 3 lanes going in either direction. Pulled up at the red traffic lights, and because I was at the passenger seat, my window was open. Right next to me, maybe a foot away was the driver. His window was open as well. He got caught at the red light and he was raging at the traffic lights. Saying "You stupid damn lights!" Why did you have to change now? I was late! This is not the first time you've done this, you did it last time!

    Open story page·Watch this telling

All stories·Find a story for your situation