Dumb Or Clever? The 'I Am Them' Drunk Driving Lady November 3, 2009 5:43 PM | permalink

There is a minor debate brewing  at Dumb as a Blog over the case of 49-year-old Mary Strey (pictured) of Granton, WI. Strey has achieved a bit of internet infamy after calling 911 last Saturday night to report a drunk driver, which she eventually identified as herself.

After pulling over and putting on her hazard lights, the police arrived, administered a road sobriety test and arrested her. There are plenty of shorter, punchier versions bouncing around the internet, but in the interest of fairness, we include the long version here:

So while it's easy to make fun of her for being dumb because of her lousy grammar ("I am them," IS pretty funny) the question remains: is she really being dumb here? Obviously, on the face of it, calling 911 on yourself seems dumb, and so does saying "I am them," but in Ms Strey's defense, she was hammered.

And while it is never smart to get behind the wheel when boozed up, at least she did something  about it (albeit a little late) to make sure that she and other drivers on the road were safe. Of course, what makes all of us at truTV particularly qualified to discuss this story is that right off the top of our heads, we thought of two other clips featuring people who also called the cops on themselves for drunk driving.

From where we're standing,  Strey comes off the best.

So what do you think; Is Mary Strey Dumb or Clever?

Comments

[QBALL]

I actually feel really sorry for her. To me it seems like a cry for help She seems sad and lonely and well drunk. Did she do the right thing by getting herself in trouble? Probably not. BUT maybe she wanted someone to help her.

[Anna]

Clever! She did the right thing, even if it wasn't in her best interest. Perhaps she was on the road before she realized how hammered she truly was and for some reason had no one else to call to come and get her.

Maybe her lack of friends drove her to drink? No pun intended...
Poor Mary.

[R.K. Johnston]

At least the lady knew that she was blasted. It was not a good idea to turn yourself in to the police...but far better than becoming "asphalt pizza" if she crashed her car--or worse!

I'm roooting for ya to get the help that you need, and that the judge goes easier on you.

--RKJ

[Paul]

The dispatcher who refers to Mary as he and him seems to be the clever one.

[Susan]

Smartly dumb. She should have pulled over and used the phone to call a friend to pick her up, instead. But maybe she was practicing "tough love" with herself, and wanted to make sure she suffered the consequences of her actions!

But she does need a grammar class.

[Patty]

My brother was almost killed by a drunk driver when he was 13. He spent 6 months in a full body cast and took years to recover. I applaud Mary. I also agree with Anna. Perhaps she didn't realize just how drunk she was until she was already on the road. Good move on her part! Wish more people would do the same.

[VJ]

I think this may be the smartest dumb criminal ever. Maybe she was too drunk to remember how to call anyone else...all she knew was she needed help. By calling 911 on herself she very well may have saved her life and the lives of innocent drivers on the same road. Hope things work out for her.

[Amy Rodrigues]

Bravo to her; the dumbest part IMO is the operator saying back to her, "you am them?"

[Ed Hands]

She should have called a friend from the bar initally. That would have been the smartest thing to do. But she did end up doing the next best thing, getting herself and others out of danger. So kudos for that. While she did break the law, I hope the court is wise enough to show great leinancy with this case in hopes of encouraging others to follow suit if they find themselves behind the wheel drunk. I vote "smart."