Drunk dialing refers to an
intoxicated person making
phone calls that they would not likely make if
sober, often a
lonely individual calling former or current love interests.
In
Kurt Vonnegut's 1969 novel ''Slaughterhouse-Five'', the main character describes his tendency to drunk dial:
In the 2004 film ''
Sideways'', Miles Raymond (
Paul Giamatti) gets drunk and calls his ex-wife while at a restaurant. When he returns to the table, his friend Jack (
Thomas Haden Church) asks him, "Did you drink and dial?"
Drunk
texting
Text messaging, or texting, is the act of composing and sending electronic messages, typically consisting of alphabetic and numeric characters, between two or more users of mobile devices, desktops/laptops, or another type of compatible compute ...
, emailing, and editing internet sites are related phenomena, and potentially yet more embarrassing for the sender as, when the message is sent, it cannot be rescinded; the message may be misspelled (due to being drunk), and it might be reviewed and shared among many.
In media
The ''
New York Post'',
[Mary Huhn, "Call it TUI - Texting Under the Influence: High-tech hangovers haunt gadget geeks," ''New York Post'', page 41, April 21, 2005] ''
The New York Times'',
[Carol E. Lee,]
The New Social Etiquette: Friends Don't Let Friends Dial Drunk
(opinion column), ''The New York Times'', January 30, 2005 and ''
The Washington Post'', have all reported on drunk dialing. Cell phone manufacturers and carriers are helping callers prevent drunk dialing.
Virgin Mobile has launched an option to help its users stop drunk dialing by initiating multi-hour bans on calling specific numbers
[Peter Rojas]
Virgin Mobile wants to help stop you from drunk dialing
Engadget.com, November 30, 2004 and the
LG Group introduced the LP4100 mobile phone, which includes a
breathalyzer.
[Brian Haverty]
If you drink, don't dial
CNet Australia Although the breathalyzer function was incorporated to help the user assess fitness to drive, rather than fitness to phone, the owner can program the LP4100 to restrict calls to specific telephone numbers on certain days or after a certain hour, a feature that might help limit drunk dialing by eliminating calls when the user is more likely to be intoxicated. This requires prior planning or awareness that one will become intoxicated at a later time. Some reports indicate that this phone, or a planned future version for U.S. release, would activate the call-blocking function in tandem with the
blood alcohol content results from the breathalyzer.
[Keith Garvin]
New Cell Can Tell If You're Drunk: Already a Hit in Korea, LG Releases Cell Phone with Built-in Breathalyzer
ABC News, June 27, 2006[David Brand]
Firm aims to save drunk dialers from themselves
''The Daily Free Press'', Boston University, October 12, 2006
A mobile app
Drunk Mode
Alcohol intoxication, also known as alcohol poisoning, commonly described as drunkenness or inebriation, is the negative behavior and physical effects caused by a recent consumption of alcohol. In addition to the toxicity of ethanol, the main ps ...
was launched in April 2013. Drunk Mode prevents users from calling or sending messages to specific contacts for up to 12 hours. A reported feature also sets notifications every 30, 60, 90 or 120 minutes to remind users not to engage in certain “drunk behaviors.”
References
{{clear
Drinking culture
Mobile phone culture
Error
Telephony
Interpersonal relationships