Hate to admit it, but my car radio presets include Portland’s KINK FM. And from this I learned that the somewhat annoying morning guy, Les Sarnoff, was “on vacation” this week. I don’t mean to sound overly snarky, but alert readers of The Oregonian learned today that this wasn’t exactly a vacation, unless you call sitting in trial as a criminal defendant a “vacation.”

Seems that Mr. Sarnoff was in fact in trial in Clackamas County Circuit Court on charges of driving under the influence of an intoxicant.  According to news reports, he had taken ambien–a sleep aid–before leaving the for home so that he would fall asleep when he got home.

I’m something of an insomniac, so I suppose I can sympathize with the sleep problems. But taking Ambien before getting in your car isn’t much different from a tavern stop for three or four doubles on your way home.  Bad idea.

Witness accounts reported say that Mr. Sarnoff was off the road and nearly hit a building as he weaved his way toward home. Thankfully, no one was injured, so we don’t have to use the civil justice system to seek payment to cover someone’s harms and losses.

But the whole thing provides another caution and teachable moment.  Driving under the influence is a recipe for disaster or, in the smiley spin world of morning radio, “vacation.”

David Sugerman