Don't drink and walk on the road?

by capeofgoodwinein Blog, Musings & Ramblings

What’s behind this strange warning label on the back of some South African wine bottles?

We’ve had many giggles about this seemingly funny warning that appears on the back of our wine labels. Most tourists are bewildered, and not quite sure if it’s meant to be funny. I was recently asked by a Insta friend to explain this. And as I attempted to answer his question as concisely but as briefly as possible, I fully realised how a short Insta answer didn’t do the relevance of this warning justice.

South African labelling laws require alcohol to include one of 7 health warning labels on the products:

1. Alcohol reduces driving ability, don't drink and drive. 

2. Drinking during pregnancy can be harmful to your unborn baby. 

3. Alcohol abuse is dangerous to your health. 

4. Alcohol increases your risk to personal injuries. 

5. Alcohol is a major cause of violence and crime. 

6. Alcohol is addictive. 

7. Don't drink and walk on the road, you may be killed.

It’s up to the producer to choose which label they use. These warning messages were proposed back in 2005. And back then, one of the proposals was that the warning message would need to be rotated and changed every month…as well as appear in all official languages. Needless to say, there was a fair amount of outrage. But discourse was also encouraged, and finally these health labelling laws were implemented.

Most of these, society has come to learn, are self explanatory. So why the particular amusement over the last warning option?

Consider how many people in South Africa travel by foot. Not everyone has the privilege of driving. Our country is scarred by years of inequality, and the vast majority of our citizens use public transport and walk to reach their destinations. 

Consider that very little of South Africa is developed. And thank goodness for the raw and spectacular landscapes that remain untouched by buildings. But even within major cities, extensive sprawling informal settlements exist. These are often near highways and pedestrians walk along these motorways. In my neighbourhood, there’s a fairly busy road that connects suburbs...yet, there is no pavement for pedestrians to use safely. Once I noticed this road, I started to see how many other suburban roads don’t make provision for pedestrian pavements.

Consider the major party hubs. Long Street in Cape Town instantly comes to mind. Watching people zig zag and dodge the traffic, both day and night, makes you understand why it’s long been suggested that this very busy road, filled with back to back restaurants, pubs and clubs, be converted to a pedestrian-only street.

Consider that, in South Africa, pedestrians account for 35-40% of all road fatalities. Most of these fatalities are attributed to pedestrians and drivers being under the influence of alcohol. (Source: Arrive Alive, South Africa) In December 2016, 60% of pedestrians killed on the roads had alcohol in their systems.

It suddenly becomes apparent that this label is the furthest from funny. Think about the last time you had one too many and your Uber was waiting for you on the other side of the street. Did you look right, then left, then right again? 

I have my doubts about whether the warning on the back label of a bottle of booze really makes a difference. But it is part of a larger campaign where the message is reinforced through billboards, tv ads, newspaper ads etc. I’ve often wondered if there was a better way to word the message? But ultimately, it’s succinct. And complete and utter common sense when we’re sober. So maybe, as the laughter dies down, and before we move onto the next topic at our social gatherings...just maybe the message could sink in. Don't drink and walk on the road. You may be killed.

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8 comments

  • Grzegorz says:

    Wow! I'm endlessly stupid. I don't know how it happened, but I discovered your blog only now. I love your writing (I'm not joking) and I'm sure, I'll be your regular reader. Cheers to you.

    • capeofgoodwine says:

      Hiya - he he he - you're so sneaky finding the blog! It's still not ready to release to the public...still making little changes and adding content. I'll definitely let you know when it's ready to unveil! I'd be keen to get your opinion once I'm up and running. Thank you for the support already - you're the best!

      • Grzegorz says:

        Hi,

        Lol! (my boys love that word, is very popular between pupils 😆) Am I first reader of your blog? I think that your blog is perfect and it need nothing more, to be showed to all people around the world. 👍

        You're a fantastic storyteller (something what I really envy you ☺️) and you have absolutely fantastic kind of humour 👌, but sometimes you can be some nostalgic and romantic. 😉 That all make your writing very interesting and very nice to reading (I don't know how to say 🤔, even in Polish 🤣, but I mean, that people want more and more and more...). [edit] Yeah, I've just found that word - wciągający / gripping. 😁

        Problem of many wine blogs is, that authors are to much focused on only pure wine. Tasting notes, technical details etc. (something like me 😂). But for you wine is only a pretext to telling wider story. It is something what I especially like about wine writers. 👍

        So, In conclusion, I think that your blog is absolutely ready to be uncovered. 👏👏👏

        • capeofgoodwine says:

          LOL - I can't bring myself to say it! I still type ha ha ha instead. I'm so old!

          You and Ape Wines are the first, I think. I hope! I'm not that happy with the theme or design yet...so I need to find a theme that I'll be happy with for a few years. You know designer's like to design their own everything...so it's hard finding a theme designed by someone else. Also...photos...I need to do a better job of editing the photos.

          Thank you so much for the kind words! It means a lot to me that you like the writing. I write almost exactly the way I speak...which isn't grammatically correct at all! But I do like to tell a story...usually a long winded story that's not so wciągając! 😀

          Speaking of writing - yours is very impressive. I love the way you've used the word pretext, because that's exactly the way I'd like to continue to talk about wine. You know what's cool about your writing? It's the way you're able to exude your enthusiasm through your words. I can always tell when you're excited about something!

  • Grzegorz says:

    Ha, ha, ha, me too, it was a joke with a using of "LOL". It's example of that kind of many youngster words (not only English), which I'll never understand meaning of. Yes, sometimes communication with teenagers even in your own language isn't easy.

    You're designer, I know what does mean. Presently we are during never-ending redecoration of our home. I think, that there are many common points.

    Yes, I like your writing very much. I like your style, I like lightness of your writting and... what is very important for me I'm all time learnig from you. Ha, ha, ha, I'm not telling about your style (it isn't possible to learn that from someone) but... I mean your English.

    Let me change the main topic for a while.

    Despite I've been already to a few English speaking countries (including motherland of English language - Great Britain), usually during my travels or at work I have contact with people, for whom English is foreign lenguage too. So you might easily imagine that our communication is at another level than when I speak to, or read someone like you. I've never seen textbook to learn Polish language for non-natives, but I suppose that language using there is far from the street speaking . I think that the same is in case of my English textbook.

    So, you understand, that I learn from you real, living English (what is sometimes a challenge for me).

    I realise, that my kind of writting is sometimes too enthusiastic. But it showing transformation which I've passed in my life. Just a few years ago I was someone who never involves in relations with many people. I was standing on the side and I was commenting reality at scathing way. (Still I consider myself as a very ironic person, but of course I can't express that in English, because I think, that ability is directly connected with your mother language, you have to think abstractly in that language and that is almost impossible to learn)

    So, some years ago if I'd read so enthusiastic note as present mine, I would have laughed at the author.

    But, when I'm getting older, with every drank bottle, with every next meeting I'm becoming more open to other people, more friendly and more enthusiastic. I thing that wine's people (who I've met on my way) and wine, has changed me.

    • capeofgoodwine says:

      Decorating your home is NEVER done! And as soon as it is done, you'll want to change something again.

      I've definitely seen English textbooks...and I'm kind of amazed that I managed to pass English as a subject at school! I imagine the same goes for Polish textbooks. We take so much of home language for granted, because we learn it from interacting, and not from textbooks.

      You should NOT be learning from me. My English is a weird mixture of slang, laziness, and trying to sound more casual. I break all the rules as often as I can.

      I love the enthusiasm in your writing. Don't ever try to hide it! Now that I've met you, I can picture your face as you get excited about saying something. Also, sarcasm is the norm for South Africans...we like to make fun of most things...it's a side effect of our relationship with England. So, I hope I'd understand if you were being ironic. I can appreciate a dark sense of humour! But you're right, often humour is lost in writing...it's something best saved for real life conversations where the facial expressions give away the joke!

  • Grzegorz says:

    Decorating your home is NEVER done! And as soon as it is done, you’ll want to change something again."

    It is something what scares me. 😮😲🤣

    "My English is a weird mixture of slang, laziness, and trying to sound more casual. I break all the rules as often as I can."

    The most difficult thing in English language for me is this myriad different words, collocations, phrasal verbs and indioms which you can use to say exactly the same in thousands ways. Polish language comparing to English is much more poor, but we also have own odd ways. I don't know if you know that e.g. in Polish every noun you may inflect by seven different cases. 😉😁

    "Also, sarcasm is the norm for South Africans…"

    I love sarcasm, I love to be sarcastic to myself and I love people who can be sarcastic to themselves. I love English sense of humour, but I'm affraid that we Poles (Polish politicians undoubtedly) we have not enough sense of humour and distance to ourself. In Poland there are too many puffed up, pompous, snubby and my favourite Polish word "nabzdyczonych" people who take offence easily and can't laugh at themselves. 😶

    I hope that I'm not one of them. 😉😁

    • capeofgoodwine says:

      He he he - it's better to just accept it for what it is!

      You're right - we have far too many words with slight variations on the meanings. But we only use around 5000 (out of more than 170 000 words) in everyday writing and speaking. Crazy.

      I'm not sure how anyone survives without sarcasm! 🤣