[savman]

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Drinking and driving immediately comes to mind. One of the best things to happen to me was a DUI the week after my 22nd birthday. Like a lot of people, I didnt make a habit of drinking and driving but I would on occasion do it. My Criminal Law professor made a wonderful generalization about the US justice system that is 100 percent applicable to this thread. He described it as a punishment lottery. Think of the times that many of us have been behind the wheel intoxicated. Imagine if a person were crossing the street, someone were stopped in the middle of the road, whatever. Next thing you know, BAM! You just bought a winning ticket. Your life would be catastrophicly changed forever. Because lets face it, there are lots of people doing hard time who are not unlike a lot of "good" people out there who made the same bad decisions but werent holding a winning ticket.

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this doesnt justify your behavior

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I wasnt in anyway trying to do so. I am not sure how one could arrive at your conclusion afer reading my OP. Perhaps you are taking this sentence in isolation:
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Like a lot of people, I didnt make a habit of drinking and driving but I would on occasion do it.

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I included this beacuse this is how I would foolishly rationalize driving intoxicated. Begin internal dialogue: "I am not a drunk driver. I am not really drunk, just buzzing. Besides, I just live down the street." The aforementioned rationalization is exactly the type of bad decision that can alter ones life permanently.