What would you do if you had a friend, family member, or loved one with an alcohol abuse problem and a handful of DUIs under their belt? A serious talk, a desperate plea, an intervention, or even an ultimatum may come to mind for many people in such a situation, but Youtube comedian Tom Mabe took a different route.
The master prankster used his knack for pranks to try to open the eyes of a friend with an alcohol addiction and five DUI convictions. While pranks are usually designed to garner laughs, this prank took a more serious tone.
After his friend passed out in his car after another night of drinking, Mabe took the friend to an office that had been transformed into a hospital room. Upon waking in a still slightly drunk state, the friend was told by a faux doctor that he had been in a coma for 10 years after getting into a drunk driving accident. Mabe even used real medical equipment and created a brief news segment with elaborate news stories from the future.
The second “doctor” soon comes in to reveal the prank and himself as Mabe. Unfortunately, the friend seems to laugh it off as a funny joke despite Mabe’s serious and angry tone and demeanor. Check the elaborate ruse out for yourself:
Some viewers wonder if the video is a real prank or a “Don’t Drink and Drive” campaign disguised as a prank. Others think that Mabe should have kept the prank going further, as it didn’t seem to sink in with the friend. How effective do you think this creative drunk driving prevention approach will be at preventing the comedians’ friend, or anyone, from driving while impaired? Is the prank a bit harsh, not harsh enough, or just the eye-opening experience a persistent drunk driver needs?