The Man Who Is Always The Designated Driver

The man who is always the designated driver is either the safest friend in the group or the unpaid staff. The difference is whether he chose it and whether they respect the cost.

Gas, hours, the 2AM drop-offs, the smell in the car. Care is real. So is being used.

When is driving a good man's job?

When people would be dangerous on the road. When you offered. When they chip in. When you can go home after and not be mocked for being "the responsible one" as if it were an insult.

When should you stop?

When every night out assumes your wheel. When nobody else learns the route. When your Sunday is wrecked and they post the fun without the man who got them home. Say it on thefilipinomen.com language: "Not tonight. I need the morning."

How do you reset the role?

Rotate. Take fare. Leave earlier. Let them find a ride. A friendship that dies when you park is a taxi with memories.

More of this kind of everyday manhood is at thefilipinomen.com — that is the home of The Filipino Men.

Frequently asked questions

What if I am the only one with a car?
Then your no is more important, not less. Scarcity is not a lifetime contract.

Is it unmanly to ask for gas money?
It is unmanly to go broke so other men can drink cheaper.