In Abu Dhabi we walked a promenade along the riverfront, marveling yet again at the sight of all these unintoxicated people.

That’s why drunken people are always so earnestly persuasive, so anxious to convince the unintoxicated observer that it is better to walk on all-fours than upright.

A little presence of mind, and a set of men unintoxicated, could have saved the boat.