Tim Hortons in hot water with Dubai police for 'drink and drive' Facebook post

By Andrew Evans | Daily Buzz 

A Tim Hortons cup is seen in Dubai.

When someone says you shouldn't "drink and drive," do you take that to mean you shouldn't drive drunk, or that you actually shouldn't imbibe anything while behind the wheel?

Tim Hortons and the police in Dubai seem to have differing opinions on the matter.

The coffee chain's Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) division, which operates over 20 stores in the United Arab Emirates and Oman, fell afoul of law enforcement thanks to a post on their Facebook page andTwitter account that suggested their coffee is "one thing you can drink and drive with."

Sipping a coffee during your morning commute may seem like a normal, everyday activity, but the Dubai Police explicity warn drivers against eating and drinking at the wheel, and are considering fining drivers who get caught.

Police Col. Saif Muhair Al Mazroui told 7Days that "any motorist who doesn’t pay attention to the road is endangering the lives of others. Eating or drinking inside the car while driving is prohibited as it might cause accidents when the motorist gets busy and doesn’t focus on the road."

The CEO of Tim Hortons GCC, Santhosh Unni, apologized and said, "We acknowledge one of our posts uploaded yesterday may have hurt some sentiments and we apologise for this.

"It was meant to reflect a common consumer behaviour pattern. We do not promote reckless driving and request our customers to always be careful on the road."

Last year, a study revealed that one-third of drivers in the UAE admit to getting distracted, so maybe putting down the coffee cup and focusing on the road isn't such a bad idea. Not only does it take one hand off the steering wheel, one bump could mean scalding hot coffee all over your hands or lap, which could lead to a serious accident.

If you're worried your coffee is going to spill all over the inside of your car, perhaps you should turn to this guy for help:

(Photo via The Canadian Press)