Getting heavily intoxicated isn't always the best idea when it comes time to try making the journey back home per se after a wild party. At Sacramento State there is a wonderful program put out by the Associated Students, Inc. It helps any student, faculty of staff after a long night of drinking, or even if you haven't been drinking and you need a safe way to get home. The coordinator of this program is a Ms. Meriah Babitz whom I had a great time interviewing about the program. "It's really a good way for anyone to help out others, do community service and keep the roadways safe from any fatal incidents due to alcohol." Says Babitz. Babitz, 23, who stands a mere 5"6"" is a bit plump and has wild curly hair shuffles though papers to give me a better idea of how the program runs. Being it a Saturday night at about 11pm I was getting the core action of how safe rides runs and operates. First there is always a phone person who sits by the line with paperwork on hand to write details of where, when, how the person(s) are to be retrieved and dropped off. "It sometimes gets really busy and out of hand that we"re backed up for a couple of hours before we can pick up some people, it helps to have a lots of volunteers especially on nights that we know there will be a lot of calls such as 10:01's or any other significant Greek events.".
As the nights goes on we receive a many number of calls and I get to navigate on a few of them picking up some interesting people as it was one of the radio station's events so dubbed "The Exotic Zone Ball" sponsored by 100.5FM. Meriah and I pick up a bride and a barbarian. Only to later pick up a male dancer and 1985 Madonna. "You really end up having some interesting stories after doing safe rides for a few years" says Babitz. "I think the best one was when I took this guy "Jeremy" home, he was talking to me when all of the sudden, mid-sentence he fell asleep.