Posted: Dec 30, 2009 11:06 AM
Updated: Dec 30, 2009 8:09 PMBy Jordan Sandler - bio | email
COLUMBIA, SC (WIS) - As New Year's Eve approaches, officers say it's important to remember common sense like calling a cab or having a designated driver if you plan to drink.
Oddly enough, there's a service in the Capital City that you may not be aware of when you are too impaired to drive.
It might remind you of the movie 'Dumb and Dumber.'
"We use foldable scooters, FLEXI foldable scooters," explained Hall Todd, from Valet-US.
Todd started his scooter service three weeks ago.
"Originally the idea came from London," said Todd. "If someone goes out and decides they can't drive, they give us a call. We dispatch a driver on a foldable scooter. They fold it up, put it in the back of the customer's car and drive the customer and their car home."
It's convenient and comfortable for you. For Todd and his drivers, the ride back is the sacrifice.
"Oh yeah, it does get cold, for sure," he says.
Todd says the scooters are completely street legal, equipped with turning signals. They get up to about 35 miles per hour and an impressive 60 miles to the gallon. Todd bought six of the scooters at $1,300 apiece.
But any new idea will have it's skeptics.
"I think I'd got to the traditional taxi route," said Howard Yale. "Do they stay with you? Do they spend the night at your house or whatever? I'm not with that."
"My car's a mess," said Garrick Turner. "I can't not imagine anywhere in my car that someone could put a scooter."
"Whoever came up with it is a genius," said Parker Melton. "It's gonna save a lot of gas also."
"It can fit in just about any car," Todd explained. "It folds up to about a two-by-two cube."
Todd says if the scooter doesn't fit, he'll call an actual car help get you home for the same price.
Valet US operates Tuesday through Saturday 8pm – 3am. They can drive you 10 miles from the downtown Columbia area. They do not drive on freeways.
The cost is $10 for a pick-up fee and then $3 a mile after that. It's a $10 flat rate for students.
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