Pirate bus, Chase Car take the wheel on your night out
Choosing a designated driver or hiring a limo is par for the course for big nights out, like bachelor parties or New Year's Eve.
The problem is when people meet friends in a bar or restaurant with the intention of having one drink – just one, they swear – and three hours later they have a hefty bar tab and no way to get home.
That's where services like Chase Car come in.
Here's how it works: Call Mitch Harpel, owner of Chase Car, in Lewes. He and another driver will meet you at the bar, where you hand over your keys. You ride back with one of the drivers, and the other one follows, driving your car.
So while you might wake up with a hangover, you won't wake up with a DUI.
If you're going to be drinking, you might have more options than ever when it comes to getting home without getting behind the wheel.
Not that everyone takes advantage of those services.
Last year there were 4,249 driving under the influence arrests in the state, according to Alison Kirk, community relations officer at Delaware's Office of Highway Safety. That's up from 4,189 in 2012.
While arrests rose, alcohol-related crashes have dropped from 1,489 in 2007 to 1,180 in 2013.
Kirk said education, enforcement year-round and increased messaging on major drinking events have all contributed to the drop in crashes, she said.
It's also possible that after years of messaging, more drivers recognize the obvious danger to themselves and others, and the high price of driving under the influence.
The average cost of a DUI, with attorney and court fees, treatment, education and fines is about $6,300, according to the Office of Highway Safety.
There's also a stigma surrounding DUIs that didn't exist 20 years ago, Kirk said.
"A lot of the society and the peer-type of talk, people don't want to be that guy who gets arrested for a DUI," she said.
And if you drive under the influence, you will eventually get caught, she said.
"A lot of people drink and drive eight or 80 times before they get arrested for a DUI – people will do it and do it, but eventually you're going to get caught," she said. "It's just a matter of time and you get pulled over and you have to go through that whole process."
Or you could book a pirate ship to haul you and your friends around.
Bill Fox's Black Pearl and Bloody Mary pirate-themed mini-buses, which operate out of Lewes, can be seen making the rounds of beach bars on busy summer nights.
Initially Fox saw people hitting the bars and then making poor choices, so he started the service as a free ride home.
He's since transitioned to a full limo service, doing anything from kids' birthdays to bachelor parties. He charges $75 per hour.
Fox recommends planning ahead for a night out, even if it's only a few days in advance. Big annual events like the Georgetown Oyster Eat or St. Patrick's Day are typically booked early, but a lot of his clients book just days – sometimes hours – in advance.
"They'll call two hours before or they'll call a year before," he said.
And don't think it's just drunk college kids. Both Fox and Harpel said they get a lot of people for whom college was at least a decade ago.
"We have lawyers, doctors, politicians – we won't name any names – they've all been on the bus," Fox said.
Harpel said the older riders have more foresight than many younger bargoers. He'll get a call from a group that is planning a rare night out and they're not sure how it'll end up, so they'll book him to take them home in case they decide to drink.
What Harpel doesn't do is cart people from bar to bar. He's strictly there to take you, and your car, home. And you don't necessarily have to plan ahead for that. If you're in a jam, they can likely come get you and your car with less than 30 minutes notice.
Chase Car charges $29 for the first five miles, and $3 per additional mile.
Kirk said a good start is downloading a taxi app to your smartphone.
Or, of course, designating a driver before heading out for the night.
CALL A CAB, BOAT OR TROLLEY
Let someone sober take the wheel. Here are some of your options:
NEWARK
Champion Transportation Services: (302) 383-4706
Charles Taxi, Inc.: (302) 981-8767
Checker Transportation LLC.: (302) 883-9330
Noni Taxi Cab, Inc.: (302) 897-8915
Eagle Taxi Cab, Inc.: (302) 397-1568
Abe Taxi: (302) 419-8222
WILMINGTON
Yellow Cab: (302) 656-8151
Delaware Coach LLC: (302) 287-4300
Delaware Concierge Taxi, LLC: (302) 602-2222
BEAR
Beolla Transportation, Inc.: (302) 333-1838
NEW CASTLE
Castle Taxi LLC: (302) 256-4602
REHOBOTH BEACH-LEWES-DEWEY BEACH
Beach Ride Taxi: (302) 645-6800
Shamrock Taxi: (302) 360-8360
Chase Car: 258-3464 or Lewes_fish_blue@yahoo.com
Black Pearl Designated Driver Service: (302) 569-2273 or visit the company's Facebook page
Cape Water Taxi: Runs Friday-Sunday on weekends June-September, from Fisherman's Wharf in Lewes to the Rusty Rudder dock in Dewey Beach. Reservations at (302) 644-7334 or www.capewatertaxi.com. Walk-ons are welcome, but reservations will guarantee a seat. $15-$20 for taxi services, although they also do cruises and tours.
Jolly Trolley: Runs at least every half hour – and every 5-15 minutes in peak times – from Rehoboth Avenue and the Boardwalk in Rehoboth Beach, and from Dickinson Street in Dewey Beach on the Rehoboth Bay. Check out the Jolly Trolley tracker on the Get Out app or on www.jollytrolley.com. (302) 227-1197.
MILTON
Beach Ride Taxi, LLC: (302) 645-6800
SELBYVILLE
Dewey Beach Taxi: (302) 430-8294
KENTON
George's Car and Business Services, LLC: (302) 223-5000
Taxi information courtesy of the Delaware Office of Highway Safety website, www.duirealtime.com