Video by Patrick Enslow and Taylor Colberly-Vincek
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While the bars in Old Town serve as venues for drunken memories, getting home safely can be a challenge for students.
Junior economics major, Kyler Hanson, said that Transfort’s Green and Gold bus, commonly known as the drunk bus, offers a solution.
“Thankfully I don’t drink and drive, but it’s a great service because it makes it so you don’t have to drink and drive,” Hanson said. “Because, otherwise, how are you going to get home?”
The bus system runs Friday and Saturday nights from 10:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m, departing every 15 minutes from the corner of Mountain Avenue and Remington Street. The green route takes riders through downtown, Mulberry, Taft Hill, Drake and College, while the gold route serves downtown, Laurel, Elizabeth, Prospect and College.
According to Hanson, the low fee of $1 is the best part of the system. Bus attendant and CSU sophomore, Dylan Hutson, says that students are generally appreciative of the service.
“I have lots of people thank me, because we’re basically ensuring public safety,” Hutson said. “Every person that gets on the drunk bus is someone who is not driving home drunk.”
Hutson said that students are often disoriented on the buses.
“People pretty much throw up on the bus every night, so it stays pretty entertaining,” Hutson said. “I see people fall over, fight — just general drunken behavior.”
While antics on the drunk bus may be humorous to some, Transfort Contractor Joshua Whalen takes his work seriously.
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“I’ve got a wife and four kids,” Whalen said. “I just imagine a drunk getting behind the wheel, and I picture that minivan going down the road.”
Bus driver Mike Grant said he wishes that he had access to a similar system as a young adult.
“We’re saving lives and keeping people from ending up in courts,” Grant said. “It stops the overcrowding of our jails, and it keeps people in school instead of doing community service and getting tickets.”
Bryce Johnson, a junior geology major, said that he values the drunk bus and rides it frequently.
“The drunk bus is like … you hopped on (Burt Reynold’s) airboat in ‘Gator,’ and he got you home in … full action with alligators everywhere,” Johnson said. “It’s awesome, and you get home safe.”
Collegian Diversity Beat Reporter Hannah Ditzenberger, News Producer Taylor Vincek and News Assistant Producer Patrick Enslow can be reaches at news@collegian.com or on Twitter at @h_ditzenberger, @taylorjane_c. and @penslow_19.
