I hope we can slow down just a little bit and enjoy summer. After all, there are usually fewer people on the roads because of vacations, and that mean a little less congestion. You might even be able to find a parking space or two. Speaking of parking: I had dinner reservations in Georgetown on Saturday night, and besides getting to the part of M Street where I needed to be ahead of the massive closure caused by a suspicious package (thank goodness for the big yellow school bus I was able to sneak behind because the police kept letting it go through), I was able to find a spot on the street right in front of thehotel where the restaurant was located.
The thing that made it interesting was that the space was among those multiple parking areas, and I had to purchase my time at the little kiosk and put the receipt in my window. By the way, in this country we still call that big sheet of glass a “windshield,” right? The directions on the receipt told me to place the piece of paper inside my “windscreen.” I guess this U.K. product hadn’t been Americanized yet.
All in all, it worked well, although I had to answer the questions of several other people who were either trying to figure out how to use it for themselves or were just curious to know what this electronic box did. I was almost late for dinner because, as you might imagine, I love talking to people about things related to transportation, especially when they are gadgets. It was fun, and the meal was perfect.
I want to remind you again that Wednesday is Independence Day, the deadliest holiday of the year in terms of crashes involving drunken or impaired drivers. That’s why, beginning at 4 p.m. Wednesday and lasting until 4 a.m. on the 5th, the Washington Regional Alcohol Program will once again offer its SoberRide program. This is the free service that provides a cab ride home, up to a $50 fare, for those who have had too much and shouldn’t be getting behind the wheel. It’s available in the District; in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties in Maryland; and in Arlington, Fairfax, (eastern) Loudoun and Prince William counties in Virginia.
All you have to do is call 1-800-200-TAXI, and a local cab company participating in the program will pick you up and take you home. The only caveat is that you must be 21 or older to use SoberRide.
The only thing I would ask is that you make sure that you or the person you put into one of these cabs gives the driver a nice tip. Yes, the fare is free, but cabbies rely on tips for a large part of their income. I don’t know about you, but I can’t imagine it’s too much fun hauling drunken people too and fro, and not getting a proper tip would make the experience even less appealing. We’d like this service to continue making our roads safer for a good long time and ensuring that the drivers are willing to participate will help.
