I hear it all the time - for some reason especially from my friends. Does your limo have a moonroof? Movies glamorize drunk people sticking their head out of the moonroof of a limo - singing at the tops of the voices or yelling. So dangerous. The vehicle is MOVING - they are DRINKING and only the chauffeur can see if the vehicle is passing under branches from a tree or a low underpass.
Now-a-days limo manufactures seal up the moon roof and typically they are clearly marked as emergency use only. Normally this is the emergency escape hatch in the event of a roll-over. But crazy enough some of our clients - actually for a corporate event - booked our Hummer limo and popped open the emergency escape hatch anyway. To drunkenly stick their head out of the Hummer limo. That cost them - the latch to sealed the escape hatch was $1,000! Yep $1000 to stick your head out the "moon-roof".
I cringe every time some movie has people sticking their heads out. It is such a liability for the company! If you want to do crazy things that risk your life and limb, book a sky diving trip or bungee jump or something. Don't try and stick your heads out of our limos. It is just a recipe for expensive damages.
This is so powerful - watch this video!! At first I thought there was too much emphasis on the accidents and gore and less about the drinking. But then I thought again - people know how to have fun drinking. People know too much about having fun drinking without thinking about the consequences.
Please be safe this holiday season!
Just read a crazy newspaper articlewhere they actually have banned "pub crawls" in Providence, Rhode Island on Thursday 6/11/09 House lawmakers approved the bill by a razor-thin 35-33 vote.
Five years ago, sadly, Fairfield University's valedictorian Francis Marx was run over by a bus when he was allegedly pushed into the street by three other University of Rhode Island students while they got into an altercation.
Rep. Crowley from Rhode Island has been working with URI and President Robert Carothers to change the school from a "party school" to a respectable educational institution. The pub crawl ban was part of this plan.
The pub crawl ban was added to an existing law banning bars and restaurants with liquor licenses from advertising certain promotions such as happy hour or two-for-one nights, Crowley said. The law entitles each town to deal with establishments that break this rule in their own way.
"Licensees can't participate in pub crawls," Crowley said. "If they do, this law gives each town the authority to call that licensee into a council and possibly revoke their liquor license."
Hmmm. . . sounds very similar to the reputation of ASU - as a "party school". Is some incident going to cause lawmakers here in AZ to outlaw bar hopping or "pub crawls" - especially in the Tempe area area (close to ASU)? As a limo company we certainly hope not! Bar hopping is the crux of our night-on-the-town business!
What do you think? Do you think the lawmakers in Rhode Island had a right to outlaw organized pub crawls? Isn't it about personal responsibility to not get overly intoxicated and get into drunken brawls too?
Here are the top 5 ways renting a limo can help you save you between $3,595 - $8,835:
1. You don't get a DUI. A DUI with BAC of .08 will cost you more than $3,200 and 10 days in jail. Extreme DUI - BAC of .15 will cost you more than $5,950 and 30 days in jail and Super extreme DUI - BAC of .20 will cost you more than $8,330 and 45 days in jail. Savings = $3,200 - $8,330.
2. You get no line/no cover at many of the top clubs in the Valley - average savings $5-$10 per head - let's say a group of 20 - that equals a savings of $100-$200.
3. Some companies have exclusive dining and club discounts to many fine establishments where you can get discounted food and beverages. Savings = $20-$60.
4. You can enjoy your cocktails on-board the limo instead of spending $10 per drink (no kidding - it is that much - especially when you factor a tip) inside the clubs. So let's say 2 drinks each consumed by 15 people from a large bottle of vodka you purchased at the grocery store for $21 & cranberry juice for $4 = $25 for all your cocktails versus $300 buying those 30 drinks in the club. Savings = $275.
5. You show your teenagers that you care when renting them a limo on prom. Traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for teenagers across the United States. Drivers aged 16 to 19 years have the highest average annual crash rates of any other age group. Prom night is especially risky because of potential for alcohol and drug use and multiple passenger in the vehicle - causing distractions for the driver. Savings = how much is a teen's life worth? I think priceless.
It it is not just the least expensive price - look for the properly insured and licensed company when you select your chauffeured transportation company.
It could cost you your life if you don't!
When you ride in a chauffeured vehicle you are putting your life in another person's hands. Literally. There are auto accidents even in chauffeured vehicles - limos, party buses, sedans, mini-buses, charter buses - none of the these vehicles are immune to getting into accidents.
The facts are that there were nearly 6,420,000 auto accidents in the United States in 2005 (in all vehicles - not just chauffeured cars). About 115 people die every day in vehicle crashes in the United States -- one death every 13 minutes.
Not a pleasant thought. So I don't understand why - when you are putting your life in another person's hands - prospects insist upon looking at the least expensive limousine company. Price seems to be the only choice factor - especially in Arizona - especially in today's market.
If the company is offering rock bottom pricing on their limo service, who is the driver (or as we like to call them chauffeur)? Who has your life in their hands?
Is the driver an employee or independent contractor? A citizen of the US or at least legally here? Did they go through pre-employment drug and alcohol screening and are they subject to random testing? Is the chauffeur a licensed CDL chauffeur (with all that comes into play with being a CDL driver - the physical exams, driver's log, upgraded driving tests)? Did they go through a background check for the company?
Think about this - when your 17 year-old child is rolling out of the driveway in a Hummer limo for her first prom maybe you will care about if that driver has gone through a background check and has been drug/alcohol tested?
If the company is offering rock bottom prices, are they cutting corners on insurance? Maybe the don't even have commercial insurance? What is going to protect you in the event of an accident or injury? Perhaps only 4 out of their 6 cars are covered on their policy - driving personally insured vehicles in the business to save money. Or maybe because of the economic downturn their insurance lapsed?
Or - quite easy to do - even the limo builders help limo companies with this by putting a plate in the cab of the vehicle with a passenger count at 14 passengers to fool MVD and DOT inspections. Is the limo company selling a Hummer limo as fitting up to 20 people - but only insuring the vehicle to fit 15 or less people? Then they can get away with the less expensive $1.5 million coverage instead of the $5 million required on 15+ passenger vehicles.
If God forbid you get in an awful accident, and the company has no insurance or is under-insured, then what?
Please consider other factors when selecting your chauffeured transportation company. Ask them for a copy of their insurance certificate. Check to see if the proof has a list of vehicles - maybe take it as far as verifying the VIN# with the car your are in.
Use reputable companies who don't have rock-bottom prices. If the company's price is way below the other quotes you have been getting, something is wrong. The company is cutting corners in some fashion and you are literally putting your life in that company's hands when you step into the back of their vehicle.
Here is our sample copy of our insurance - more Arizona limousine safety advice and compliance topics will be published in the next few days. Be safe - good luck - and be a smart shopper - not just concerned with price!
I always compare our industry to the restuarant business - but think about it - when you eat at a restaurant that has bad food - the worst you get is a stomach ache. If you ride with a limo company that is under-insured or sub-par chauffeurs - it could make you injured for life - or worse.
So we've all done it - had a few too many drinks and said the classic line "I'm okay - I can drive" after drinking a few or many cocktails. In this case they had a child - a beautiful little 6 year old that they would be driving too. And of course it is a felony to be caught drunk driving with a child on-board.
The Superbowl game was great! I would have been much happier if the Cardinals won - but they showed up to the dance and did a GREAT job - it was exciting, a real nail-bitter. Beer, Jaggermeister, vanilla vodka flowing freely and creating a few drama scenes as alcohol often does.
But us as the hosts - to see good friends of ours say they can drive - this after slurring for the last few hours (and being teased for it!).
Of course we did the right thing and drove their car home - following with ours. But how many others on the road that night were driving after a few too many? How many hosts of Superbowls parties stay sober to make sure their friends get home ok?
The tragedy is in the what could have happened when the "I'm okay I Can Drive" words are spoken. . .
Drinking and driving in Arizona recently got more expensive with penalties and fines. Of course the ultimate penalty would be to pay with your life or somebody else’s life!
I recently was forwarded the following email from somebody who went to an YPO presentation regarding DUI’s and the new Arizona laws. At the presentation she heard from two highway patrol officers, a prominent DUI attorney and then a public relations firm. The police officers went through the new punishments and BAC (blood alcohol content) thresholds that were just passed. They also demonstrated to a sober person what happens when you do get pulled over for a DUI.
My assessment is the new DUI rules have significantly changed the risk reward decision about drinking a few drinks and then driving. The main changes is they have significantly lowered the BAC (blood alcohol content) thresholds.
I used to think that it was no problem to have a couple of drinks with dinner and then drive home. The new lower BAC are now so low that someone who is a good citizen and just has two drinks has a lot of risk.
The thresholds and punishments for first time DUI offenses are as follows (second time offenses are drastically worse):
Standard DUI: BAC over 0.08 (three drinks for most men and two drinks for most women)
a. Mandatory jail time of 10 days - No plea bargaining (second offense - 30 to 90 days)
b. Mandatory suspension of driver’s license for 90 days (second offense - one year)
c. Mandatory installation of ignition interlock device in car for one year (Cost: $1,000 plus $100 per month)
d. Court fees - $1,500 (second offense - $3,000), points, increased insurance, attorney fees, etc.
Extreme DUI: BAC over 0.15
a. Mandatory jail time of 30 days - No plea bargaining (second offense - 60 to 120 days)
b. Mandatory suspension of driver’s license for 90 days (second offense - one year)
c. Mandatory installation of ignition interlock device in car for one year (Cost: $1,000 plus $100 per month)
d. Mandatory alcohol monitoring - 30 days (second offense - 90 days plus 30 days of community service)
e. Mandatory vehicle impoundment - 30 days
f. Court fees - $2,500 (second offense - $5,000), points, increased insurance, attorney fees, etc.
Super Extreme DUI: BAC over 0.20
a. Mandatory jail time of 45 days - No plea bargaining (second offense - 180 days)
b. Mandatory suspension of driver’s license for 90 days (second offense - one year)
c. Mandatory installation of ignition interlock device in car for 18 to 24 months (Cost: $1,000 plus $100 per month)
d. Mandatory alcohol monitoring - 30 days (second offense - 90 days plus 30 days of community service)
e. Mandatory vehicle impoundment - 30 days
f. Probation - 0 to 1 year (second offense - 0 to 5 years)
g. Court fees - $3,000 (second offense - $6,000), points, increased insurance, attorney fees, etc.
Felony DUI - 0.08 or above but with a MINOR in the car less than 16 years old
a. Felony charge
b. Mandatory jail time of 30 days - No plea bargaining
c. Suspended driver’s license for three years
d. Ignition interlock device - Installed in car for 18 months or possible loss of car ($1,000 plus $100 per month)
e. Fees (up to $150,000), points, increased insurance, attorney fees, etc.
f. Possible probation for up to 5 years
Note: If a person under 21 is pulled over and they have had ANY alcohol (even the day before they turn 21), they would be subject to the above rules plus will lose their drivers license for a minimum of two years with no plea bargain available and it will be on their record for 7 years.
Other facts:
This BAC is not affected by whether a person can handle alcohol. It is a chemical formula based on your blood content, not how you act.
a. A person can get a DUI with lower than 0.08 BAC if they fail the field sobriety test
b. The BAC is at it highest 2 hours after the last drink is taken. The BAC will not start going down until 2 hours after the last drink (i.e. stalling at the police station will probably not help).
c. The police officer said that they are starting to see a very high incidence of woman DUI after social lunches.
d. The most common infraction people are pulled over for, especially at night, is the wide left or right turn
e. When the police department has a DUI task force in place in an area, they will basically pull everyone over that is driving through the area (i.e. regardless of whether a driver did something wrong). If they do not smell alcohol on your breath, they will give the driver a verbal warning. If they smell alcohol, they will say you were weaving.
The message they are sending is to not to drink and drive, have a designated driver or take a car service home if you have been drinking (regardless of how far you are from home). Also, never have even one drink if you will be driving with a person under 16 years old in your car. The biggest other must is to have the phone number of a chauffeured transportation company - riding in a limousine, sedan or SUV is so much better than a police car or ambulance! In The Scene Limousine 602-996-LIMO (5466).
