Stirring a lot of controversy — but even more excitement — Safe Rides started almost a year ago.
The organization — which offers a safe ride home to Westport youngsters most Saturday nights — has become an important part of local life. Students are proud of what they’ve accomplished — and adult volunteers like Julie Mombello share in their satisfaction.
The Westport mother got involved with Safe Rides after hearing Alex Dulin — the local group’s founder, and at the time just a junior in high school — speak to both the Westport Youth Commission and Staples PTA. Julie’s involvement grew rapidly. These days she does everything from helping create the new web site to overseeing the calendar to updating paperwork.
With her youngest child entering Staples next year, Julie looks forward to continued involvement. She likes watching students take action — and she believes strongly in Safe Rides’ mission.
It is not — as critics charge — an invitation to teenage drinking. It is an acknowledgment that — all over the country — some young people do drink, and in our community we’ll do what we can to avoid tragic consequences.
“In an ideal world all teens would wait until they were legal to drink,” Julie says. “Unfortunately, that’s not going to happen. People who say that juniors and seniors are not going to drink are burying their heads in the sand. We don’t want to make it easier for teens to drink. We do want to give them a chance to make a good decision if and when they make a mistake.
“If they end up drinking at a party and are afraid to call home, we want them to have a safe alternative to getting behind the wheel. Not only does Safe Rides keep kids off the roads, but it makes Westport safer for everyone. We consider Safe Rides a way of giving back to the community.”
Julie Mombello
In the beginning of November, SafeRides added a 3rd car. “We didn’t want people waiting so long that out of frustration they either got behind the wheel of a car, or got into a car with someone who shouldn’t be driving,” Julie says.
The main users of Safe Rides are youngsters who drank too much, and those looking for rides when their “designated driver” drank. But there are other users too — like teenage baby sitters who don’t want to be driven home by parents who have had too much to drink.
One girl called Safe Rides when a date ended badly. In the car, she cried.
Of course, some people try to scam Safe Rides. “We’ve said no to kids at the diner,” Julie notes. “They had money and were too cheap to call a cab. We hate to say no, but we don’t want a car out on one of these trips when someone might really need a ride. We don’t want to be a taxi service.”
Safe Rides began a blacklist when it was discovered that someone gave a false home address, and was actually dropped off at a party. Users can be blacklisted for party hopping, extremely rude behavior, using the program every weekend, and leaving before a ride arrives.
However, Julie says, “people who are willing to give back and volunteer for a couple of Saturday nights can be ‘un-blacklisted.’ Once they see how the program runs, they might be less likely to abuse the system.”
The biggest challenge, Julie says, is recruiting student volunteers. While many adults — some of whom do not even have children involved in the program — stay up past 2 a.m. to make Westport roads safer, Safe Rides is looking to bolster its roster of 83 teens.
The more volunteers, the less arduous the commitment. And the safer Westport will be for everyone.
(Students and adults interested in the next training session should email Julie Mombello: mombo50@att.net.)
A fantastic program with dedicated students and adults volunteers “behind the wheel”….literally and figuratively! Thanks to all at Safe Rides!
Hi Dan,
I love the article and I know that it will save lives.
Thanks,
Isaac Levi & Ami Dabush
The Safe Rides Team
As an ex-boozer who drove many times in this town while plastered, I applaud the efforts of “Safe Rides.” If you think about it, M.A.D.D. got adults scared to drive drunk as a very small grass roots effort which is now huge. I hope the same for Safe Rides. However, I would like to see some real education on the issues of drinking that seems to have escaped many of this new generatioin. Further, where is the auto industry? They can design a car that will parallel park by itself so why not an inexpensive, practical way for the car not to start when you breath into the key holder? I realize that they have it for DUI convictions but why not have it a standard option on new cars??
There are solutions as this article so aptly testifies. There are plenty more out there as well. Unfortunately, it seems we can not rely on Congress to solve our problems and therefore, we must ourselves. Bravo on a great article!
Sunrise Rotary Westport honored Alex Dulin as its first Young Social Entrepreneur (YSE) for her work on establishing the Westport Safe Rides chapter. We presented her this YSE Award at our weekly Friday meeting on February 5.
Under Sunrise Rotary’s Rising Young Voices program, this new YSE award recognizes high school students who are applying business practices to social causes.
We found that Alex successfully applied her management and marketing skills to the problem. She lobbied adults, recruited upperclassman who drive, and found advisors and sponsors willing to help her establish Safe Rides.
We congratulate all the volunteer students and adults for making Safe Rides a valued community program.
Under this YSE banner, our Sunrise Rotary members voted to support Safe Rides with a donation of $200.
Back in the ’80’s (wayyyy back then…) students at Staples had a Safe Rides program, as well. It was a wonderful program & I’m so happy to see that it has been resurrected. I currently live in Larchmont, NY where the Safe Rides program has been criticized by some as an “excuse for kids to drink” and get a ride. I never saw it as that…some kids are going to experiment with alcohol anyway (sorry, but that’s just reality), so let’s at least give them (and/or their non-drinking friends who may find themselves stuck in a situation where they need a ride, as well) an opportunity to get home safely.
It’s just a smart idea…
Hi Lisa,
We have a new website for Safe Rides, and it is free. It will organize all the scheduling and dispatching among many other things. It is being used by Safe Rides of Westport CT. You may go to http://www.saferidesus.com and create a group. You may call it “Safe Rides of Larchmont”.
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to email us at Isaacl1@optonline.net
Thanks,
Isaac Levi
The Safe Rides US Team
Thank you, Isaac!
I just Facebook-d one of the kids who run the Larchmont Safe Rides to let them contact you directly. I am neither a kid (sigh) or involved with the group…but as I mentioned to her, it is good for “sister” organizations to keep in touch.
Best, Lisa
Thanks,
Isaac