The Bobcat Nation

When I was in town for Cat/Griz, my sister told me that she had heard that there was a guy (maybe several) who started up a service in town for the benefit of the many drunks at the bars (that would be us). The guy had a scooter, and would take calls from people at the bar. For a small fee, he would ride his scooter the bar, go to your car with you, and put his scooter in the trunk or in the back of your pickup. He'd then drive you home, and then drive his scooter home.

This seems absolutley brilliant to me, especially during the nicer weather times of the year. Does anybody know more about this, and whether the guy is expanding his service next spring? It seems like you could charge a pretty hefty fee, and the wiser people would be happy to pay it as DUI insurance. I know all too well that trying to get a cab in Bozeman after the bars close is not easy, and driving home yourself is just not a good answer at that point.

I know I'm throwing a softball here for cat fans to hit out of the park but...

For quite some time that was done in Missoula, it was a couple of hippies with rickshaws (sp?) Of course only during the late spring/summer/early fall, but these guys would tote you around on these things, don't see them around anymore, but they were downtown for a few years, offering rides to drunks.

Come on ReMax, being towed around on a rickshaw by a hippie would have been fun! Just as long as he's not upwind or so stoned he doesn't know where he was going.

But seriously, this transport service is a good idea. Rates are pretty cheap, I understand. There used to be CatCab for MSU students or anyone. It was $1 for a ride. But I don't know the rates for the shuttle service. I don't frequent the bar scene at all, so someone who does know about it more than me could have better insights into this topic.

Leave it to a dUMb student to solve that problem half-assed.

Realtor, did the rickshaw jockeys return and take you BACK to your car after you've regained sobriety? Figures a BOBCAT would finish a plan the right way and "build a better mousetrap".

(you asked for it, you got it)

I know that more than one time we called the drunk bus. I have no idea how we called it, or where it came from, but I remember it was a big red van. That was early to mid 90's.

I recently used a taxi that charged 2 bucks from downtown back to campus. I remember nothing else about that night.

El_Gato wrote:Leave it to a dUMb student to solve that problem half-assed.

Realtor, did the rickshaw jockeys return and take you BACK to your car after you've regained sobriety? Figures a BOBCAT would finish a plan the right way and "build a better mousetrap".

(you asked for it, you got it)

Yeah I know I know...

Personally I never used their services, the nights I got too drunk downtown I made sure I had a ride home from someone with a car, not a rickshaw.

As I recall the guys did have problems with them getting stolen, since they really couldn't lock them up. Some drunk would just see it sitting there while the owner wasn't paying attention and grab it and run.

That happened to Cosmo Kramer one episode as well!

When I was going to MSU in the mid 80's they had a program that the bars all paid for call "Home Free". You just asked the bartender or waitress to call you a taxi and it would take you safely home. I used it a couple of times and even did a paper on it for a class. I'm sorry to see that it is not in place anymore.