Wellington, Kan. —
A staple in larger cities and on college campuses, safe ride programs are designed to make sure people who have had too much to drink get home in one piece. Now, Wellington resident Andy Shimer is trying to bring the idea to small-town Kansas.
With five—- soon to be six—- bars in Wellington, Shimer saw a growing need for a secure way that people could get home after a night out. Well-Ride was his answer.
If Shimer’s existing plan were put into action, anyone who goes to a bar in Wellington would pay a small cover at the door. They would then receive a ticket good for one ride home at the end of the night. The person gets home, and the money they spent on the ticket would go towards funding Well-Ride. “I’m trying to keep it as simple as possible,” said Shimer.
The University of Kansas, Kansas State University, and Wichita State University all have similar safe ride services, though each is funded through the schools themselves by tuition subsidies.
Generating funding for the program has been somewhat of an obstacle. Shimer had his first victory in a $600 from Anheuser-Busch to put towards the program. He is also working with Wellington City Manager Gus Collins on getting a retired police cruiser donated by the city. But between driver salaries, fuel costs, and insurance prices Well-Ride still has a long way to go.
Since their businesses would be most affected by the program, Shimer would ideally like to see all of the city’s bar owners and managers come together and form an official group that oversees Well-Ride. They would set schedules and make the long-term decisions about the service. In return, once the program is firmly up and running, each member of the bar association would take a certain percentage of Well-Ride’s profits.
The bar owners in town have had a mixed response to Shimer’s plan. Since there are different policies and regulations for different types of bars, a lot of consideration has to go into covering everyone’s best interests. What works for places like Barefoot Jerry’s may not work for places like the VFW and the American Legion, which are technically members-only establishments.
Kip Etter, general manager of the recently opened The Dore Tavern and Grill, is a supporter of a transportation serivce. “We would all benefit from it…I think it’s something that needs to be put together. But, as far as funding, I’m not sure what the best route to go is.”
Along with finding a way to keep Well-Ride going financially, Shimer admittedly has several other hurdles to cross. At the top of the list is figuring out ways to ensure driver and passenger safety. Other programs have measures such as security cameras and plastic dividers between the front and back seats of the vehicles. Nothing has officially been decided for Well-Ride. “We are still looking at a lot of ideas,” said Shimer.
Distance is a concern, as well. Shimer believes all rides will have to be within Wellington city limits, at least until the program gets established enough to buy more vehicles. “Practically, we just can’t go too far.” Currently, Shimer is at somewhat of a standstill. He continues to search for outside funding for the service while waiting to get an official answer from the bar owners concerning just how involved they want to be. Until some sort of financial agreement can be reached, the Well-Ride initiative sits in wait.
“Really, this isn’t about people looking good or making money. It’s all about keeping people who have had some to drink from making a mistake and just getting them home,” said Shimer.
With five—- soon to be six—- bars in Wellington, Shimer saw a growing need for a secure way that people could get home after a night out. Well-Ride was his answer.
If Shimer’s existing plan were put into action, anyone who goes to a bar in Wellington would pay a small cover at the door. They would then receive a ticket good for one ride home at the end of the night. The person gets home, and the money they spent on the ticket would go towards funding Well-Ride. “I’m trying to keep it as simple as possible,” said Shimer.
The University of Kansas, Kansas State University, and Wichita State University all have similar safe ride services, though each is funded through the schools themselves by tuition subsidies.
Generating funding for the program has been somewhat of an obstacle. Shimer had his first victory in a $600 from Anheuser-Busch to put towards the program. He is also working with Wellington City Manager Gus Collins on getting a retired police cruiser donated by the city. But between driver salaries, fuel costs, and insurance prices Well-Ride still has a long way to go.
Since their businesses would be most affected by the program, Shimer would ideally like to see all of the city’s bar owners and managers come together and form an official group that oversees Well-Ride. They would set schedules and make the long-term decisions about the service. In return, once the program is firmly up and running, each member of the bar association would take a certain percentage of Well-Ride’s profits.
The bar owners in town have had a mixed response to Shimer’s plan. Since there are different policies and regulations for different types of bars, a lot of consideration has to go into covering everyone’s best interests. What works for places like Barefoot Jerry’s may not work for places like the VFW and the American Legion, which are technically members-only establishments.
Kip Etter, general manager of the recently opened The Dore Tavern and Grill, is a supporter of a transportation serivce. “We would all benefit from it…I think it’s something that needs to be put together. But, as far as funding, I’m not sure what the best route to go is.”
Along with finding a way to keep Well-Ride going financially, Shimer admittedly has several other hurdles to cross. At the top of the list is figuring out ways to ensure driver and passenger safety. Other programs have measures such as security cameras and plastic dividers between the front and back seats of the vehicles. Nothing has officially been decided for Well-Ride. “We are still looking at a lot of ideas,” said Shimer.
Distance is a concern, as well. Shimer believes all rides will have to be within Wellington city limits, at least until the program gets established enough to buy more vehicles. “Practically, we just can’t go too far.” Currently, Shimer is at somewhat of a standstill. He continues to search for outside funding for the service while waiting to get an official answer from the bar owners concerning just how involved they want to be. Until some sort of financial agreement can be reached, the Well-Ride initiative sits in wait.
“Really, this isn’t about people looking good or making money. It’s all about keeping people who have had some to drink from making a mistake and just getting them home,” said Shimer.
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