Sun Newspaper
March 16th, 2006

Sun Region
St. Pat’s Safety

For those who choose to drink alcohol on the Irish holiday Friday, there are options being offered locally to see that you don’t have to get a DUI by driving home drunk.
Scooter Patrol and the Host Lions Club are two organizations that will be staffed for your safety.
(See story on page 3)

Local News

Scooterpatrol gears up for St. Patrick’s Day

Designated driver services
offered for locals in Seal Beach

As families and friends come together to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with traditional green beer and other favorite drinks. Scooterpatrol is coordinating volunteers to work day and night March 17 to meet their mission of reducing the number of alcohol related crashes and fatalities that , unfortunately are also a component of the annual tradition.
Founded in 2003 by Anthony Panzica of Seal Beach, Scooterpatrol is a non-profit grass roots organization that coordinates volunteers to transport potential drunk drivers at no cost from a bar or a party to their home.
Designed for the individual who chooses to drink, but not drive, Scooterpatrol transports people to their home in their own car with the scooter in the back seat or trunk and then drives the scooter back.
According to the National Safety Council, every 30 minutes someone dies in an alcohol related crash. In 2002 NSC reported that alcohol is a factor in 6 percent of all traffic accidents and more than 40 percent of all fatal crashes.
“When we do transport, our objective is always outreach and public awareness,” Panzica said. “We operate year-round and encourage people to call ahead and make a reservation if they know will be doing some heavy drinking. Generally, we service Seal Beach, Sunset Beach, Surfside Colony, Huntington Harbour and Belmont Shore, but because of the amount of Irish pubs in Seal Beach and the number of calls in the past years, we will only serve Seal Beach on March 17th,” he said.
To accommodate the need, Scooterpatrol will also provide two shuttles that will pick up individuals and take them home for a nominal donation, within a 10-mile radius. Reducing alcohol-related traffic deaths is one of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administrations top priorities. Their slogan is “You drink and drive, you lose.” Scooter Patrol agrees with their message to “make the right choice, don’t drink alcohol and drive- it’s that simple.”
Scooter Patrol received in 2005 a Platinum Key Of Life Award from Doctors For Designated Driving in New York City. Scooter Patrol’s free transportation service is made possible through the generosity of local Seal Beach merchants and other sponsors who contribute funding, scooters and supplies.
Panzica spreads the word just about every weekend by traveling to different bars handing out cards and saying “hey, do you guys know about Scooter Patrol?”
Most every weekend he gets a call and on days when it rains he makes sure there are two drivers so another volunteer will follow the other and take the drunken person home.
Chris Gassler, 24, has been volunteering since the program was started three years ago and said at first he felt uncomfortable being the only sober person in a bar, but now he’s used to it and makes jokes like the rest of them.
“Being the only sober one in a drunken area you feel like everyone is bumping in to you,” Gassler said. “In the beginning I felt uncomfortable then you start to loosen up.”
Panzica said that the establishments which will be helping to provide The Scooter Patrol service includes:
-O’Malleys
-Hennesseys
-Clancy’s
-Walt’s Wharf
-The Abbey
-Kinda Lahaina

To find out more information about Scooter Patrol call (562) 577-7365 or (714) 240-3534 or visit the website at www.scooterpatrol.org