BEST OF THE WEST / WHAT’S NEW

INNOVATION

Rescue driver

Certain LA-area residents who have a little too much to drink have a safer way of getting home, thanks to the non-profit Scooterpatrol program, which gives residents and visitors free rides home in their own cars after nights out.
“People get DUI’s because they can’t get their cars home with them,” explains founder Anthony Panzica, who has helped more than 3,000 people since May 2003.
“We’re providing responsible people a viable alternative to drinking and driving.”
Tippled drivers can call Panzica’s free service 365 days a year from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. A volunteer arrives via scooter, pops the scooter in your trunk, and drives you home in your own car. Other groups in L.A. charge big bucks for a similar service, but Panzica’s program is all heart