November 12, 2007-Bismarck Tribune
Nov 12, 2007 - 04:04:36 CST
FARGO (AP) - A new business here offers to bring home people who have been drinking, and their vehicles, too.
But North Dakota Insurance Commissioner Adam Hamm is advising consumers to do a little homework before giving Sober Guy a call.
Jason Casavan, 23, who works as a bill collector by day, started the Sober Guy business. For $17, two employees will pick up someone who has consumed alcohol. One employee serves as the designated driver and drives the customer home in the customer’s vehicle. The second employee then picks up his co-worker.
Casavan said he got the idea after getting tired of leaving his car behind after an evening at the bar, and having to figure out how to get a ride to his vehicle the next morning.
Employee Zachary Delorme, 22, of Fargo, got hit by a drunk driver in a collision last year. He now drives 25 to 30 hours per week for Sober Guy to try to make a difference.
Many customers praise Sober Guy the entire ride home, said Delorme, a college student.
To use the service, customers must have car insurance, Casavan said. Sober Guy and its drivers also have insurance, he said.
Still, Hamm suggests people contact their insurance company to ask what coverage issues there might be if an incident occurred. Consumers might also want to get more information about Sober Guy’s insurance policy.
“We want to encourage folks to not drive under the influence,” Hamm said. “It’s just you want to be careful before you get into one of these situations then find out there’s no coverage if something unfortunate happened on these drives.”
Fargo Police Lt. Pat Claus agreed with Hamm’s advice, but said the department does not have an official position on the Sober Guy business.
City of Fargo and Moorhead officials say Sober Guy doesn’t fit under taxi cab or limousine regulations since it does not provide its own vehicles. Therefore, the business doesn’t have permits with either city.
Since he doesn’t fall under city regulations, Casavan said he has made extra efforts to make sure his business is credible, including offering workers compensation and unemployment insurance.
“I wanted to make sure I wasn’t going to get shut down,” he said.