It was Friday night at 12:01 a.m. as we loaded into the van, buckling ourselves in as we situated into our seats for the shift. University sophomore Sean Larson stationed himself as driver, while senior Rachel Graham positioned herself as copilot. I, on the other hand, sat directly behind Graham as a spectator and was anxious for the potential the night could bring.
For me, it was my first mission inside of the Safe Ride van, but for any of the numerous volunteers like Larson or hired staff like Graham, the procedures were routine. But, as I learned, each night brought a mystery waiting at every stop.
If you’re curious what Safe Ride is, you’ve probably heard it by its former alias, the Assault Prevention Shuttle. In its beginning, Safe Ride was a way for female University students to get from place to place without having to walk alone at night. But Safe Ride’s mission was noncompliant with the Title IX policy because the van’s use was only intended for women. It then merged with another organization called Nightride to create the association is it now. APS has slowly been transitioning to Safe Ride since fall term, and its mission is stated in the name.
“We provide assistant and a safe ride to any University student or faculty,” Graham said. “We take people to the movies, bars, grocery stores, anywhere in our three-mile radius.”
Three miles may not seem like a long distance, but after making a trip out to Chambers Street and then to Augusta Street, you’d be amazed at how much distance the Safe Ride shuttles cover.
As we pulled out from the parking lot, a crackling came through the radio and vibrated throughout the van as the worker at the main hub informed us of our first destination.
We pulled up to the corner, and our first riders entered the van while the bitter smell of alcohol followed. As I continued to ask Larson and Graham questions, one of riders looked over at me and asked me what I was doing. I told him I was doing an interview. We all chatted until we dropped them off at their desired destination. As the last boy was about to leave the van, he turned to me, looked me in the eyes and sincerely said, “I hope you get the job.”
I knew the night was only going to get better.
People often think Safe Ride is only for students who need a lift home if it is too dark to walk, but the service is versatile. And whether someone is drunk or sober, Safe Ride does not distinguish. Safe Ride is focused on getting passengers to and from their destinations safely during the night. The shuttles will take groups up to three to any destination within their boundaries. No ride is too long or too short.
And with two and two-and-a-half-hour shifts to 2 a.m., Safe Ride staff and volunteers often like to make their shifts interesting. Graham explained a game they will often play called Coupon Cab, a knock-off of the Discovery Channel’s game show, “Cash Cab.” It entails the two workers to create various trivia questions and gathering various amounts of coupons from the student guide books. Then, when riders enter the shuttle, the workers ask them various questions and, depending on the amount of questions they get right, the riders can win coupons. It’s a great way to connect with the riders while making the time fly by even faster. Drunk or sober, you’ll never know what kind of answers you will get.
By the end of Saturday’s shift, we had traveled to various ends of Eugene and picked up students from the dorms, downtown Eugene and the Kinsrow neighborhood. At one point, the other van radioed ours to inform us that they spotted two people making out on a trash can. And, toward the end of our shift, we witnessed a blonde girl sprinting across Hilyard Street in a pink Snuggie. But for the most part, it seemed to be a quiet night in Eugene.
Fortunately, our van did not need to be cleaned out because of vomit, like the other one. Despite the long hours and late nights, Graham said she has enjoyed working and volunteering for Safe Ride since she started as a sophomore.
“I like making a difference and being involved in campus,” Graham said. “It is rewarding to be able to give back.”
It is refreshing to know we can always depend on the weirdness of Eugene — and Safe Ride to get us to and from it.
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