High on Help

The High Angel,as the initiative is called,will bring a group of like-minded people together. “It has to be a collective effort. These volunteers will need to come down to High Spirits and drive those who are drunk,” says Khodu Irani,owner,High Spirits. And as a reward for their work,these volunteers will get a couple of drinks free through the week.

Twenty-year-old Naman Shah is waiting for High Angels to be put into gear. “Two of my friends have met with accidents because of drunk driving. Fortunately for them,only the vehicle was badly damaged. To avoid more such cases,I want to volunteer to drive the drunk home,” he says rather enthusiastically. Shah wants to register his name for two days – the Baraoke Tuesdays and Bladderburst Thursdays. “Every place that caters to a young crowd should start something like this,” he adds.

Another very keen volunteer is Karan Agrawal,a young entrepreneur. “I don’t know about others,but I think it’s brilliant,” he quips. Agrawal feels the last thing that anyone should do is drive after drinking. “In my group,there are few of us who don’t drink on a regular basis and some who don’t drink at all. So it’s easy to be on call to drive someone home. Many regulars at High Spirits are thrilled about the idea,” he adds.

The cab culture hasn’t yet fully picked up in the city. But there are places like Area 51 that use radio cabs to dissuade people from drunk driving. “We have a tie-up with Wings Radio Cab. One,we don’t want people to get behind the wheel if they have consumed alcohol,and two,we are concerned about the safety of women. So the cab company has designated 50 cabs for us and they charge the day rate instead of night rate. In addition,10 cars are especially meant to drive women home. These cars come equipped with panic buttons and if pressed,10 SMSes are sent out to the cab company which then tries to trace the driver. If they can’t do so,they even have the option of freezing the vehicle,” says Shahji,GM,Pancard Clubs.

Young partygoer Prerna Kapoor says,”Last weekend the Pune Marriott Hotel & Convention Centre,were very helpful when a girl got drunk. They called a cab,noted down the number and ensured that she got home safely.”

It’s only awareness that will encourage the youth to take the issue more seriously. Letting your hair down on a Saturday night and downing drinks is fine as long as you’re responsible about it. “Unfortunately,only those who’ve dealt with situations in which someone they know have met with bad accidents,realise the seriousness of the issue. A few months back,we even started the Designated Driver Programme in which one person from the group refrains from drinking in order to drive the others. That person gets a ‘Designated Driver’ badge and free mocktails and starters,” Irani adds. Kapoor and her friends usually take turns in not drinking. “It’s better to be safe than sorry,” she adds.