How A Good Samaritan Was Arrested For Driving Drunks Home

[The Straight Story]

How A Good Samaritan Was Arrested For Driving Drunks Home

How A Good Samaritan Was Arrested For Driving Drunks HomeJonathon Schoenakase of Quincy, Illinois was arrested last Saturday outside a local bar. His crime? Operating "Courtesy Rides" — a service offering free rides to bar-goers to prevent drunk driving. The reason? Taxi companies lobbied to make it illegal.

Schoenakase began operating Courtesy Rides on January 31, 2008 following a decision to do something about drunk driving after one of his friends was killed by a drunk driver. The service offers free rides to anyone who's been out drinking and needs a ride home, donations are accepted, but it's free to all. It was such a success Jonathan added a second car to the effort in 2009, then a bus, and that's when Diamond Cab service took notice.

They complained to the city that Schoenakase was operating a de facto taxi service without a proper license, but in reality they were mad he was cutting into their profits by offering for free what the Diamond was charging for. Amusingly, he was probably hitting a different demographic, cheapskates who don't want to pay for taxis but want to get home so they drink and drive, but that's beside the point. The cab company complained loud enough that the Quincy City Council changed its taxi and limousine ordinance to remove the words "for hire" from its definitions and thus eliminate the loophole Schoenakase was operating under. Following the change, Jonathan applied for a license and the Chief of Police was supposedly about to approve it, but withdrew and said Schoenakase needed to clear up some legal issues.

Since then Schoenakase has continued operating Courtesy Rides and has been arrested twice now during sting operations, once in February and then again just last Saturday.

http://jalopnik.com/5604559/how-one-good-samaritan-was-arrested-for-driving-drunks-home?skyline=true&s=i

[Booster]

1. If he were charging people for a ride home I could see where

the taxis might have a case, but he didn't charge anyone, right?

[gratuitous]

2. So, Schoenakase should just run his little outfit for nothing?

What happens should he or one of his drivers get into a collision? Does he have sufficient insurance for himself, his passenger and whoever gets hit? If the cabs in Quincy are anything like cabs in other parts of the country, they have to maintain rigorous upkeep, regular maintenance, and the drivers are all drug tested routinely. Yes, Schoenakase is cutting into the cab companies' profit; he's also not following the same rules. "Courtesy" or not, he's taking food off of working folks' tables.

[RC]

3. So it is ok with you to let people drive drunk?

What if he gets a taxi license, then what? He is still cutting into their profits.

[gratuitous]

4. Who said that?

But the taxis have to be licensed, insured, are regulated to a fare-thee-well, and are operated by folks who work long hours. Schoenakase gets to take money out of their pockets because he has a compelling personal story? If he wants to cut down on drunk driving, he can set up a fund to pay for cab rides home. Why take money from honest, hard-working people?

[frylock]

5. perhaps you need to read the story again..

he doesn't operate a fucking cab. do i need to "maintain rigorous upkeep" of my vehicle in order to drive a drunk friend home?

[Canuckistanian]

7. Do taxi drivers have a God-given right to drive people home?

Of course they don't. And besides, he targets ONLY inebriated people. That's a big market and he only operates a few vehicles.

He's doing a public service that will arguably save lives.

And you're squabbling about lost profits for a taxi company?

[slampoet]

6. The Taxi companies are guilty of Manslaughter for every person they fail to give a ride home...

...who ends up killing someone.


If they are the MONOPOLY then they have the RESPONSIBILITIES of one.

Also when does the state start setting their rates?

[Crabby Appleton]

8. Good on you Jonathon Schoenakase

you may have saved some lives.