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| Zingo gets impaired drivers, and vehicles, home safely | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| By Kelly Wilson, Get Out | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| January 17, 2008 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
“Arizona is taking a stance and said, 'You absolutely cannot have one or two drinks and drive,’” says Michael Ferrante, co-owner of Zingo Arizona, a designated driving service. “It’s good. It’s going to make the streets safer for everybody.” Enter Zingo, which Ferrante launched in the Valley in November with his brother, Brandon, and former Dos Gringos bartender Kyle Smith. Zingo drivers — there are 11 of them, attired in bright orange jackets — get you and your vehicle home safely with the help of a fold-up motor scooter, which the driver packs in the trunk during the drive. After he gets you home, he returns on the scooter. The company had a slow roll-out during the holiday season, with drivers setting up shop in downtown Scottsdale, where Dos Gringos offered the service free through December. “It was a great way to get the word out,” says Ferrante, 34, of Scottsdale. “We’ve had a lot of people calling up just from this promotion that we did.” The cost: a $25 pick-up fee for the first three miles, plus $3 per mile thereafter. Coupons for $10 off can be found throughout Scottsdale bars courtesy of Anheuser-Busch. “We’re saying pick-up only in Scottsdale, but we’re taking people anywhere they want to go,” Ferrante says. “We use an interceptor car for longer drives, so our drivers don’t have to make a long drive back on the scooters.” “I love it,” says John Marston, owner of Scottsdale’s The Well Bar. “My customers love it. We use it about three to four times a night ... it’s cheaper than a cab. You get your car home the next morning. That’s the best thing. I wish I would have thought of this!” “I’ve noticed a couple of close friends getting DUIs, so obviously I wanted to not have that happen,” says Kevin McKay, 35, of Scottsdale, a regular Zingo customer. “I wanted a safe ride home and to get my car back at the house.” Gillian Wayne says some of her friends have also gotten DUIs, “but the one reason that I drove is because I always wanted my car home. So this has helped with that. It’s been a lifesaver for me. “One big thing for me was feeling safe,” the 25-year-old Scottsdale woman says. “I love the drivers; they’re all really nice, and not creepy like some cabdrivers out there. I’ve had bad experiences with cabs, and this has been fabulous.” Ferrante plans to branch out his service in the coming months, including placing a few drivers on Tempe’s Mill Avenue in February. “We’re going to have folks pretty much all over the place. In the next year, we want to develop a statewide network of designated Zingo drivers.” >> Zingo Arizona is offered 6 p.m. to 3 a.m. daily. It is suggested that you call 30 minutes before pick-up time. Info: (877) 663-8429 or zingoaz.com Contact Kelly Wilson by email, or phone (480) 898-5691 |
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