Small Town News

Beach D.D. helps keep the roads safe

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Those who love the nightlife now have a new option to ensure that both they and their cars get home safely.

Beach D.D. is a new designat-ed-driver service that guarantees everyone who needs a designated driver has one.

GigaBeach owner Karen Harris founded the service with business partner Nikki Yopp. Harris said the idea came from an unlikely source.

"I can give full credit to Chelsea Handler, the comedian. The idea kind of stemmed from something she said in her book. I thought it was a very good idea and rolled with it," Harris said.

"I've also been really upset lately with the amountof drunk drivers on the street. I just recently lost a friend to drinking and driving a couple months back so it all made perfect sense. I don't drink, so I usually get phone calls from friends saying 'Can you come pick me up and take me home.' So, we took it one step further and offered it to the general public."

The service is relatively simple. Two drivers will come pick a customer up. One driver will drive the customer's car, while the other will follow behind and pick up the first driver once the customer is safely home.

"We kind of went around and asked some folks, 'What's the biggest reason you will get behind the wheel of your car even though you've had too much to drink?' And it's mainly because of their vehicle," Harris said. "Well now, we offer the service. We take you in your vehicle home." She said customers no longer have to worry about tickets, getting towed or leaving the car overnight unattended. Yopp said customers do have to sign a release form and average cost for two to three miles is around $20. Harris said Beach D.D. could go just about wherever the customer wants and can even be hired for the night. She said Beach D.D. is not trying to compete with the taxicab companies.

"The main thing is, their car is getting home," Yopp said For more information on Beach D.D., call 682-2811 or visit beachdd.com.





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