The Red and Black

Issue date: 4/30/09 Section: News

Media Credit: DANIELLE HUTLAS Many students frequent downtown bars and rely on alternate transportation for rides home. Bartender Jeff Rapier says the bar's busiest times are usually after midnight. As last call is declared, patrons climb into taxis hoping for a safe ride - but some drivers' histories reveal DUIs and other offenses. [Click to enlarge]

Media Credit: AUTUMN MCBRIDE [Click to enlarge]

Media Credit: AUTUMN MCBRIDE Many taxi companies hire drivers as independent contractors and rely on police permits for ciminal and vehicle background checks. [Click to enlarge]

It's 2 a.m. downtown and herds of University students have a decision - take a cab or drive home drunk. Thinking about the DUI checkpoints and the risk they run driving, many students take a taxi to stay safe.

These students, armed with nothing but a hot dog and blurry vision, may not be as safe as they assume. After looking through court and police records of each Athens taxi driver, The Red & Black found more than a dozen current drivers with recent felony convictions and countless more with questionable driving histories.

"I haven't had problems personally, but it wouldn't surprise me if they had a horrible history," Corey Williams, a senior from Suwanee, said in a phone interview Wednesday.

However, some students are not so lucky.

Nikita Smeshko, a junior from Smyrna, was in a taxi last weekend with a group of people he did not know. Two passengers got angry about the amount of time the driver was taking, so they got out of the car without paying, he said.

"The cab driver ran them down and an altercation almost ensued," Smeshko said in a phone interview Wednesday.

He said his past experiences have been good, but the weekend's experience has made him wary.

"I felt kind of threatened and concerned that the cab driver was being very aggressive," Smeshko said. "I don't know what else he would do."

The Red & Black found some cab drivers spend their free time participating in less-than-legal activities.

Athens taxi driver Telly Harris was arrested and charged with DUI, driving with a suspended license and stop sign violation in spring 2008, adding to a criminal history that included multiple counts of obstruction of an officer, criminal trespass, theft, battery and possession of cocaine. His permit was renewed in October.

Many Athens taxi companies said they rely on police issuance of permits - requiring seven-year nationwide criminal and vehicle background checks - to ensure drivers have clean records. Drivers submit three references and a letter of recommendation from a cab company to obtain the permit.

"The police department is very good and thorough about [checking on drivers], as far as I can tell," Sharon Benton, owner of Your Cab, said in a phone interview Monday. "They could not get a permit if they had over a certain number of points."

There have been 677 traffic citations issued in Athens-Clarke County for current taxi drivers in the past seven years. Eleven of the cases involved driving with a suspended license, 25 for failure to maintain lane, 45 insurance citations and three DUIs.

"Our drivers are not employees, they are independent contractors," Benton said. "We can ask them to represent us well and we can tell them how we want them to be, but we can't ride in every vehicle to supervise them."

Students use cabs, despite possible safety concerns, for lack of options.

The University's student group, WatchDawgs, provided safe rides home from downtown, but lack of funding caused it to shut down earlier this semester.

"The issue of safety is a partnership with the local police and the community - we can't do it by ourselves," University Police Chief Jimmy Williamson said. "Jurisdictionally, we become less involved when students are off campus."

Williamson said he questioned how much students really want the University police to be involved in their off-campus lives.

"Students get targeted because they are intoxicated, so people feel they can take advantage [of them]," Williamson said.

Kevin Carter, a senior from Hazlehurst, said he felt taken advantage of by a cab driver after a night downtown.

"I had a taxi driver take my money one time," he said. "He took my $20. He definitely took advantage of me being intoxicated."

Carter said even before the incident he thought of drivers as "a bunch of creepers."

"It would be nice if we had a bus route to take us home," he said.

Tom Jackson, vice president for public affairs, said he felt the University did not need to provide alternate transportation from downtown for students.

"The students are adult citizens of the community," Jackson said. "Of course we want them to be safe, but I don't think the University could provide an alternate service."

The University had a nighttime bus system in the past, but it was unsuccessful.

"A number of years ago there was a night bus, but no one would use it," Williamson said. "What students don't like about it is it doesn't give direct door-to-door service."

But he said he is not ruling out one day having a nighttime bus system.

"If [students] feel like the driver is doing something illegal or is not good practice, they should file a complaint with Athens-Clarke County Police," Williamson said.

He said students should call police if they have been wronged, even if they were partaking in illegal activities themselves.

Some of the University's peer institutions have implemented alternate nighttime transportation.

The University of Florida, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and University of South Carolina have nightly bus services from downtown to off-campus locations - funded by student transportation fees.

Williamson said the University provides an escort van service to take students to and from campus locations and Greek houses.

"We did not make that service go downtown because the students who really need safe transportation needed it more when they are with the mission of the University than at establishments for hospitality reasons," he said.

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