So, as the story in the Chicago Tribune this morning goes, a bunch of Highland Park kids headed out to Homecoming hired an SUV limo driven by this guy named Lionel of the AnyTime Limo service in Addison. One of the kids asked to stop at his house on the way to the event, and got back into the car with a bag full of booze. When the driver found out, he tried to call the parents who were not available and, finally, after the kids' attempts to bribe him failed, Lionel the Driver called the cops.
And created quite a stir.
Let's see now. We have the "let's lower the drinking age" folks weighing in. We have parents saying, "Oh, come on it's homecoming." We have parents calling the owner of the company and threatening to sue.
So I called the owner of the company to offer him a pat on the back.
Turns out he's getting a lot of calls from people like me. Mixed in amongst them, of course, are the ones from the mouth-breathers and gutter slime who insult his and Lionel the Driver's Hispanic heritage.
It also turns out that Lionel the Driver is a former cop in Mexico City. Talk about a tough beat. For him to come here, take a job driving a limo, and then be the subject of outrage for following not only the rules set by his company but state law, jeez, that's got to feel like a real stick in the eye.
Except some people who call are offering him money because he did the right thing. Some people, like me, will now use Anytime Limo in Addison any time they need limo transportation.
Some people respect him for standing up for whats right and being a good example, not only to the kids he turned in, but anyone else who needs a role model.
Interestingly enough, this story hits at the same time as another college fraternity house death is being blamed on booze.
What's to say Lionel the Driver didn't prevent one of those by making his phone call?
Here's the bottom line as far as I'm concerned.
Parents who don't like what Lionel the Driver did can do the driving themselves next time. Why not? Most of them own SUVs just a little smaller than the ones provided by most limo services. Pile your kids and their friends into the back, give them whatever booze they want (hey, a couple in Deerfield only got a slap on the wrist for providing booze to minors last year and two kids died in that case) and you try to concentrate on getting where you're going.
Oops, sorry. That might mean you'd have to miss a cocktail party of your own. We wouldn't want that, would we?
Oh yes, don't let me forget one last point. Some folks argue that at least the kids decided to call a limo service instead of drinking and then driving themselves. Yep, a good choice and I can't fault 'em for it. And in this case the lesson they might learn, if they take a moment to think about it, is that the person they asked to take responsibility for them did so.
It's a shame we can't say as much for their parents.
5 comments:
You're a bit behind on keeping up with your blog. Interesting moments in your life should be shared with all who are interested..even those who "knew you when" you were a reporter back in 2000. Best of Luck to you in all that you do.
From someone you got to know for a short time back in 2000.
Hmmm...a mystery post with some good advice. I wonder who that was...
Hmmm, you wonder who that was..... you may never know, but maybe you will one day think back to a person from your past, even if it was only for a "short" time in the summer of 2000... you might even say "ohhh now I remember". I just might have to go get your book and say I personally know the author.
Take care and keep up the writing and the wondering :)
From the mystery poster with some good advice...
Complete and total scam. This place is the absolute worst company of any kind that I have ever dealt with. I came to Chicago from Texas on August 15th to see the Jimmy Buffett show. I was taking my 5 year old along with my wife and sister and her husband. Since I was unfamiliar with the area and I was staying about an hour away, I arranged for this company to pick us up at our hotel and take us to and from the show. I reserved this 3 months in advance.
About 90 minutes prior to our scheduled pickup time, I received an automated call from anytime stating that my return trip was canceled due to a breakdown. That was it.
I called the company and was told by a very rude woman that it was just an answering service and that I needed to call on Monday as there was nobody there on the weekends.
Luckily the Westin hotel concierge was able to arrange a cab for us there and back.
When we called anytime on Monday, they put us on hold about 10 times, then some guy got on the phone and told us he would call us back. Of course he never did.
So today we are filling out paperwork from Visa to have the $370 charge (which was put through in June) removed from our credit card.
nowadays the Ratio of secret crime is become greater every day we need to make a plain '' how to stop it? it is the question that we will have to search the answer anyway you have posted very useful information on your blog i like to read these information thanks to you very much for sharing these info with us
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