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Take A Free Ride: Bus rides make sure partiers get home safe in Fleming Island

Two friends partner up on Friday and Saturday nights to make help people have safe rides home in Fleming Island.

FLEMING ISLAND, Fla. — Whitey’s Fish Camp is one of the most popular places to have some food, sightsee and have a few drinks. 

But let’s face it, the Fleming Island area isn’t exactly the bastion for Uber or Lyft or even getting a taxi if you’ve had one or two too many.  

This is why the folks at Whitey's and several other local establishments have partnered up with Take A Free Ride, to make sure people get home safe.

“When I founded this seven years ago, I saw people not having a plan or know how to get home,” said Todd Carlson he started Take A Free Ride. 

A catchy song that'll be in your head all day, but also the name of the bus they use to get people to and from the bars and restaurants in Fleming Island.

"We pick them up from their house, take them to some of our partner restaurants, and then they don't have a car out, so their only option home is us."

It's a free and safe ride. They are a non-profit that only works for donations to keep gas in the tank and the bus maintained.  

"We will accept $1.00 we accept $100," said owner and driver Greg Shultz. "It’s all up to what they want to give.”

They estimate that over the last six years they've given 30,000 people safe rides home.  

“We can pick them up at their home and take em out," Shutlz said. " And that way there’s not a drunk driver on the road.”

“Take a Free Ride is great because there’s no excuse," said Whitey's assistant bar manager Madolyn Spangler. 

She says that this is a life saver not just for the patrons, but also the bartenders, wait staff and owners of these local spots. 

“It’s something we could lose our job over or go to jail for," she said. "If someone kills someone on the road after drinking too much, we could go to jail.”

But mainly, it's about having fewer people driving after drinking. For the sake of the person leaving that bar, but also the other people on the road. 

“Knowing that this community is safer, that was my main mission.”

Even if you don’t go out in that part of town, you can still help them out by making sure fewer people are on the road after drinking. Take A Free Ride has a go fund me page taking donations, and you can click here to find out more about that. 

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