safe rides

[Cameron]

What is is and how does it work?

[Crystal]

I think it gives rides to teens who don't want rides for other reasons. but i don't know the detils. does anyone else?

[Rebecca]

i volunteer there, but crystal basically said it all. it usually goes from 9:30pm to 3am on saturday nights. Teens call in and we pick them up anywere on the island and drive them home. Usually the type of people who call in are kids who can't drive yet, get stranded somewhere without a car, or have been drinking.

[Clark]

The police brought our child home.
A safe ride car had pulled over so two other kids could vomit in the ditch.
The police stopped behind the safe ride car and took the children home.
Our child arrived with a safe ride blanket.

My wife was so distraught that the police brought our child home that my wife fainted and hit her head.

I think that Mercer Island is a fairly low drug use area, but a teen alcohol use area.

Now, a couple years later, and alcohol counseling and breathalyzer testing and everything we could do...our child is now at the University of Washington and still drinking.

The child's appearance, sports, and grades all look good. You have to look hard to find the evidence of drinking.