The Party Bus, or “Drunk Bus” as it commonly referred to, has been a subject of debate the last couple years on campus. Having personally been on the “Drunk Bus” many times before I can tell you that it’s a rowdy place for underage kids who consume alcohol, light up cigarettes and even openly pass around a bowl of weed for everyone to share.
Yes, I said it, and I’ve seen every one of those things on that big blue bus with the Budweiser logo on it throughout my college career.
If you are a college student, it is statistically likely that you drink alcohol. Unless you are a junior or senior and you are in college, it’s more than likely that you drink alcohol underage. The beauty of the “Drunk Bus” is that it gives underage kids who want to consume alcohol a safe way to travel around instead of getting behind the wheel of a car and risking the possibility of harming themselves or someone around them.
When I see police cars following the “Drunk Bus” like I did this past weekend, however, I get a little upset about it. You may ask, “Why would you be mad, man? That’s smart of them to do, bust a bunch of underagers so they don’t do it again!” This question would be answered by me replying, “You’re a moron.”
College kids are going to drink no matter what. They’ll be at a party across the bridge from Water St. and then get a call from their roommate or friend telling them that there is a huge rager on 6th and Hudson and that they should head over as soon as possible. Naturally, the easy solution would be to hop in mom and dad’s minivan and just drive over there quick to see your buddies.
Without the “Drunk Bus”, this would happen a lot more, and I personally think there would be a lot more accidents on the road between the hours of midnight and 3 a.m. The bus runs until 2:30 a.m. which is right around bar close, and also helps out drunk people leaving “The Pickle” or “The Pioneer”.
Getting a ride on the bus only costs a dollar, and helps out not only the underage kids going from party to party but intoxicated people at bar close trying to drive downtown to go home.
When I see police officers following the “Drunk Bus” around, though, I get upset.
Last weekend the bus pulled up on Fourth St. across the street from The Pickle at around 1:00 a.m. As soon as the driver put on the breaks, two squad cars pulled up, one from Chippewa St. and one whipping around Fourth St. by Stave and Hoop.
One by one, the students getting off the bus that were underage were asked to show their ID’s and probably got citations as well for doing the responsible thing.
Doesn’t the police force have something better to do than to bust a bus full of underagers? Go drive around downtown and get the drunk drivers coming out of Playmakers or the Mouse Trap or something like that. Go find murderers or settle domestic disputes instead.
I might be that lame senior kid who still talks about the “Drunk Bus” but I will always be a supporter of what Rightway Shuttle tries to do for the kids around campus.
