By 9:30 p.m. on Thursday nights, most students can be found prepping for their weekly Grove outing. With the recent reinstatement of the Ibis Ride, students no longer must worry about organizing designated drivers or pooling funds for cabs. However, it’s important not to revert to old ways of viewing the shuttle and to remember to handle your alcohol after a night when you’ve had a little too much fun.
The Ibis Ride is jokingly referred to as the “drunk bus,” although this is tongue-in-cheek. Many students simply view the shuttle as convenient transportation to Coconut Grove, allowing “pre-games” without repercussions and eliminating the need for a designated. Students see the Ibis Ride as a right, not a privilege, often boarding later in the evening completely wasted.
The shuttle’s main purpose is to provide a safe transportation alternative for students, not to complement their drinking strategies. Planning to drag your drunken behind to the bus at the end of night, barely containing yourself from vomiting, is not responsible. Handle your alcohol, learn your limit or don’t drink to the point of extreme intoxication in the first place.
Students should realize that the shuttle’s new one-strike-you’re-out policy will only help to ensure that history does not repeat itself. If intoxicated riders cause disruptions, it is fitting that they are banned from future Ibis Rides. They will not be able to ruin the service for other students who do obey the rules, hopefully ensuring the shuttle will remain a transportation option for future semesters.
There is nothing wrong with enjoying a Thursday night out on the town, just do so in moderation and remember to keep it under control while on the Ibis Ride. Your fellow students will thank you, especially since no one likes vomit on their shoes.