Underage vs DUI; Emory's dilemma

[GA-Beta]

Using their own funds, the Student Govt. at Emory sponsored a bus to two off-campus bar areas, with the last bus returning to campus at 2:00 or 3:00 a.m. They wanted to make students safer, and reduce DUI. Emory has several near-by restautants serving alcohol, but no bars open late.

This week, the school has ordered this stopped, claiming it was allowing underage students access to alcohol.

Two good motives, in conflict.

Is this happening elsewhere?

[TSteven]

Originally Posted by GA-Beta

Using their own funds, the Student Govt. at Emory sponsored a bus to two off-campus bar areas, with the last bus returning to campus at 2:00 or 3:00 a.m. They wanted to make students safer, and reduce DUI. Emory has several near-by restautants serving alcohol, but no bars open late.

This week, the school has ordered this stopped, claiming it was allowing underage students access to alcohol.

Two good motives, in conflict.

Is this happening elsewhere?

Sounds like a bad move by Emory. Frankly, underage students have access to alcohol with or without a bus taking them to it.

[adpiucf]

Yes, that's like not offering condoms at the student health center... because then students will be having TEH SEX!!!111!!!!1

[EE-BO]

I am guessing this might be an insurance issue.

It also has the appearance of facilitating illegal behavior. Personally I think it is a great idea to do this, but I can see the other side.

Like adpiucf said, it is not that much different than offering condoms at the student health center.

The mentality is the same- "they are going to do it anyway, so let's make it as safe as possible", but the difference is that sex between college students is not illegal.

If a parent found out their kid was having sex and using college-provided condoms, not much they could do. But if they find out their kid is drinking and the student union is covering transportation- it is a much different situation.

At Emory do the buses take students to and from the bars, or do they only take people from the bars to campus? The answer to that question is critical to speculating as to why the bussing was stopped.

[VandalSquirrel]

UI used to have a program called "Vandal Taxi" that ran on weekend nights to give students rides. It wasn't completely full of drunk people, as we have no other bus service and people would ride it home from a friend's house or the movie theatre on the other side of town. I always liked riding it because it was warm (it can get below 0 here), safe (they had a bus monitor as well as a driver), and rather reliable.

One of the policies was that you could only ride it once, so it wouldn't be used for party hopping. It ran for two years when I was a student and I really loved the program because I knew if I couldn't reach my ride, I wanted to go home early, or my friends and I lived in different parts of town we'd all get home safe. A huge issue was funding, and the UI Parents Association gave money (and my parents gave because they thought it was a great idea) to keep it running, but of course people said it promoted drinking.

[ISUKappa]

Iowa State has the drunk bus, I mean Moonlight Express, weekend bus service run by the campus/city bus system. On Fridays and Saturdays between 10:30 pm and 3:00 am, you can call the bus number and have them pick you up and drop you off at specific locations around Ames. I believe some of the tuition went towards the campus bus system, and in part to this service. Here's more info: Moonlight Express.

I always thought it was a great service (and it was fun to ride--unless someone had just upchucked all the jagerbombs they did at the previous party. Then, not so fun).

[sdsuchelle]

I don't understand -- why do they think it will be giving underage students access to alcohol? The bus is not taking students to house parties, but areas with restaurants/bars. If the underage students are served alcohol at those establishments, that's a problem with the restaurants, not the school.

It's not fair for the people who are old enough to drink. Closing the bus system is not the best way to go about stopping underage drinking.

(PS: I agree with the condom analogy)

[Tom Earp]

Is there a huge desert around Emory?

It seems they have their heads in sand somewhere!

They do not seem to realize that what was taken away can become a disastor in the long run.

As was said, kids will get alcohol but supposedly not at leagal bars. They may be just going out to eat and dance.

It is not the school decision.

I hope they don't step on there ding dongs over this!

[cutie_cat_4ever]

Originally Posted by sdsuchelle

I don't understand -- why do they think it will be giving underage students access to alcohol? The bus is not taking students to house parties, but areas with restaurants/bars. If the underage students are served alcohol at those establishments, that's a problem with the restaurants, not the school.

It's not fair for the people who are old enough to drink. Closing the bus system is not the best way to go about stopping underage drinking.

(PS: I agree with the condom analogy)

I agree. The school's reasoning isn't quite logical. It's not like the bus serves alcohol or whatsoever. The bus is just taking them to nearby restaurant. You would think they will have more liabitity if they cancel the service. Besides, if underage students were offered alcohol, it's the restaurant's fault, not the school.

The bus is there to promote SAFETY, not underage drinking....

[L.O.C.K.]

At GW, we have 4-RIDE which is a school run van system that runs all over the GW campus as well as the surrounding neighborhood. Runs from 7pm to 7am 7 days a week. It won't take you to bars, but it will take you to the nearest intersection.

Excellent program, and students really use it (esp. since a cab in DC is expensive as hell!!), which minimizes drunk students stumbling around campus.

I just wish the wait when you call for it didn't take FOREVER on Friday and Saturday nights.

[KDMafia]

They are faced with a similar development at Valparaiso University. I'm sure some of you remember the protests against the campus police lat year. Well this year, our student escort vans are no longer allowed to be driven by students. The drivers are hired through the campus police departmetn and the police will have the freedom to come on the bus to make sure noone has been drinking. Also any violations will be sent directly to the Campus police, no matter what it is.

The van generally works on campus and also down toward the frats where our law school and random other campus buildings are located, as well as a few restaurants. They think that this will prevent the students from drinking and using the van as a safe way to get home. I could rant a whole lot on the way valpo treats it's students. I have actually heard them make comments that if a women decides to drink and needs to walk home than it is her fault as to what happens to her, it is not their responsibility to look out for those breaking the law.....

[Kevin]

They have these saferide vans in Norman, OK (where Oklahoma U is). It is not unheard of for the cops to pull over a saferid van and arrest the passengers for public intox.

[James]

They shouldn't be cops if they do stuff like that.

Originally Posted by Kevin

They have these saferide vans in Norman, OK (where Oklahoma U is). It is not unheard of for the cops to pull over a saferid van and arrest the passengers for public intox.

[adpiucf]

Why not?

[Tom Earp]

Simply because if the van/bus driver has done nothing wrong, then they have no probable cause for stopping said vehicle!

No search warrent then have not right to check the passengers unless the passengers got rowdy and cause problems.

Kevin, you want to field this as a up and coming Laywer?