Dear Editor;
We have had several functions within our town as well as at the Moose Hall and have always expressed to our guests how important it is not to drink and drive! Call a taxi!
We have always provided them with phone numbers for both taxi services. This has also happened right here in town at the local bars where people needing a ride home can’t seem to get cab service either!
This past summer our daughter was married and the festivities were held at the Moose Hall. It was a great day and hats off to the Moose for the facilities they provide. However, the same cannot be said about the local taxi services. Our daughter had personally called each one of them and had told them we were having a function at the Moose Hall and asked if they would be available to take guests home at the end of the evening when they called. They happily obliged and said yes. Our daughter said thanks and said we would post numbers at the hall, which we did. At the end of the evening when people were leaving and had no designated driver they called for a cab. Not once, not twice, but several times the guests called and not one cab came to the hall. At one point after trying numerous times one taxi company stopped answering their phone. At about 3 a.m. after calling another taxi service several times and being assured each time that a taxi would be to the hall soon, guests were told that the taxi was on their way to Red Deer for a pick up and they had no other drivers. As a result of this some of our guests were stranded out at the hall without any transportation home. Thank goodness we had a few RVs that some could retreat to for some warmth and figure out how they were getting home. And they say shop local! It is pretty bad when our local taxis can make trips to Red Deer and can’t even support their own town when needed the most.
They are always trying to promote ‘do not drink and drive’. When this happen what else does a person do but take that chance? I don’t think we/they should have to.
Maybe between the government and the RCMP they should get together with their local taxi services and offer them some compensation or some kind of assistance to get more cabs, hire more drivers and/or compensate the high fuel prices…whatever the case may be. Has anyone else out there been left out in the cold with no safe way home? This has happened to us more than once! How about anyone else out there?
Kathy Morrow
Ponoka