Wait to catch safe ride home

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - Every weekend people hit the bars in Nob Hill and downtown; this weekend will put those to shame. But how are people really getting home?

The options; Safe Ride , pay for a taxi or other service, or line up a designated driver.

Bars in Nob Hill say they have seen more people asking to be picked up.

“They have been calling a lot more to safe ride,” Eduardo Gallegos with Two Fools Tavern said.

He said even though they may want the free ride, they don't want the wait.

“If it's over 45 minutes most of them will decline it,” said Gallegos.

Elliot Salgado with Nob Hill Bar and Grill says his bartenders remind patrons about the service, “We are so lucky that we have that service here in town, we encourage people to use it.”

But they see people never get the safe rides they've asked for because they split before the cabs show up.

“Beggars can't be choosers, it's a free service,” said Salgado.

So why the long wait?

“The wait times are a little long,” said Saldago, “Especially the later you get. I have actually had personal friends of mine that have waited 40 minutes.”

Sometimes that's even on a good night.

Gallegos said, “It used to be really bad or even in the summer, people are waiting over an hour 46 and they would get frustrated and leave.”

New Years past have seen up to two hour waits for safe ride. At that point some drinkers start to think enough time has passed and they have sobered up.

Gallegos said, “That will discourage them, at that point they are just ready to get in their own car.”

Downtown bar owners tell News 13 their patrons don't want safe ride because they have to walk down Central to where the cabs are allowed to park to catch the ride.
  
Bar owners say most of the time the wait is too long or the cab is gone when they make it down the street.