"The Magic Bus" Keeps Drunk Drivers Off the Road in the Flint, Michigan, Area

Kenn Mercer and Jim Ramsey of Swartz Creek, Mich. are former limousine drivers that would drive people around to various bars. Afterwards, the customers would drive home, defeating the purpose of safely getting from one place to the other. So they've come up with a new way to help drunk driving in the Flint area decrease, The Magic Bus.

The Magic Bus is a look-alike of London's double decker style bus. After securely constructing the bus, they're calling their business service The Double Decker Bus Inc. Locals may have seen the bus rolling through their area as it's pretty hard to miss. The double decker is bright yellow and red with The Magic Bus logo on every side of the bus.

In every state, the blood-alcohol-content legal limit is 0.08. In Michigan alone there are around 50,000 drunk driving arrests each year. So how does this Magic Bus work?

They will chauffeur people to bars they want to attend. They have the option of having their vehicles driven home safely if they become too drunk to drive. The cost of a ride is $20 per person and starts to pick up customers around 8 p.m. and goes until 3 in the morning. In the month of the business being open, the pair says business has been quite steady.

"We hope that by doing this we can help reduce the number of alcohol related incidents including arrests and even death," Mercer says.

Last year in Genesee County and the greater Flint area, there were more than 400 injuries and 30 deaths due to drunk driving.

"I've had many friends take the wrong route when partying," he says. "Some of my friends have lost their license and would have paid the $30 to have someone take them and their vehicles home if they were too drunk to drive."

A local woman is appreciating the Magic Bus as her son was killed by a drunk driver just a few years ago.

"I think this is a great idea if it will help keep the number of drunk drivers off the streets," Helen Limbaugh, 47, says.

However, this idea of transportation is not a new one. It's commonly used in cities with populated college areas. Many transporters are limos and vans, not a double decker.

"I had been planning to do this for some time and didn't quite know how to make it an appealing and unique experience," Mercer says about his business. "When I saw that bus, I knew that is exactly what I wanted. I bought it from a restaurant who was using it as an advertisement."

The business takes about $100 in gas each weekend making stops at local restaurants such as the Redwood Lodge located at the Gateway Center off US-23.

"We have packages available for other occasions as well. We have birthday packages and we will eventually work in casino areas as well."

For a ride and more information on The Magic Bus, call (810) 250-1006 for details.