Drink and drive? We all know that's a bad idea. For New Year's, though, apparently enough of us in San Francisco ignore the no-drinking-and-driving mantra that there are services offered to help save us from injuring ourselves and others. Best of all, these services are provided free. So if you are slurring your words on New Year's Eve, get out of the car and get home using one of these other ways: public transportation; AAA towing; or a cab. The list below has details.
* Note that drinking and even walking is a no-no. Drinking in public is illegal, whether you are on your sixth beer and already drunk or on your first sip.
San Francisco Muni
From 8 pm on New Year's Eve until 6 am on New Year's Day.
Hop on any Muni vehicles, including cable cars, for free. There will be additional Muni service until the wee hours between the West Portal and the Embarcadero stations and between those and the Caltrain station (Fourth and King streets). Buses will run more frequently on several of Muni's "owl" lines, which operate from 1 am until 5 am.
Caltrain
From 11 pm New Year's Eve through the Jan. 1 train leaving San Francisco at 2:15 am.
Besides providing free fares on New Year's Eve, Caltrain is running four additional trains from San Francisco south to the San Jose Diridon station, at 12:45 am, 1:15 am, 1:45 am and 2:15 am. On New Year’s Eve, trains will operate on a regular weekday schedule, and on New Year’s Day, on a Sunday schedule.
SamTrans
From 11 pm on New Year's Eve until 2 am on New Year's Day.
SamTrans has bus routes throughout San Mateo County and into parts of San Francisco and Palo Alto. On New Year's Day, it'll operate on its Sunday schedule.
AAA Tipsy Tow Program
From 6 pm on New Year's Eve until 6 am on New Year's Day.
Whether or not you are a member of AAA, if you are tipsy, the auto association will give you and your car a ride home. Call (800) 222-4357 (AAA-HELP), ask the AAA operator for a "Tipsy Tow," and a truck will be dispatched to haul you home free for up to ten miles.
If you have passengers in your car and they need transportation as well, they can ride to your home, too, as long as there's enough room for them in the tow truck (which is up to the tow truck driver). No reservations are taken.
Berg Injury Lawyers Safe and Sober Program
From 10 pm on New Year's Eve until 3 am on New Year's Day.
An Alameda-based firm of personal injury lawyers, Berg Injury Lawyers is offering free cab rides to help prevent drunk driving.
The taxi rides are for adults who have been drinking and will be provided from a bar or restaurant only to an individual's home. The law firm will cover a maximum of $35 per ride; you are responsible for paying anything above that. For New Year's Eve 2011, Berg Injury Lawyers says it paid for more than 5,000 cab rides.
Call the appropriate cab company below, and say that the ride is on Berg Injury Lawyers:
- In San Francisco: Luxor Cab, at 415) 282-4141.
- In Sacramento: Yellow Cab Company of Sacramento, at (916) 444-2222. Free rides will be given only from restaurants, hotels, or bars within downtown Sacramento.
