During Rush, the nine vans of the Night Security Shuttle Van Service, aka the drunk bus, average 100 miles each night. From 6 p.m. to 7 a.m., these vanguards of vice ferry students to any location on-campus.
Most of the time this means frats, bars or parties.
"These students, they're just trying to experience college life, and most of the time, we're able to help them have a good experience," said Wilbur Brown, retired police captain and drunk bus driver. (For more Brown quotes and information on Night Security Shuttle happenings, check out "A sobering view from the passenger seat of the 'Drunk Bus'" on B7.)
The buses also take students to the library, back to their dorms from RO-zone parking and other on-campus locations not solely focused on debauchery.
Still, it's called the drunk bus for a reason.
Some students use the shuttle service as a free taxi around campus, hopping from frat to frat, bar to bar, merrily drinking the whole way. (No reports of actual drinking on the bus itself.)
While in the spirit of a rip-roaring college experience, one full of drunken nights and shameful mornings, these students abuse what is and should be a University-sponsered student service.
Sober students, students carrying groceries back to their dorm or riding the shuttle to avoid walking alone across campus at night, literally take the backseat to drunken buffoons and their shenanigans.
On the other hand, if these buses did not exist, would drunk, under-age students take to the streets in their own cars?
In theory, the night security shuttle is a University service dedicated to getting students wherever they need to be on-campus.
But, realistically, college students will be college students.
They're (we're) going to drink and party and wave hands in the air in a careless fashion.
That's how it is, and that is probably how it always will be, at least until the robot revolution or the apocalypse when higher education becomes obsolete.
Next time you ride the drunk bus, be respectful, take time to thank the men and women driving your sloppy self around campus.
Use University services, like the drunk bus, but don't abuse them.
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