BOWLING GREEN, Ohio — It's the weekend of green beer, Guinness and shamrock shots. But, you need more than just luck to stay safe over St. Patrick's day weekend.
As bars expand their hours in the morning and at night, the potential for encountering drivers who are under the influence becomes significantly higher. However, the city of Bowling Green, which has many popular spots for drinking over the holiday weekend, said that they feel prepared and ready for the influx of partiers.
"Safety is our number one goal. Safety for visitors, safety of our citizens, safety of our officers. Drinking in excess or driving under the influence jeopardizes the safety of all of these groups. We encourage people to have a good time - but to do so in a responsible way," said Lt. Skaff of the Bowling Green Police Department in a statement to WTOL 11.
One person working to help people do just that is the CEO of a local rideshare service, ZiggyZooms. They say that they’re extending their hours so students leaving the bars late have a reliable ride.
“What we’re doing is we’re just getting out here and we’re providing those safe alternatives. That way people don’t get behind the wheel as they get to drinking. And we can make sure, you know, the city is safer tomorrow than it is today," said Cam Parke, CEO and President of ZiggyZooms.
Bars are also thinking about safety.
Darryl Hammons, the manager of Downtown Sportsbar and Deli in Bowling Green on Main St. says that they’re taking steps to make sure patrons have not had too much to drink.
“We're making sure we let people in at the doors who are sober enough to be in the bar, and at the bar itself, we’re making sure that our staff is being aware of how much people have had throughout the day and making sure that we’re not overserving people," said Hammons.
And when it comes to drinking, personal safety is always a factor. Rayvyn Burras, who was enjoying her Saturday at the bar, says even on normal days, she’s careful to make sure no one puts anything in her drink.
But she says with holiday crowds, you especially want to keep your eyes on your drink.
“Don’t leave anything behind. And if you are going to leave something behind, make sure you have someone watching it," said Burras.
The Bowling Green police department told WTOL 11 that they plan to increase patrols on Sunday, and while they won’t discourage people from going out and having a good time they ask people to do it responsibly.
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