Tipsy drivers can have themselves and their cars towed home by Five Star Towing

By Cole Hobson
Times & Transcript Staff

There's simply no excuse to drive drunk this holiday season, as the availability of cabs and services like Operation Red Nose give tipsy drivers plenty of ways to ensure they get home safely.

Doug Short of Five Star Towing wants to remind drivers they have another option as well.

"I've been doing it for the last three years and it's even more so right around Christmas time. I'll go around and talk to the bars and put flyers out and it's just to let people know that basically, don't drink and drive. Call our tow truck and we'll go to the bar and we'll pick you and your vehicle up and take you home," Short explains.

For those looking to get themselves and their cars home after a night on the town, Short's company Five Start Towing will offer their towing service to anywhere within Metro Moncton city limits for $60.

Short says he has seen how effective the service can be.

"Pretty close to 20 years ago I drove a tow truck in Toronto and it was quite big business up there. I figured if it works up there, it should be able to work down here," he said, noting the accident scenes he attends provided him further encouragement to start up the service in Metro Moncton. "You see the carnage at them and you think that it could have all been prevented. I'm just basically promoting the fact that it doesn't bother me that you're drinking -- your car doesn't always have to be broken down to call a tow truck. Call me and I'll take you home."

Short says the public has taken well to the practice and he has a number of regulars who use the service quite frequently.

The service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. "I actually do it all year round, but I try to push the fact more at Christmas time because there's still a lot of impaired drivers over Christmas and that shouldn't be happening at all."

n Five Star Towing can be reached at 874-3684.

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