By Hector Flores
Nassau County¹s Taxi and Limousine Commission, area schools and limousine companies are working together to ensure that there are no incidents of underage drinking inside limousines before or after proms.
Roger C. Bogsted, commissioner of the Nassau County Office of Consumer Affairs, which oversees the TLC, said that for the first time, the county will conduct random spot checks on prom night. ³The Taxi and Limousine Commission was started to protect the riding public from limousine companies operating illegally in the county,² he said. ³Last Friday [in Valley Stream] we seized a limousine because the driver was driving with a suspended license, the plates on the limousine did not belong to the [vehicle identification] number, and the vehicle was past inspection. We seized it because we felt that the 20 teens would have been at risk.
³We are also looking for consumption of alcohol,² Bogsted said. ³Some of these illegitimate drivers will allow underage drinking for a fee. That is the report we receive. We are looking at this and working with the police department.²
According to Bogsted, the spot check in Valley Stream was a joint effort with the Nassau County Police Department¹s 5th Precinct.
James Reed, deputy Consumer Affairs commissioner, added that the TLC conducts random checks, and knows where the schools have their proms. ³We are an enforcement agency, and we have the authority to do that,² he said. ³If we see kids in a limo, we check to see if [the company has] our diamond on the passenger-side windshield. That shows that they have been registered in Nassau County. We also check for proper insurance.²
Reed said that during last week¹s Valley Stream inspection, a bottle of champagne was found in the seized limousine. ³We also found two bottles of alcoholic beverages in a bus, which we then gave to police,² he said.
To ensure that prom nights go without a hitch, school administrators are letting parents know those nights are intended to be alcohol- and drug-free. In addition, they are telling parents that any legitimate limousine company will not allow teenagers inside their limos with alcohol or drugs.
Mark Scher, East Meadow High School principal, said that parents are advised to find a limousine company that checks bags and backpacks to make sure there is no alcohol. If the company refuses to search bags, parents are encouraged to find another company that will. ³Any reputable company will not allow teenagers to bring alcohol into the limousine, because they do not want to lose their license,² said Scher.
He added that parents are also being told to get the cell phone numbers of limousine drivers so they can be reached at any time. ³Parents need to know what is going on and where they are going,² Scher said. ³We have never had an issue, because they are real businesses and they want repeat business.²
Bob McDonald, owner of Broward Limo I.P. in Island Park, said that his company has a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to teen drinking. ³There is a contract we have parents sign that designates the hours and charge, and that there is to be no alcohol or drugs at any time,² McDonald explained.
If any of his drivers find alcohol, they are instructed to confiscate it, return to the pickup site and notify parents. ³We are governed by police, and they check for companies who do not have strict policies,² McDonald said. ³I¹m against underage drinking. They get sick and are too young at that age, and that puts us in a liability. As an owner, I choose not to be in that position.²
Lawrence High School has taken an even more pro-active stance in order to make sure students are safe on prom night, by remaining in contact with limousine drivers so they can report any incidents of misconduct by students. Lawrence Principal Geoffrey Touretz said that if drivers report incidents of drug or alcohol use when heading to or leaving from the prom, they will consider disciplinary action against the students involved, including banning them from graduation or contacting their future college.
³There has been a real growing responsibility on the part of the limo drivers,² Touretz said. ³We have to be [proactive], because God forbid anything happened to these kids.²
Hewlett High School Principal Dr. Joyce Bisso said that letters are sent to all the limo companies, explaining the school¹s expectations for prom night. She added that she encourages parents to speak to the drivers to assure their children¹s safety. ³We set up a commitment from the beginning for a safe [prom] experience for the kids,² said Bisso.
In West Hempstead, parents are asked to sign a contract ensuring that banned substances will not be allowed in limousines. Thomas Lee, West Hempstead High School principal, said, ³We will not let [students] attend without signing it. If we have a problem or suspicion, we have the right to search the student or the limousine.²
Lee explained that student searches are standard, but limousine searches are only done in extreme cases. ³We will only search in cases of suspicion [that a student is under the influence],² he said. ³If we suspect something, we will investigate it, interview them, search them and the limousine.²
Students who are found to be under the influence face being suspended from school, removed from the honor society or other activities, or banned from participating in graduation.
Lee added that parents are also being asked to talk to their children about their pre- and post-prom activities. ³Sometimes these plans are unsafe and dangerous,² Lee said.
