What is a UC Davis undergraduate to do when he or she has attended at a social soiree of sorts, downed a few Bud Lights and is now incapable of driving home? Well, if it happens to be a Friday or Saturday night, between the hours of 10 p.m. to 2 a.m., the student might just be in luck, thanks to the student government-funded (ASUCD) service, Tipsy Taxi.

A sister-service to Unitrans - Davis' primary bus system - Tipsy Taxi employees operate 15- and 20-passenger vehicles under the management of Specialized Transportation Services and its director, Robert Bates. Tipsy Taxi is unique in that it is entirely student run.

Here's how the service works: Dispatchers stationed at the Unitrans garage accept pick-up requests between the hours of 10 p.m. and 2 a.m., communicating directions and a general head-count to the evening's on-call drivers. Passengers are picked up in the order of calls received. About four Tipsy vans can be spotted circulating Davis on any given Friday or Saturday night, more for busy party weekends, and fewer for long, three-day weekends when students generally leave town.

In order to ride, students must be within city limits and waiting at a Unitrans bus stop. Drivers charge