ASF-Zingo Athens profile

Who? Zingo Athens
What? Athens premiere designated driver/chaffeur service
Where? 398 Foundry Street, Athens, Georgia 30601
How? Call Zingo at 1-866-75- NODUI (66384)
When?
Hours of Operation:
Monday-Wednesday, 8 p.m.-3 a.m.
Thursday-Saturday 8 p.m.-4 a.m.
Closed Sundays. After hours service available by appointment.
Cost: $10 pick-up, and $2 per mile


Name: David Iezzi
Age: 23 years old
Hometown: Vidalia, Georgia
Employed: 8 months
Job description: Zingo dispatcher; answers calls, routes drivers; used to drive for Zingo.
Quotes:--“We have one driver that is on duty during the weekdays.”
--“The amount of customers we have using Zingo depends on if there is a home game in town or not. On game day weekends, we make about 25 to 35 rides. On nongame weekends, we have 16 to 18 rides.”
--“I like my job, except for the fact people get mad because of the wait time.”
--“I would agree that Zingo is better than taxis, because for one, you have your car the next day. Second, you know the person is legit. Not to mention it is cheaper if you pack more people in.”


Name: Brian Miller
Year/major: Senior journalism major at UGA
Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina
Employed: working since mid-June, 3-4 months
Job description: Zingo driver
Quotes:
--“I have many stories, but nothing that can be printed.”
--“What I like most about my job is that I get to meet a lot of people, especially bar owners.”
--“I also like when I get big tips from customers.”
--“One time, I drove 98 miles, past Watkinsville to Madison, then back to Athens.”


Name: Winston Murray
UGA alumni
Hometown: Newnan, Georgia
Employed: Over a month
Job description: Zingo driver
Quotes:
--“I don’t have too many crazy stories; nothing that really sticks.”
--“I have one sad story though. I was driving this guy and his dog, Gizmo, home one night. During the ride to the guy’s place, Gizmo had pressed his paw down on the button and jumped out of the backseat window. We didn’t notice the dog had been missing until we got to the guy’s place. The guy was distraught, screaming and crying. It was sad. I didn’t ever find out what happened to Gizmo.”


Name: Matt Fuller
Year/major/school: Freshmen healthcare science major at Athens Tech
Hometown: Powder Springs, Georgia
Employed: A couple of months
Job description: Zingo driver
Quotes:
--“I really like my job a lot. It’s a good chance to make money. Also, I get to help people out.”
--“I lost one of my best friends recently. He was driving home one night and a person drinking and driving ran into him.”
--“On my first night as a driver, I made $100 on tips from the same customer. They tried to force me to go to a party with them. They even threatened to beat me up if I didn’t go.”


Edited by: Ashley Bene