Opération Nez rouge
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Opération Nez rouge (literally, "Operation Red Nose"), founded in 1984, is an escorting service offered in several francophone countries under several names during the holiday season.
Description
The escorting service is offered to all persons who do not feel capable of driving due to alcohol consumption, tiredness, or any other reason. The service is free, but donations are accepted.Each year around the holiday season, an advertising campaign reminds the public of its existence.
The service works as follows. The client calls the organization. An escort team of three persons arrives. One uses his or her own car to drive the chauffeur and his partner to the client. The chauffeur then drives the client home in the client's own car. The partner drives with the chauffeur and client to make sure that the ride goes smoothly. The partner collects any donation that the client should want to make, gives the client a receipt, and makes conversation with the client so the client does not bother the driver (which could happen if the client is very drunk). When the ride is over, the third member of the team picks up the driver and the partner and a new operation commences.
Originally donations went to the swimming team of Laval University, but the organization became so successful that today donations go to 150 organizations. The costs of Operation Nez Rouge are covered by sponsors, often insurance companies which are happy to see the number of auto accidents during the holidays drop.
History
Operation Nez Rouge was started in 1984 in Quebec City by Jean-Marie de Koninck, who had two goals. He wanted to finance Laval University's swimming team and he wanted to do something to fight driving under the influence. He knew that drivers leaving bars refused taxis to bring them home when intoxicated, not because of the cost, but because they wanted to have their own cars the next day. Thus came the idea to simply offer an escorting service.There were 1,205,894 escorts between 1984 and 2004.
See also
External link
Source
- [link]
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