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ELY — Thirsty ice fishermen no longer have to leave the warmth of their shacks to replenish their beer and liquor supplies. Now, all they have to do is pick up their cell phones and call Ely Safe …
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ELY — Thirsty ice fishermen no longer have to leave the warmth of their shacks to replenish their beer and liquor supplies. Now, all they have to do is pick up their cell phones and call Ely Safe Ride. The one-year-old veteran-owned area taxi service announced over Christmas that it can now deliver alcohol to its customers, including ice fishermen on lakes within a five-mile radius of Ely.
Company owner, Nic Jordan, said the purpose of the service is not necessarily to promote drinking, but to prevent fishermen from drunk driving.
“I want to limit the amount of inebriated drivers on the ice,” said Jordan. “If they want to replenish their supply, we can deliver that to them to keep them off the road.”
Along with alcohol, the company can also deliver meals from Ely restaurants that don’t offer their own delivery services. Jordan said all rides and deliveries have a flat fee of $5, plus the cost of the delivered item.
The customer should first call Ely Safe Ride at 218-380-7433 to let the drivers know they want something delivered. Then, hang up and call the restaurant or Beaver’s Liquor (218-365-4011) and make the purchase over the phone with a credit card and driver’s license. Other liquor stores are not a part of the service at this time.
To ensure they’re not delivering to underage drinkers, Ely Safe Ride checks driver’s licenses and has the alcohol customers sign ledgers for their purchases. Jordan said he gave his drivers consent to deny any alcohol deliveries that feel suspicious.
“I’ll never put my company or Beaver’s Liquor in any sort of gray area,” he said.
Jordan said his company’s services are limited to areas accessible by minivans, including lakes with ice roads. Although, he said, his drivers would be willing to meet at the shoreline if they can’t drive out to the fishing shacks.
The ice delivery services will last until the lakes are no longer safe to drive on, but his other taxi and delivery services will continue throughout the year and are offered 24/7.