Free safe rides home for women, transfolk, and gender queers

Just ran across this and I can't believe I never heard of this service before now!

RightRides is a free service that provides a safe ride home for women, transpeople, and gender queers on Saturday nights/Sunday mornings between midnight and 3am. They serve parts of Queens, a large portion of Brooklyn (as far east as Utica Avenue and south to Eastern Parkway, along Prospect Park West, Kensington to Parkside, and into Bay Ridge, as well as all of downtown Manhattan south of 23rd Street and can be reached at (718) 964-7781. You have to be picked up and dropped off within the service area, which can be seen on this map:
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?f=q&hl=en&q=boerum+hill,+brooklyn&layer=&ie=UTF8&om=1&z=13&ll=40.693915,-73.954811&spn=0.078743,0.188141&msid=116466374563827716105.00000111e2265debed28b&msa=0

More info at:
http://www.rightrides.org/

I've had many an uneasy walk home late at night, because sometimes I just don't have the spare cash for a cab. The phone number is now in my cell and I will absolutely be using it in the future.

I'm going to make this a global announcement for a few days, and then I'll retire it back to "Brooklyn and Beyond." Ladies, PLEASE put this number in your cell phone, just in case. Promise?

I don't think I've heard the term "gender queer" before. Not trying to change the subject (although I'm sure this thread will have a life of its own), but what does that mean, exactly?

My understanding (although I am _far_ from an expert) is that a "gender queer" person rejects the standard male/female, and may identify with both, neither, or some sliding combination of male/female, rather than one OR the other.

daver wrote: My understanding (although I am _far_ from an expert) is that a "gender queer" person rejects the standard male/female, and may identify with both, neither, or some sliding combination of male/female, rather than one OR the other.

Yup, that's pretty much my understanding too. This might help a bit as well:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genderqueer

I think the main idea is to protect people who might be targeted for rape or bashing.

actually, there's a previous thread about this service:

http://www.brooklynian.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=4430&highlight=rightrides

and I have not used it but it sounds massively cool.

and, also not to derail the thread, but I have a friend that I'm going to be seeing in london in a few weeks that I'm supposed to call "zur" or "ze" (not her or him or he or she or ...) and I think I'm just going to fuck it up. I have enough trouble with my straight-up trans-friends who identify with a gender (getting the pronouns right, I mean) - the zur thingy is just impossible.

alafairnadia wrote: and, also not to derail the thread, but I have a friend that I'm going to be seeing in london in a few weeks that I'm supposed to call "zur" or "ze" (not her or him or he or she or ...) and I think I'm just going to fuck it up. I have enough trouble with my straight-up trans-friends who identify with a gender (getting the pronouns right, I mean) - the zur thingy is just impossible.

No, let's derail, it's interesting the shifts in language and society. But instead of making up whole new words, how about you go the blunt route and when referring to others say "That One" rather than adressing gender?

That way no made up words and everyone gets to sound a little like some haughty Roman emperor or somesuch. e.g. "That One over there, with the blue dress, bring them to me."

Mod note: Fixed yer quote tags for ya.

What an excellent service.

It's such a great idea. I saw them on the news. They're planning to get enough zipcars and voulnteers to expand into more of queens and bronx too.

That is totally rad!

Thank you so much for posting this! I used it and was very pleased with my experience. Good looking out!