515-343-6719.
This number is well-known by students throughout campus. It belongs to John Lahvic, the Drake Safe Ride driver. Known simply as “John” around campus, he can be found driving students around the Drake community almost every night of the week, creating a safe environment for students to partake in activities of their choosing.
“I want you guys to have that college experience and not have to worry about something happening,” Lahvic said. “I want you to have fun and not get yourself hurt or in trouble by any means. And of course, I was also 19, 20, 21 years old at one point, so I get it.”
The Safe Ride program has been working hard to keep students safe since its start in the fall of 2015. Lahvic joined the Department of Public Safety staff that same year, and he has been the main driver of the Safe Ride since.
The Safe Ride bus follows certain guidelines so that it can best impact the Drake community. It can only travel around campus, staying in between Cottage Grove and College Avenue. The bus also only operates at certain hours of the week, from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. Sunday through Wednesday and from 8 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. Thursday through Saturday. The times will expand during Drake Relays week to help keep students safe. On weekends, Lahvic said he has an average of 225 riders a night. During Relays week, as well as Holidays such as Halloween, that number grows significantly.
Because of the number of students Lahvic interacts with weekly and the relationships he has created with them, he is popular across campus.
Lahvic has gained extreme popularity on campus because of heartfelt interactions and the relationships he has created with students. Junior Kiley Kahler, who is studying Public Relations, Management, and Organizational Leadership, and Sophomore Brian Orellána, studying secondary and math education, created the @DrakeSaferide Instagram account earlier this spring to keep students updated on the program. The account gives students a place to access information about the program as well as share their love for Lahvic.
The Safe Ride Instagram
The Instagram account started as a joke, with Kahler and Orellána calling themselves the Safe Ride “interns” after developing a close relationship with Lahvic. However, the account went viral on campus.
“Within the first night, we had like 400 followers and it just kept going up from there,” Kahler said. “I think our first video got over 1,000 views. It was just insane. It blew up in a way we never thought it would.”
The Safe Ride Instagram also promotes safety while riding the bus. It focuses on spreading the rules that Lahvic and Drake public safety has put into place. These include not bringing open containers on the bus, knowing how to properly shut the bus door as well as being polite to Lahvic and promoting equality and inclusion for all riders. The Instagram has also collected testimonies from students on campus, sharing how much the Saferide program means to the Drake community.
“I am really proud of that relationship that the community has with Drake Public Safety,” said Orellána. “because it’s been rocky over the years so having that relationship, you know, grows through social media, and you can see how social media can be a good force when it comes to partnership and collaboration.”
Safety on the Bus
For Lahvic, safety on the bus is his highest priority. Throughout his nearly seven years of driving, he has never had to call other public safety officers to deal with an issue. Lahvic also ensures safety on the Drake Bus by having mutual respect with the riders.
“First of all, to make sure that this is actually a safe ride, I treat you guys as adults. But at the same time, I give you guys customer service,” Lahvic said. “I provide a service for you to know that if there is something happening that you can come talk to me, and that we can try to get it taken care of.”
Even though he has been doing this for seven years, Lahvic believes he is nowhere near the end of his time at Safe Ride
“I can see myself doing this forever. I know every student that has seen me here wants me to be doing this forever. And I may be here for a while, for a long time,but it’s just that I do want to come back to you guys,” Said Lahvic. “Being able to talk to you, being able to have a relationship that is professional, that we can sit here and joke with each other, and that you guys know you feel safe.”
