Editor’s note: Sweeps sent staff reporter Casey Toner to ride the so-called “drunk bus,” aka “Redline,” on its first Saturday night in operation.

The brand-spanking-new Redline went into effect Thursday night. On Saturday, the night was as dead as I was bored.

But what did I expect, hopping on a route no one knew about and at an early hour when the NIU party animals had yet to come out and play?

Two things: an easy and relaxing assignment (and exactly what my editor gets for assigning me a lousy story on a Saturday night) and much more than what actually happened.

What happened was an hour of sitting, staring out the window and talking with my bus driver, occasionally interrupted by conversations with random passengers – most of whom had no idea what the Redline was or where it went.

Jason Culberson drove the bus Saturday night; it marked his first time driving the Redline.

Almost each and every passenger who stepped on asked where the bus was headed; two young men from Stevenson Hall wanted to go to Greek Row, but our bus was not headed that way. However, the L and R weekend buses were, and Culberson told them to wait 10 minutes. They did, and we pulled off.

Culberson said Friday night drew about 50 to 80 passengers. That surprised me, considering we only drove a handful of people. But keep in mind that small number only multiplies as the night drifts on. In a few weeks, after the new route establishes itself, I expect the number to even out at a couple hundred per night.

“It takes a little while for the word to get out,” Culberson said.

Most passengers had little idea where the bus was going before the bus stopped and hopped on only after Culberson told them where it was headed – past the bars, just outside Greek Row and just a bit into downtown DeKalb.

This reminded me how nice drivers like Culberson will react when vast numbers of irritable drunks hop on “The Drunk Bus” and puke their party out or act like stupid, drunk college kids.

Whatever the case may be, I foresee the Redline cameoing in many a Northern Star police beat in the near future. But probably not in the immediate future.

Columns reflect the opinion of the author and not necessarily that of the Northern Star staff.