You wake up, disoriented and a little nervous. All you can remember is someone yelling, “Shots!” and the smell of way too much axe deodorant. You’re somewhere you’ve never been before laying next to a guy you’re almost 100 percent sure you’ve never met before. You feel a strange combination of fear, nausea, and shame. You need help, and fast.
Who ya gonna call (if you live in Ann Arbor, Michigan)?
No, not them. Call Walk of Shame Shuttles! You get picked up at wherever your crazy night took you and get taken wherever you want to go, as long as it’s in the general Ann Arbor area. The ride only costs $5 and includes a free bottle of water, a Plan B coupon and no judgmental eyes staring at you in your little black dress from last night.
This endeavor is the brainchild of University of Michigan senior Kellyann Wargo. Not only is this girl a visionary entrepreneur, but she’s got the wit to match. That’s a dangerous combination.
Designated Driver
The basic concept behind Walk of Shame Shuttles is so simple you have to wonder why more schools don’t have a similar service. So what led Wargo to this potential goldmine?
“[I was] getting tired of picking up and driving around my roommates,” said Wargo of many early mornings playing chauffeur after her roommates’ late nights. “I was tired of being paid in McDonald’s breakfasts and wanted cash to support my soberphobia.”
So maybe she’s not the Steve Jobs of public transit, trying to reinvent the transportation industry. Wargo is just trying to maintain her party girl ways while also helping fellow Michigan partiers avoid embarrassing morning walks home.
“This was only supposed to be for my friends, but since it’s gone viral I have decided to expand across campus,” she said of her business’s success. “So far I have received mostly positive responses about Michigan students being proud it came from their university.”
Wargo also said she’s heard from Michigan alumni who are impressed by her venture. Networking and helping drunk girls get home? All in a day’s work for Kellyann Wargo.
Becoming Legit
Wargo attributed the success of Walk of Shame Shuttles to the fact “seeing a friendly face makes the morning after a little easier.”
Her little project has gotten so big that Wargo actually had to temporarily put it on hold in order to make it legal. She just got her chauffeur license, is in the process of copywriting the Walk of Shame Shuttles brand and is even getting a small business license. Once all the ink is dry on the paperwork, people will probably have to start paying her in actual money.
“Right now I am mostly being paid in brunch,” Wargo said, clearly hoping that won’t last long. “Makes me feel like I am on Sex And The City but I have gotten some money. Not enough to support my weekly bar tabs though. But once I am back open to the public I imagine that won’t be a problem.”
Someone’s pretty confident. Then again, it’s not like her clients are going to stop doing their thing anytime soon. Chances are business will be booming for a long time.
Face Of A Franchise
Wargo doesn’t seem particularly daunted by anything at this point. Since Walk of Shame Shuttles was first posted to her Facebook on Jan. 16, she has had “some loyal customers” that have made finding business a cinch. The only real problem she’s experienced so far is some hardcore creeping.
“Being a girl behind this has been the most challenging aspect of starting a small business my senior year,” Wargo admitted. “[I have to deal] with all of the random calls and texts I get throughout the day from strangers (mostly men) asking if it is really ‘the walk of shame shuttle girl.’ I don’t let myself read comments on all the websites.”
If becoming a celebrity is your worst problem, life is probably pretty good. Anyone willing to be featured on CollegeHumor can handle the pressures of fame. If worse comes to worse, Wargo can just drink all her problems away with the money Walk of Shame Shuttles is sure to earn her.
So ladies: next time you’re ready to go back to a guy’s bachelor pad, ask him if he has a Walk of Shame Shuttle business card, which Wargo is distributing to bros so they can give them to their “slampieces.” This girl is clearly going places.
