Checking In With the Limo Crowd

The Occasion: Formal Dance

On the night of their winter formal, 10 dressed-to-the-nines teenagers from Foothill High School in Santa Ana--including, from left, Chris Swisher, Chelsea DeBerry, Ben Worral and Julie Woods--shared a limo ride. The group went to Benihana for dinner, then to the dance, held at Cal State Fullerton. Behind the wheel was Sharlene Sorensen, 34, who has been a driver for four years. “I love the kids, I feel like I am their protector . . . probably because I have four girls of my own,” she says. The dad of one of the teens--Brittany Howe--handled arrangements for the limo: He bartered with Evening Star Inc. of Anaheim for the ride--replacing a plate-glass window at the company in trade.

The Occasion: Wedding Day

Newlyweds Michelle and Ryan Miller, above, found the back seat of their wedding carriage--a white stretch limo--a great place to make out. The car carried the couple and a dozen members of their wedding party back to the hotel, where they all spent the night. As they climbed aboard, Cory Miller, brother of the groom, gave another groomsman a kick-start. Perry Abonza of Lincoln Limousine in Diamond Bar was the chauffeur for the big day. He got into the business six years ago because he wanted to meet a lot of different people. He’s got a collection of autographs and pictures of celebrities he’s driven. “You have to be very flexible, lovable and capable to be in this business,” he says.

The Occasion: Business Trip

When Daniel J. Callahan travels on business, it’s chauffeur Major Cephas who gets him to the airport on time. Last summer, Cephas, who has been driving for 17 years, got a $20,000 tip--a piece of good fortune that landed him on the talk shows and in newspapers and magazines. He drove a man (whose name he won’t reveal but who is associated with a Seattle-based computer company) from Garden Grove to Portland, Ore. Usually, trips aren’t nearly so long (nor tips so grand!). Cephas is a driver for Continental Limousine in Westminster, and Callahan is among his regular customers. The two have gotten to know each other well in the last five years as the Orange County attorney has relied on Cephas to get him where he needs to go. Often as not, that means a trip to LAX, and Callahan uses his time in the limo to work rather than worry about traffic.

The Occasion: A Quinceanera

Courtney Farmer was among 15 friends who celebrated a quinceanera recently. The festivities took place in style--and on wheels. Guest of honor Heather Dorscht and her pals traveled from the quinceanera to a reception in a stretch limo, making a photo stop at Disneyland. There, they took the opportunity to check out the guys in the parking lot. When they tried to poke their heads out the sun roof, though, their driver ixnayed the idea. Chauffeur Abby Hosseini of Continental Limousine says he’s seen it all in his 15 years behind the wheel--and most of it has been enjoyable. He describes himself as an observer. “I have had so much fun,” he says. “I’m currently writing a book on driving limos.”