The call you can make after last call

After a night of barhopping in L.A., there are few appealing options when it comes to getting home. Driving drunk is dangerous. And although using the designated-driver system ensures a safer trip, it’s no fun for the person who has to sip soda water all night. Cabs are great, but they usually require a second trip the next morning to pick up the car that was left behind.

A new option has emerged -- Autopilots LA is a recently launched service that allows drinking drivers to return home safely with their cars. The company operates like a cab service, except it sends a scooter rider to the customer instead of a taxi. The scooter folds up and fits into the customer’s car, allowing the scooter rider to chauffeur the client home ,then scoot away to his next assignment.

“Here in L.A., if you go out and then you decide to do the right thing and take a cab, you leave your car and then you’re stuck,” said Tone Worland, who co-founded Autopilots with her husband, Barrett, after hearing about similar services in London and Berlin. “We were thinking how amazing that would be for Los Angeles because there is absolutely no alternative in the city.”

No reservations are needed for Autopilots, which launched two weeks ago. Call the number, and the driver will be there in about 30 minutes (though Worland warns it could be longer since the service is so new).

At present, the company has only 15 scooters and drivers, but its owners anticipate brisk business. Next month, they plan to triple the number of drivers -- all of whom are screened for criminal and driver’s records before being hired, and tracked with GPS monitoring systems.

The starting price for Autopilots is $20, with a maximum cost of $40. Pricing is based on distance using a system that divides the city into five zones -- Los Feliz/Silver Lake, Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica/Venice and downtown. If customers’ cars and destinations are in a single zone, the cost is $20. If the car and destination are in different areas, it costs $5 extra for each additional zone that is crossed. Going from Silver Lake to Venice, for example, would cost $40 -- $20 for the base price, plus $5 for the four zones crossed. Payments can be made in cash or by credit card.

Depending on where you’re going, Autopilots can be a little costly. In addition to a hangover, you’ll wake up a little poorer the next morning. But at least you and your car are home safe.

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Autopilots LA

Price: $20 to $40

Info: (213) 201-4141 or www.autopilots-la.com