Background information
Interstellar to return to the silver screen in IMAX theatres
by Luca Fontana
«It's our first night together»
13.1.2020
Translation: Patrik Stainbrook
Pictures: Sven Mathis
Drivers for Nez Rouge stay up all night to help those unable to handle driving home. By choice and for free. I joined them for one night.
Dübendorf military airfield. 9.30 pm. on a Wednesday. A military officer waits for me at the gate: I exchange my ID for a visitor's badge. On the other side of the heavy iron bars, I'm already expected and led to the headquarters. There's nothing military about the atmosphere there. No wonder, the airfield is only a means to an end. Nuts, chocolate, tangerines and coffee cups are spread out on tables. Six men of different ages sit at them and talk cheerfully in disarray. Their uniforms hang by the chairs, thick red jackets with the Nez Rouge logo.
Doing their part to keep our roads safe
As volunteers, they will bring those who are unable or unwilling to drive their cars themselves home safely. Their mission: making roads safer in December. «During this month, one Christmas aperitif follows the next, which is why people often have one glass too many,» says Hans Koller, media officer for Nez Rouge Zurich. This December, 35,200 people throughout Switzerland were brought home safely in 16,800 journeys. 10,700 volunteers – more than ever before – have made this possible. Fredy Schaffer and Marcel Tschopp are two of them. Fredy has only been a member since last year, Marcel for over ten. «Ten years ago, I voluntarily drove an ambulance, which is why I know first-hand what can happen in road traffic when drunk,» says Marcel. Fredys motives are quite different. «I'm officially divorced since last summer. I only see my children from time to time, so I looked for something meaningful. Or else I'll just wallow away alone at home.»
9.30 pm. Time for a short briefing before the call lines open at 10 pm. Outreach leader Marguerite Weber explains to all volunteers what to look out for tonight. «Always check if the customer's car is roadworthy, because you as the driver are responsible for it, not the owner. And get the customer to sign at the end to confirm that everything is in order.» On this sheet, among other things, collection and arrival times as well as the donation amount are entered. Nez Rouge works on a tip basis. What astonishes me is that this doesn't go to the drivers, but to an aid organisation. «This year we're driving for Verein Surprise, which is committed to helping socially disadvantaged people in Switzerland. After deducting all expenses, about 80 percent of all income goes there,» explains Weber. The Nez Rouge riders are left with gratitude and the good feeling of having done a service to the community. On average, they even tend to pay more. «We have to pay for public transport and the red jacket ourselves, and for every 100 kilometres we get a 10-franc fuel voucher,» says Fredy. «This commitment, all these encounters, does so much that I don't mind.»
The first caller is on the line
«There probably won't be much action. But it would be nice if you could all go out on the streets at least once,» says Weber. That would be three trips, as the volunteers always travel in pairs. You either drive to the customer in a Nez Rouge car or, if there aren't enough, in your own car. That's where we split up: one drives the customer home in their own car, the other follows in the car they brought with them.
After all questions have been clarified, Weber goes to the next room where the actual control centre is set up. She opens the telephone lines and has just enough time to roughly explain the course of a customer call to me before it rings for the first time. 10.04 pm, I wasn't expecting a call that soon. I can look at the theory I just learned in practice. Name, location, destination and telephone number are recorded. At the same time, she opens Google Maps to estimate when the customer can expect to see the Nez Rouge team. I'm looking forward to the mission, because Fredy and Marcel are Team 1, so they're up first. But I celebrated too early, the customer has no desire for press. Team 2 is on the move. Twenty minutes later, it's our turn. We're to take a gentleman from Oerlikon to Rapperswil.
Always socially conscious
When we're in the sponsored Volvo, I want to find out how far they usually drive and whether only driving within the canton is allowed. «No, we also partly drive to neighbouring cantons, this isn't officially regulated. But most trips are only in the canton of Zurich,» says Marcel. «On my first day, December 24th 2018, I drove a proud 360 kilometres. But such numbers are an exception», Fredy adds while entering the address into the navigation system. Now it's time to buckle up and get going. Time to learn more about my companions. «I was a social worker, aiding people with disabilities. This included driving a wheelchair bus. That's how I got into the habit of driving carefully,» says Fredy. Now he's on disability pension. He was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS). Marcel's list of volunteer opportunities is long: in addition to his ten years as an ambulance driver, he was also involved in mountain rescue and firefighting.
We're almost there, about ten more minutes. Marcel the co-driver calls the customer to let him know to get ready. «Nevertheless, there are always people who want to have a quick drink when we arrive.» But there's no time for that, on crazy nights one call follows the next. This is especially the case on weekends as well as on Christmas and New Year's Eve. «The last day of the year is by far the busiest,» says Marcel. Marguerite Weber confirmed this to me earlier. They're hardly able to cope with all the requests and easily need 50 teams. However, the actual number is more likely to be around 40, if at all. There's always a lack of volunteers on such days.
Very drunk customers are the exception
We've arrived. At least, that's what we think. While Marcel looks for the customer at the parking garage, I talk a little more with Fredy. Whether it's normal that mainly retired men are in service «No, last year I went with women a lot. But pensioners are actually the largest group. Nevertheless, I was amazed at how many working people volunteered. Doctors, lawyers, cops, all mixed up.» Marcel comes back. Alone. We're in the wrong parking garage. Back in the car and on to the right address. That's where we finally find the right man. Marcel goes to the underground garage with him to get his Cadillac. I stay with Fredy, the customer would rather be taken home without my curious questions. Too bad, I was looking forward to a change of perspective.
«On the way home, you'll be talking to most of the customers. You learn whole life stories and often get to hear how much your work is appreciated,» says Fredy. Heavily drunk people are rare. «Most of them are a little drunk. But there are always those who are just too tired to drive themselves.» The road to Rapperswil is long and we talk about all sorts of things. About the low moon outside, about the peculiarities of this route and about life in general. We pass the motorway exit near Dürnten. «That's where I live. If you want, we can all have a cup of coffee at my place on the way back,» says Fredy. Sounds good, I'm getting tired in the back of the car.
Arriving at the customer's house in Rapperswil, Marcel fills out the order sheet and is handed 50 francs. Then the customer disappears. It's now 11.44 pm. «Between 20 and 50 francs is about the normal amount you get for a trip. It's extremely rare that someone gives nothing at all,» says Marcel. He also agrees to the coffee at Fredy's house. The lines are still open until 1 am, but it's rather unlikely that a second deployment will follow. These are sent by SMS and assigned to the team that can be on site the fastest. My two companions seem relatively familiar. I wonder if they've driven together before. «No, for Marcel and me it's the first night together», Fredy says and laughs.
Retired at 70
The coffee helps. As does the toilet. I wonder how the volunteers manage without one. «You have to ask the customer if you can go to the bathroom quickly or stop at a restaurant when you pick someone up there,» says Fredy. And he has more to tell. For example, that he owns an electrobiological house. «I built this house 11 years ago and shielded it from all radiation. I also rely on solar energy and rainwater. Back then, everyone thought I was a nutcase. Now I'm considered a pioneer.» I also learn that you can drive until you're 70 with Nez Rouge, then it's over.
As soon as the cups are empty, we have to get back on the road to be at the headquarters at 1 am in time. Even Fredy, who's already home. Tough. Arriving at the headquarters, we enter a deserted building, only Weber is still there. She says a total of five jobs came in today. Not bad for a quiet evening. At the end of an eventful night, I'm presented with a gift. I get to take along a little stuffed reindeer, the mascot of Nez Rouge. We say goodbye and go outside. I'm not drunk, but I still have a red nose. The clear night is freezing cold. Fortunately, Fredy is still driving me back to Zurich. At the gate we exchange visitor's badges for our ID again. It's now 01.21 am.
My life in a nutshell? On a quest to broaden my horizon. I love discovering and learning new skills and I see a chance to experience something new in everything – be it travelling, reading, cooking, movies or DIY.
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