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As Year Ticks Away, Getting That Limo at the Last Minute
from: www.nytimes.com
by Harry Hurt III
I PLUNGED head first into a shiny black stretch limousine, and sprawled out on the back seat across from a venture capitalist buddy I call the V.C. I slid a JOAN JETT CD into the player, shivering with a winter chill, and peered through the tinted-glass rear window at the brightly lighted dark of night.
"Think we'll have to dodge some more bullets?" I asked.
"Naw, not tonight," the V.C. replied, craning his head away and then adding, as if it was no big deal, "If we do, at least we're in a limo."
Our driver nosed the black stretch onto lower 10th Avenue, chuckling softly. His full name was Mansfield Richard Otto, but appropriately enough, he went by Rich. I could see his brown eyes flashing in the rearview mirror.
"I drove Suge Knight before he went to jail," Rich informed us. "We were shot at half a dozen times late at night coming home from clubs."
I felt strangely reassured. Mr. Knight had founded Death Row Records and served two prison terms for probation and parole violations. He had been on the scene when the rapper Tupac Shakur was shot to death in Las Vegas in 1996.
Back in October, en route to a West Chelsea nightclub where Ms. JETT was performing, the V.C. and I had flirted with death when our yellow cab drove through what was, apparently, a drug deal gone bad. The V.C. saw the gunmen just in time to holler, "Get down!"
Next thing I knew, three shots rang out, and we were speeding away with our hearts pounding harder than the beat of Ms. JETT's punk rock anthem "I Hate Myself for Loving You."
I owed the V.C. my life, but I wasn't ready to give it up just yet, and I reckoned he wouldn't have wanted it anyway. The best I could do was invite him to join me on an officially authorized executive pursuit. Our journalistic mission was to inquire about - and road test - limousines to hire for New Year's Eve.
If you're reading this, you're probably aware that tonight is New Year's Eve. That means it's already too late for most people - not only in the existential sense but also in terms of hiring a limo to ride around in while you wait for the ball to drop in Times Square. Most of the best luxury-class vehicles were booked weeks ago.
You, however, are in luck. The V.C. and I have done your limo-related due diligence for you. We found out what kind of car you should hire, and what it's going to cost. What's more, we identified one of the few people who may still be able to bail you out at the last minute, which - in case you haven't noticed - is now.
I am referring, of course, to Rich Otto, the driver of the black stretch limo we hired for our most recent visit to West Chelsea. A former high school English and social studies teacher born in Harlem and raised in Queens, Rich is the proprietor of Mansfield's Executive Transportation Services. His company owns a fleet of 10 cars, and has access to a network of dozens more in almost every conceivable size and style.
Rich was quick to distinguish his luxury limousine service from a car service. "Car services just pick up and drop off; we work on your schedule by appointment only," he explained. "You know that our drivers will speak English, that they will open and close the doors for you, and that they will handle any luggage you might have."
Rich added that his drivers offer a wealth of upscale local knowledge. "Our limo drivers are mobile concierges," he said. "They will have a working understanding of the better stores where the ladies want to shop, especially on Fifth Avenue and in SoHo. They'll be familiar with how to make reservations at the best restaurants. And if there's no room at the inn, they'll be able to find a way around the problem."
The V.C. and I were more curious about how Rich and his drivers might be able to help us gain entry into the city's hotter nightclubs. "Clubs are a little different because that velvet rope outside can be hard to get around," Rich admitted. "But you can usually get in if you introduce the doorman to Benjamin Franklin" - by which he meant a hundred-dollar bill.
The V.C. and I were naturally concerned about security, as well. We regarded New Year's Eve as amateur night. As the clock ticked down toward midnight, we knew we'd likely encounter scores of revelers who were unpracticed at the specialized profession of driving while blinded by joy, lust and liquor. For that reason, we also road tested a Cadillac Escalade with one of Rich's veteran drivers at the wheel.
Rich said the Escalade was the vehicle of choice of the actor Jim Carrey, a longtime client. "The entertainment community loves S.U.V.'s because they offer an added degree of protection from other vehicles on the road," he noted. "There's room for a security person, who usually rides shotgun, a P.R. person, luggage, and the principal." He added that his firm could also provide bullet-proof cars, typically Mercedes or BMW sedans, on request.
While the V.C. and I appreciated the speed, maneuverability and muscle of the Escalade, we both preferred the stretch. In addition to boasting a fully stocked bar, the stretch afforded vastly more leg room, a much smoother ride and a classic look. "Real New Yorkers insist on black limos only," Rich advised. "White stretches are for proms, weddings and tourists."
As we cruised past joints like Marquis, Scores and Spirit in the stretch, Rich regaled us with stories about Bruce Springsteen, Sting, Natalie Cole and Sarah Jessica Parker. He recounted a hilarious tale about driving the sultan of Brunei's family all the way from Manhattan to Disney World in Orlando, Fla., with a staffer whose sole job was to iron currency to stuff into envelopes to give to the Sultan's minions.
But my favorite anecdote was about his first encounter with the singer-songwriter James Taylor.
"I told him, 'I once dated a girl who was in love with you,' " Rich recalled. "He said, 'So did I.' "
I cranked up the volume on the CD player. "You took my heart," Ms. JETT wailed, "then you took my pride away, yea, yea, yea."
Needless to say, riding around in chauffer-driven luxury cars talking trash and playing tunes comes at a pretty high price. Rich's Escalades cost $80 an hour with a two-hour minimum; his stretch limos cost $90 an hour with a three-hour minimum. On New Year's Eve, those prices double because his drivers demand a premium to work on such a potentially long and dangerous night.
As we pulled up in front of Bungalow 8, Rich reminded me that in addition to the 20 percent tip automatically added to the total hourly charges, his drivers expect a cash gratuity for providing exceptional service. "We call it showing a little love," he said, grinning. "You can't tax love."
"Yeah," the V.C. said, sighing. "Love taxes you."
Rich came round to open the door. I climbed out of the stretch, clutching a hundred-dollar bill. I asked Rich how to find a good limo service other than through the word-of-mouth referral that had brought us together. He recommended contacting the concierges at the city's finer hotels, most of whom have limo services on call. "Avoid companies that advertise online," he warned. "They usually add a brokerage charge."
And what should I tell people who haven't hired a limo by the time they read this column?
"Call me right away," he said.
I introduced Rich to Benjamin Franklin. He gave me his business card, and wished the V.C. and me a Happy New Year.
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