New Year's Eve is one of just a handful of nights that bring less-experienced drinkers into the nightlife scene of downtown Hudson, says Paul Rode, owner of the Agave Kitchen and a startup taxi business called Ninja Cab Co.

"People want to have a good time. It's our responsibility as bar owners to keep it safe, and it's my responsibility as a driver to get them home," Rode said.

Because Wisconsin laws allow bars to stay open beyond 2 a.m. on New Year's Eve, the taxi drivers don't have to deal with a huge rush of calls all at the same time. Instead, patrons are content to stay inside the bar and continue celebrating while waiting for their cab.

"I'll be out driving from 6 p.m. until probably 8 a.m.," Rode said.

As a bar and restaurant owner, Rode has a unique perspective on the nightlife drinking and taxi scene that other taxi companies in town don't have. A Taxi (known as Hudson Taxi) and Kilimanjaro Taxi also serve Hudson.

Rode says because of his perspective, he knows that the most experienced bartenders are working on New Year's Eve, and those bartenders know when to send people home.

"Even though they're busy, they know who needs to go first," Rode said. "They call cabs for people. I have great rapport with these experienced bartenders and they'll call me and say, 'I've got a troublemaker here who needs to be picked up before he starts a fight.'"

Rode says he started the cab company to show his son how to start and manage a company, but mainly as a way to help protect the downtown Hudson nightlife scene.

"All I care about is providing a service that benefits downtown Hudson. If somebody gets a DUI, that's one fewer guy coming downtown for about a year," Rode said. "That not only hurts Agave, but all the other places down here too. When people come downtown, they might have dinner at San Pedro, go to Dick's and Agave for drinks and end the night dancing at Ellie's."

Who you gonna call?

After you've had your fill of champagne and partying, make sure to get a safe ride home from a friend who hasn't had anything to drink, or call one of these fine taxi companies:

A Taxi
715-386-8111 

Kilimanjaro Taxi 
715-338-9840 

Ninja Cab Co.
715-338-0303 

Rode said he also responds to calls via text message and Twitter.