Welcome to LimoLicious, LCT Magazine’s blog devoted to “stretching chauffeured transportation.?The LCT team appreciates you clicking in, and hopes you’ll find some useful and entertaining information. Read more

Jon LeSage

Jon LeSage is the webitor of LimoLicious, and a managing editor at LCT Magazine. You may have seen him at an industry event; he’s been to a few since joining LCT in 2005. Read more

Martin Romjue

Martin Romjue joined LCT Magazine as editor on Jan. 2, 2008. He most recently worked as a business editor for the Los Angeles Newspaper Group, and previously reported at newspapers in Virginia, Florida, and California. Read more

Jim Luff

Jim Luff is an operator from Bakersfield, CA who wears a few different hats. Jim began his career in the industry as a private chauffeur in 1990. In 1993 he found a permanent home at The Limousine Scene as the general manager, later becoming a partner. Read more

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Limo Bob Strausser is quite a character. A Chicago-based limo operator and custom coach builder of extreme stretches, Bob has been on cable TV and in plenty of photos with his gold chains, gold rings, sunglasses, loud outfits, and big smiles. He even spoke on a panel at LCT East two years ago, to a packed room. The Herald News ran a nice story on him.

DITCH THE DUI RISK: At LCT Magazine, one of our heroes is the limousine lush; the drunk client who gets dropped off in a limousine or livery vehicle.

Why do we like limousine lushes? Aside from the fact that they can be easy tippers while tipsy, the limousine lush is not driving any vehicles, and thereby avoids driving under the influence.

A Phoenix operator has listed Arizona's strict DUI rules and penalties as a sobering reminder of why going out in a limousine is the safest way to visit multiple places while consuming alcoholic beverages.

This is actually a brilliant marketing tool to sell your services: SCARE the partiers into a limo.

We would love to juxtapose a photo of a tuxedoed client rolling out of a limousine with a bottle of Courvoisier with a photo of the same client looked glassy-eyed and haggard in an orange jumpsuit. Which would the client prefer? What scene would other motorists on the road prefer?

This is a no brainer. Every chauffeured transportation operator should find a way to promote themselves as the anti-DUI alternative: Save gas, save carbon, spare hassle, and save lives and livelihoods.

TRANSPROTECTION: One of LCT's first Canadian OOY finalists was profiled recently in the Calgary Herald, a newspaper in Calgary, Alberta where Transprotection Security Services is based. Owner Judy McBride, pictured here with LCT Publisher Sara McLean, ranked among three finalists for the first-ever Canadian Operator of the Year Award that was announced at the LCT Canada Conference July 20-21 in Toronto. The OOY award went to Global Alliance of Toronto, owned by Joe Ironi, with McBride and Craig McKutcheon of Rosedale Livery Ltd. of Toronto as finalists.

One minor correction: The article incorrectly mentions that McBride was chosen among 100 entries; there actually were about 100 ATTENDEES at the conference, but the three finalists were chosen from a much smaller pool of actual Canadian ENTRIES to the OOY Awards.

Congratulations to Judy McBride and her unique, high-end chauffeured transportation concept.

The Concours d'Elegance in Pebble Beach is usually considered the most pristine, well orchestrated annual display of classic, vintage vehicles fully restored and shown off. This Monterey County Herald news story offers a photo slide show and video, if you're interested. Some of these classics sell for millions of dollars, and get sold for more dollars later. Classic cars have been growing in popularity in this country, and some of our readers have a few in their fleets - perfect for weddings and other special occasions.

If you take a visit to Coachbuilt.com, you'll see a directory of links to every category of coaches you can imagine: limousines, hearses, trolleys, bookmobiles, delivery trucks, etc. This will soon become known as the Encyclopedia of American Coachbuilders and seems to be connected to the Professional Car Society, especially with all the references to vintage vehicle suppliers. Scroll down near the bottom of the website to the Limousine Builders category to find the major limousine industry coach builders.

LEAVE THE LIMOUSINES ALONE: Limousines and black livery vehicles are an age-old target of government do-gooders, regulators, and spiteful bureaucrats. Chauffeurs at Phoenix's Sky Harbor International Airport delivered a strong, anti-regulatory message Friday by borrowing a tactic from the unions. STORY HERE. It appears as if the longstanding discrimination that favors cabs has pushed operators to the breaking point.

The protest proves that the chauffeured transportation industry must remain vigilant and exert whatever pressure possible to bring government officials and regulators to the table. Fees and fines for operators have become excessive in cities and districts nationwide. A lot of educating is needed for the public sector busybody set. -- M.R.

Demand for buses is expected to increase 5% annually through 2012, according to a new study by the Freedonia Group. Expensive fuel is motivating consumers to ride buses more, especially mass transit systems. Increasing traffic congestion in major metro areas is another growth factor. Limo buses have grown during the past two years - in customer demand and in fleet purchases - and are used for weddings, nights on the town, and also for corporate events. 

SO JUST STRETCH IT! Attendees to the upcoming DNC in Denver are scrambling to line up airport and about-town transportation. Even taxis, shuttles, and public buses may be overwhelmed. Story here.

But you can still get a stretch limousine with some operators. It appears as if the cost and the visibility of stretches may be a bit intimidating to delegates, dignitaries, lobbyists, media scrum, and hangers-on headed to the "greenest" convention in history.

Well, LCT Magazine has a solution for those inclined to act illiberal toward the limousines: Fear not the luxury chariots for hire. When you put three or more people into a stretch limousine, you are doing the greenest thing imaginable. You take single-riders out of cabs and rentals. A Town Car stretch is not an SUV, not a bus, not a dingy cab -- it's comfortable, classy transportation that uses the same or less gas. For groups of DNCers still looking for ground transportation, being a group of limousine liberals in this situation equals being good green citizens. So, stretch out and pull up in a stretch, and wave at the plebeians stuffed in the shuttles.

BTW, the Rocky Mountain News misspelled the name of GENE COOK-EN-BOO, the owner of Presidential Worldwide Transportation of Denver and president of the Limousine Association of Colorado. -- M.R.

BUYER BEWARE: Before you buy any green vehicles, make sure it's for the right reasons: Getting more clients, saving on energy costs, and making more money.

Scientific debate is growing about whether the Earth is actually warming or on the brink of a cooling trend. One New Jersey legislator is trying to slow down the global warming locomotive in that state.

It's all the more reason for chauffeured transportation operators to insist on boosting their profit emissions, while not worrying too much about the carbon ones. Let the scientists keep digging for the facts before radically changing how industries, services, and economies operate.

If the Earth is actually cooling to the extent some scientists claim, then we may just need more fossil-fueled limousines with fireplaces. -- M.R.

Horace Pappillion and Carl Guillory of Citistreets Limousines have designed a new chauffeur lounge near the Houston airport, says Joe Jordan, president of the Limousine Association of Houston. "This is probably the most deluxe chauffeur's lounge in all of the USA. It is better than some first class airport clubs," Jordan says."You should also consider rewarding your best drivers with a full-time membership. There is a discounted rate for member companies of the LAH."