"It's kind of strange." That's how Christina McDonald, 24, described the feeling of having a stranger drive her home after a night of drinking -- and in her own car, no less. "It's also kind of nice," she added.

She's talking about designated-driver services. Unlike a taxi, which might cost the same or more, these services make sure that both you and your car get home safe and sound. ("I don't want to be in a grungy, nasty taxi," McDonald said.) It also beats leaving your car in a parking garage overnight or on the street to be ticketed. It definitely beats getting a DWI.

The Twin Cities area is home to several designated-driver businesses, which will pick you up and drive you home in your car.

On Friday, I tagged along with McDonald and her boyfriend, John Bauer, 26, as they enjoyed an early Friday night at O'Gara's in St. Paul. After dinner and four rounds of Captain-and-Cokes, the couple were ready to head home at about 9:30 p.m. Each of them has small children.

They jumped into their white Chevy minivan and snuggled up in the back seat. At the wheel was Bob Janisch, a driver and co-owner of Drink and Drive Intelligently. Customers like McDonald and Bauer simply need to call DDI's hot line and a car will meet them within 30 minutes at their location (they prefer reservations). These services work with two-person teams. So on Friday, another DDI driver tailed the minivan on the 12-mile drive back to McDonald's White Bear Lake apartment.

"I can pay for a DWI, but I can't pay to take back someone's life," Bauer said. "I lost my dad to a drunk driver."

This was an average run for DDI -- calm and courteous passengers who were just happy to get home safely.

Every run isn't this harmonious. Getting customers into their cars during the 2 a.m. bar-close in downtown Minneapolis can be like herding cats. Drunken customers have forgotten where they live. Some can't stop puking. Others demand late-night stops at a fast-food drive-thru.