Prepaid Cab Rides for Teens A service to help kids get home, safe and sound

Their car has broken down, they're stranded, and there's no way they can fix the problem on the side of the road. Another motorist sees them and stops, asks what the problem is and gives the group of teenagers money for cab fare home. When the Good Samaritan gets home, he thinks about how many times kids find themselves in similar situations--broke and unable to get home--and how often people bother to help them.

This is precisely what led Robert Cook--the Good Samaritan--to launch RideHome LLC, a Valencia, California, company that provides cab rides for teens in a bind. "I approached cab companies [and] found out that I actually just had to open an account with them with good credit references," says the 36-year-old. "I'm able to pay them monthly for any cab rides that we utilize in the areas they service."

Parents, in turn, sign their children up for a membership entitling them to cashless cab rides. The $49.95 annual fee covers a $19.95 membership fee and a $30 deposit for any rides (prepaid cab rides have a flat fee of $30).