Chauffeurs

Avis Budget Group Inc. is offering chauffeurs for its rental cars to win customers who might otherwise use taxis or car services when traveling. Avis customers in Los Angeles, San Francisco and eight other U.S. cities can hire a driver for $30 an hour, plus standard rental car fees, spokesman John Barrows said. The service is also offered in Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Miami, New York, Phoenix and Washington.

A stretch limousine has long been a sign of celebrity, affluence and power for fat cats and hot dogs. But the growing number of limousine businesses has made the classy rides within reach for nearly everyone, including the pimpliest of prom dates. KLS Transportation Service in Beverly Hills, one of Southern California's largest limo companies, says clients are leaning away from stretch limos and toward less-conspicuous luxury SUVs or roomy sports sedans.

When a Florida limousine driver ferrying 10 teens to their high school prom at Disney World was arrested on drunk driving charges, the news likely shocked parents across the country who've been depending on limo services to keep their children safe on prom night. According to authorities, the driver, a 49-year-old woman with a prior DUI charge, was so intoxicated during the April 9 incident that she was driving on the wrong side of the road and cutting off other vehicles.

Scott Herwitz travels in a world of celebrity, privilege and, sometimes, drama. Wearing a dark suit and shades, he is silent and nearly invisible -- qualities that make him privy to secrets, deals and the occasional romantic liaison. Herwitz is a limousine driver, one of thousands in Los Angeles. To those on the other side of the partition, he is simply "the driver." But he sees and hears everything. "You're the ultimate fly on the wall," says Herwitz.

The Clippers parking lot has never been so full--of glamour, at least. Monday night, while the 70th Academy Awards took place half a mile away at the Shrine Auditorium, the driving force behind the glitter congregated at the parking lot of the Sports Arena. Eleven-hundred strong, these show-biz veterans dressed to the nines, avoided the paparazzi and listened intently for . . . SigAlerts? You betcha.