The Penn State Escort Service will no longer provide mobile escorts beyond walking range because students misused the service.

The change, which took effect Friday, was made because too many students used the service as a means of free transportation, instead of a means to protect their safety, said the escort service's supervisor and victim/witness advocate, Pam Gerber. Walking escort hours and distances have not been changed.

Gerber said escorts believed the service was being abused after reviewing the origin and destinations of callers.

For example, Gerber said, several times "a bunch" of students called about 10 minutes apart requesting mobile escorts to distant places. Gerber said this was interpreted as a group of party-bound friends soliciting free rides to a party.

Furthermore, Handy Delivery Taxi Service, the service's mobile escort supplier, also advised the escort system that students may have been taking advantage of the system for free transportation, Gerber said.

"After careful review of how the service was used, it was necessary to cut back because it seemed like a lot of people were using it as a taxi service," said Sharyn Jacob, a member of the service's advisory committee and director of the Undergraduate Student Government Department of Safety.

Gerber predicted that the change will have little effect on the escort service's goal of providing safe transportation because people who live outside the service's walking range will now pay for a cab or use other public transportation.

"When we provide a walking service, we know we are providing a real safety service. We cannot know that with the mobile service," Gerber said, since many people abuse the mobile part of the service.

Gerber said the change did not reflect financial troubles.

Both mobile and walking escorts will continue to take students, faculty and staff within walking range of campus from 6 p.m. to 7 a.m.

The mobile escort was one recommendation made by the University's Strategic Study Group on the Status of Women in December 1987. However, many involved in that study remain optimistic that the change will not endanger women's travel.

Patricia Johnstone, assistant director of the Center for Women Students and an advisory committee member, said that while she found the change unfortunate, she understood the reasons behind the decision.

"I find it very upsetting that so many people would abuse this service," Johnstone said.

Gerber said use of the escort service has increased dramatically since its creation. In September 1989, the service received 298 calls for service, she said. And the following September, the amount of calls almost doubled, totaling 538.