With the fluctuations in energy and gas prices in today's economy, and the inevitable resurgence in the cost of oil that will bring about more expensive gas - it is a great idea to consider participating in a carpool. A carpool may be known by several different names, such as ridesharing or car share, but the principle is of course the same in all situations. A carpool involves the shared use of a car by two or more passengers, generally for the purpose of commuting to and from work.
A carpool not only helps those participating in it to cut down on the amount of money they spend in their daily lives, but it also can reduce the number of cars on the road, and therefore reduces the amount of pollution sent into the air. For these reasons and more, being a part of a carpool is a win-win situation.
The concept of the carpool has been around for some time, even as early as the second World War, when the United States government encouraged ride sharing to reduce costs and energy consumption. Typically, the members of a carpool will use their own private cars, switching off regularly so that each driver is using his or her car a fair amount. In many cases, each member of the carpool will contribute to the money used for gas for all shared journeys.
Carpool members may even be people who do not personally own a car. If this is the case, often that person will just pay a slightly higher amount of money for gas to the main car owner. It is relatively easy to find a carpool that works for you. It may even be as simple as speaking with a friend or neighbor who works near your own place of work to find out if he or she may be interested. If so, the two of you can plan your pick-up and drop off times and locations, and the manner in which you will divide driving time, private car usage, and the cost of fuel.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Forming a Casual Carpool
Becoming a part of a carpool is a wise idea for a variety of reasons. It not only benefits economically, in the form of money saved because you are spending less on gas, but it also helps the environment, and it can assist in the cut down of traffic congestion, resulting in a need for fewer parking spaces as well.
Joining a carpool, or forming your own, can be as simple as making a phone call to a friend. If you are organizing a casual carpool yourself, there are a few things to keep in mind. Here, we have listed some key points below:
Figure out your route and the specifics of your schedule. Once you have at least one other member of the carpool, establish the morning pickup points and times for everyone involved, and try to make things as convenient for all parties as possible. Employ common sense. It is a poor idea to try carpooling with a person who lives or works a long distance from your route, as that would in essence defeat the purpose of carpooling in the first place.
Plan a schedule that evenly divides the driving responsibilities. If a member of the carpool happens to not have a car, figure out a way for that person to contribute to the carpool that seems fair to all involved. Perhaps that person paying for a bit more of the gas than the other members would be fair, for example.
Establish a fair reimbursement method for all carpool expenses. Keep track of all gas, and the number of miles put on a particular car in any given trip. Make sure everyone involved is in agreement about the reimbursement method so that no toes are stepped on.
Determine how long a driver will wait at a designated stop. Be sure to be punctual, but in the event that someone is late, make sure that everyone is informed as to how long they will be waited on so that no one ends up being late for work as a result of someone else's tardiness.
You can find out further information and develop a carpool by logging onto My CasualCarpool
Joining a carpool, or forming your own, can be as simple as making a phone call to a friend. If you are organizing a casual carpool yourself, there are a few things to keep in mind. Here, we have listed some key points below:
Figure out your route and the specifics of your schedule. Once you have at least one other member of the carpool, establish the morning pickup points and times for everyone involved, and try to make things as convenient for all parties as possible. Employ common sense. It is a poor idea to try carpooling with a person who lives or works a long distance from your route, as that would in essence defeat the purpose of carpooling in the first place.
Plan a schedule that evenly divides the driving responsibilities. If a member of the carpool happens to not have a car, figure out a way for that person to contribute to the carpool that seems fair to all involved. Perhaps that person paying for a bit more of the gas than the other members would be fair, for example.
Establish a fair reimbursement method for all carpool expenses. Keep track of all gas, and the number of miles put on a particular car in any given trip. Make sure everyone involved is in agreement about the reimbursement method so that no toes are stepped on.
Determine how long a driver will wait at a designated stop. Be sure to be punctual, but in the event that someone is late, make sure that everyone is informed as to how long they will be waited on so that no one ends up being late for work as a result of someone else's tardiness.
You can find out further information and develop a carpool by logging onto My CasualCarpool
Experience a Better Commute with Carpooling
Whether you love your job or not, it can be extremely frustrating to leave your home at the crack of dawn just to beat traffic. What’s even more discouraging is leaving early for work only to be stuck in traffic. After commuting for two years into New York City five days a week, I was better off carpooling with a group of people into Manhattan. However, I wasn’t aware of the benefits of carpooling. At the time, gas prices were barely above $1.49 per gallon and even then people complained about the high gas prices. I spent a total of $70 per day on gas and tolls. Plus, I kept my mechanic wealthy with regular oil changes and repairs.
I recall sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic one day and I wondered what it would be like to quit my job and work closer to home - eventually I did. Many commuters often contemplate quitting their jobs to work closer to home. What if you’re unable to find a job closer to home? You have one of two options available, either move closer to your job or just deal with it. Thankfully, there is a better alternative and that alternative is called carpooling.
How do you get involved in a carpool?
It's easy enough if you are going to school or working in an office. You could post a notice on an ad site like Craigslist with your number and see if anyone wants to form a carpool or if there are any carpools available in your area. Or you could just talk to people around the office or school and see if they want to drive together. A great idea for students in college is to form carpools going home for vacation which will cut down on the amount of cars traveling long distances. And if you're shy, you could always put in a suggestion to management to see if they will set up an official carpool system in the office.
I recall sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic one day and I wondered what it would be like to quit my job and work closer to home - eventually I did. Many commuters often contemplate quitting their jobs to work closer to home. What if you’re unable to find a job closer to home? You have one of two options available, either move closer to your job or just deal with it. Thankfully, there is a better alternative and that alternative is called carpooling.
How do you get involved in a carpool?
It's easy enough if you are going to school or working in an office. You could post a notice on an ad site like Craigslist with your number and see if anyone wants to form a carpool or if there are any carpools available in your area. Or you could just talk to people around the office or school and see if they want to drive together. A great idea for students in college is to form carpools going home for vacation which will cut down on the amount of cars traveling long distances. And if you're shy, you could always put in a suggestion to management to see if they will set up an official carpool system in the office.
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