Carpooling
Carpooling or ridesharing is as simple as:
- catching a ride with a colleague
- organizing our children into a carpool roster with other parents
- dropping a neighbor at a destination on the way to ours.
10 Tips For Successful Carpooling
1. Determine your route and schedule. Establish the morning pickup point(s) and designate a place(s) to meet for the trip home.
2. Draw up a schedule for driving responsibilities. If all members of your carpool alternate driving, decide among yourselves if you want to alternate on a daily, weekly or monthly basis.
3. Establish a method for reimbursing driving expenses. Share costs. If all members of your carpool do not share the driving equally, come to an understanding of how the costs will be shared and agree on payment dates. Make sure your insurance is up to date. Some policies offer rate reductions for carpooling.
4. Be punctual. Decide how long the driver is expected to wait. When home pickups are utilized, do not disturb everyone in the neighborhood by honking if a rider is running a few minutes late.
5. Establish ground rules or policies: Smoking or nonsmoking; music and volume; food and drinks. Discuss possible irritants among the group. For example, some people are sensitive to strong perfumes or colognes, some may like quiet time in the morning. Your carpool will have a better chance of success if possible irritants are discussed initially.
6. Make carpooling service its purpose. If it is for commuting to and from work, do not let it become a shopping or errand service.
7. Establish a chain of communication for sudden changes. If a driver is ill, or will not be going to work one day, an alternate driver should be notified to ensure that other members of the carpool will have a ride. If a member is ill or will not be working, the driver must be contacted as soon as possible. If you are a passenger and not traveling that day, notify the driver as soon as possible. Ensure everyone has a copy of home, work or mobile numbers. Don't forget to give notice of vacation, personal or overtime plans.
8. Drive carefully and keep the vehicle in good repair. This includes keeping the vehicle clean, making sure it has enough gas, and is safe. There are others involved. There should be no excuse for excessive speed, use of alcohol, or reckless maneuvers. Follow the rules of the road.
9. Respect your fellow carpooler's wishes, especially in the morning when some people like to be quiet.
10. If you lose a member of your carpool, put up a flyer in your company, supermarket or other area where friends or colleagues congregate to find a replacement.
Don’t:
- Make a habit of being late.
- Ask your carpoolers to make extra stops along the way so you can take care of personal errands. The carpool is meant to help everyone with their commutes, period.
- Bring up controversial topics like religion or politics unless you know your fellow carpoolers well. While some people enjoy debating the issues, others may prefer a quieter commute.
- Have lengthy cell phone conversations while you’re in the carpool
How to Promote Carpooling in Your Workplace
How to Form a Carpool
