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There are social problems here. It's awkward sitting next to a stranger for any amount of time. Even if the stranger has headphones on and is tuned out. It m

There are social problems here. It's awkward sitting next to a stranger for any amount of time. Even if the stranger has headphones on and is tuned out. It might just not be worth the 20 bucks in gas compared with the awkwardness.

rafaelc 17y ago
There are definitely some issues. But maybe you could specify your preference for a quiet vs. chatty person. Also, I'm anticipating this could help for people in a pinch as well. I know I would have put up with just about anything to get a non-bus ride up to Boston!
mseebach 17y ago
There's also the scheduling problem: One of the reasons going by car is attractive, is the flexibility of leaving exactly when you're ready, not a second sooner or later. If you're picking someone up, you have a certain pressure to do it somewhat close to the agreed time. Also, there's the risk of your passenger running late. Very few people will be ruthless enough to just take off without waiting for a while. Finally, there's insurance and taxi boards. The first can be handled (e.g. as a part of the booking process you buy a second policy covering the passenger or something like that), the second can't, and will kill this idea dead.
- conorgil145 17y ago
  I am a senior at the University of Delaware and I live in New Jersey. There are a couple of underclassmen here at UD from my home town who don't have cars and I have given them rides during the holidays. Even driving across campus, setting up a time/place to meet, and making sure that our exam schedules coincide can be a hassle when I am ready to head out immediately but they are not. If I used this service and agreed to drive someone who did not show up for 15-20min I would be very annoyed and probably not use it again (even though I would be getting gas money). Perhaps they can develop in some kind of rating to describe how punctual previous users have been. Then, I could write on their profile that they were late and other people would be aware of their tendencies before they agreed to give them a lift. This wouldn't work for first time users of the service though, since they would have no history... Just a thought.
  - SwellJoe 17y ago
    I kinda suspect the majority of this kind of traveler wouldn't be viewing it as an "on-time every time" mode of travel, just as AirBnB users aren't expecting hotel-style lodgings. I'm thinking it would just be a modern-day replacement for hitch-hiking...you're not sure when you'll get where you're going, you're not sure which route you'll take, but you're certain to meet someone new and probably learn something. Of course, in places where there is no reasonable mass transit option, and for distances short enough to make flying too expensive or inconvenient (I'd rather drive from LA to SF than deal with flying, for example), it could possibly be a more efficient carpool creation tool. There are folks who make the same trip every week and hooking them up could be a useful endeavor, as well. In such a case, obviously, being on-time would be more important. Maybe allowing selection of leisure or business travel would be a useful option.
- jrockway 17y ago
  Finally, there's insurance and taxi boards. The first can be handled (e.g. as a part of the booking process you buy a second policy covering the passenger or something like that), the second can't, and will kill this idea dead. Why not just run the site outside of the US? Who are the insurance companies and taxi boards going to come after? (A disclaimer like, "you may not use this site if you live in the US" could also be helpful for handling any lawsuits. Very much like Youtube is not liable if someone uploads child porn; their policy said not to do that, and it's your fault for doing it, not Google's.)
  - mseebach 17y ago
    Insurance, no, because that's going to happen to the users, not the operator. When someone crashed and the driver is sued for everything by his insurance company because they found out it was a for-profit-ride, it doesn't matter where the service is run from. Taxi boards, sure, formally. Although, I've heard that the primary deterrent for running a pirate-taxi-service in Copenhagen Saturday night (that's ridiculously under-served by taxis, thanks to the taxi-board) is getting beaten up. The problem would be less for such a pre-arranged service, you'll look like you're picking up a friend, not soliciting, but it's still a bit of a risk to take, IMHO. Don't get me wrong, I like the idea very much, I'm just a bit pessimistic on the systemic challenges.
  - shabda 17y ago
    Can not this be legally classified as carpooling? (Car owner pays 25% of gas, guest pays 75%)
SwellJoe 17y ago
The social problems are the same with AirBnB, and yet it seems to be doing pretty well. Having someone in your house is even more dramatic than having them sit next to you for a few hours on a drive. I think it's part of the appeal for many people; while it's not really safe to hitch-hike, it's a pretty cool way to see the country and meet new people. I enjoyed using AirBnB (as a host), though I was extremely selective about who stayed and when. Now that I live in an RV and travel all the time, I'd probably be down with having a co-pilot every once in a while during drives.
drinian 17y ago
AirBnB and Couchsurfing both do pretty well with mixing strangers; the bigger problem is probably that the users would have to keep updating a rideshare site with their own plans, and the site would have to battle jitney drivers' attempting to take over and spam quite often (I would guess). More to the point, though I hate playing the fearful American, when using Couchsurfing or AirBnB, you know the host's address. When you get in a car, you could end up anywhere.

rafaelc 17y ago

There are definitely some issues. But maybe you could specify your preference for a quiet vs. chatty person. Also, I'm anticipating this could help for people in a pinch as well. I know I would have put up with just about anything to get a non-bus ride up to Boston!

mseebach 17y ago

There's also the scheduling problem: One of the reasons going by car is attractive, is the flexibility of leaving exactly when you're ready, not a second sooner or later. If you're picking someone up, you have a certain pressure to do it somewhat close to the agreed time. Also, there's the risk of your passenger running late. Very few people will be ruthless enough to just take off without waiting for a while. Finally, there's insurance and taxi boards. The first can be handled (e.g. as a part of the booking process you buy a second policy covering the passenger or something like that), the second can't, and will kill this idea dead.

conorgil145 17y ago
I am a senior at the University of Delaware and I live in New Jersey. There are a couple of underclassmen here at UD from my home town who don't have cars and I have given them rides during the holidays. Even driving across campus, setting up a time/place to meet, and making sure that our exam schedules coincide can be a hassle when I am ready to head out immediately but they are not. If I used this service and agreed to drive someone who did not show up for 15-20min I would be very annoyed and probably not use it again (even though I would be getting gas money). Perhaps they can develop in some kind of rating to describe how punctual previous users have been. Then, I could write on their profile that they were late and other people would be aware of their tendencies before they agreed to give them a lift. This wouldn't work for first time users of the service though, since they would have no history... Just a thought.
- SwellJoe 17y ago
  I kinda suspect the majority of this kind of traveler wouldn't be viewing it as an "on-time every time" mode of travel, just as AirBnB users aren't expecting hotel-style lodgings. I'm thinking it would just be a modern-day replacement for hitch-hiking...you're not sure when you'll get where you're going, you're not sure which route you'll take, but you're certain to meet someone new and probably learn something. Of course, in places where there is no reasonable mass transit option, and for distances short enough to make flying too expensive or inconvenient (I'd rather drive from LA to SF than deal with flying, for example), it could possibly be a more efficient carpool creation tool. There are folks who make the same trip every week and hooking them up could be a useful endeavor, as well. In such a case, obviously, being on-time would be more important. Maybe allowing selection of leisure or business travel would be a useful option.
jrockway 17y ago
Finally, there's insurance and taxi boards. The first can be handled (e.g. as a part of the booking process you buy a second policy covering the passenger or something like that), the second can't, and will kill this idea dead. Why not just run the site outside of the US? Who are the insurance companies and taxi boards going to come after? (A disclaimer like, "you may not use this site if you live in the US" could also be helpful for handling any lawsuits. Very much like Youtube is not liable if someone uploads child porn; their policy said not to do that, and it's your fault for doing it, not Google's.)
- mseebach 17y ago
  Insurance, no, because that's going to happen to the users, not the operator. When someone crashed and the driver is sued for everything by his insurance company because they found out it was a for-profit-ride, it doesn't matter where the service is run from. Taxi boards, sure, formally. Although, I've heard that the primary deterrent for running a pirate-taxi-service in Copenhagen Saturday night (that's ridiculously under-served by taxis, thanks to the taxi-board) is getting beaten up. The problem would be less for such a pre-arranged service, you'll look like you're picking up a friend, not soliciting, but it's still a bit of a risk to take, IMHO. Don't get me wrong, I like the idea very much, I'm just a bit pessimistic on the systemic challenges.
- shabda 17y ago
  Can not this be legally classified as carpooling? (Car owner pays 25% of gas, guest pays 75%)

SwellJoe 17y ago

The social problems are the same with AirBnB, and yet it seems to be doing pretty well. Having someone in your house is even more dramatic than having them sit next to you for a few hours on a drive. I think it's part of the appeal for many people; while it's not really safe to hitch-hike, it's a pretty cool way to see the country and meet new people. I enjoyed using AirBnB (as a host), though I was extremely selective about who stayed and when. Now that I live in an RV and travel all the time, I'd probably be down with having a co-pilot every once in a while during drives.

drinian 17y ago

AirBnB and Couchsurfing both do pretty well with mixing strangers; the bigger problem is probably that the users would have to keep updating a rideshare site with their own plans, and the site would have to battle jitney drivers' attempting to take over and spam quite often (I would guess). More to the point, though I hate playing the fearful American, when using Couchsurfing or AirBnB, you know the host's address. When you get in a car, you could end up anywhere.