4 ms·

It is weird that these companies are so prominently displayed nowadays, yet a German website that is already up and running since 1998 and was until very recent

by sveme 12y ago

It is weird that these companies are so prominently displayed nowadays, yet a German website that is already up and running since 1998 and was until very recently not requesting any share of the fare is completely missing from the story - mitfahrzentrale.de Apparently they currently have 700,000 offers of long-distance car shares online. I remember that some other site was already up and pretty popular in the mid nineties, and in both cases you actually only had to pay the driver the cost for gas. Maybe it's the name that never really moved the story outside the German-speaking countries.

tormeh 12y ago
Probably just language barrier. But much of English-language culture is just American culture and it is very navel-gazing. Never underestimate Americans' ability to not consider anything happening beyond their borders, except as matters of foreign policy.
- slyall 12y ago
  It is very frustrating to see as a foreigner. A magazine article will be talking about something like legalizing prostitution and will be more likely to quote Benjamin Franklin than to say what happening in other countries where is is legal.
  - mahyarm 12y ago
    America is surrounded by a near identical twin in the north, huge oceans on it's sides, and a relatively undeveloped south. The country itself is as large as europe with as many climates to experience. It's nearly inevitable. Europeans on the other hand, can drive to a different developed nation in 5 hours. Seeing your relative across the country isn't that big of a deal. Being aware of cultural differences is inevitable.
krebby 12y ago
mitfahrgelegenheit.de is another great one. Ride shares tend to be much more popular in European countries because the distances between major cities are usually shorter and people are generally more trusting of riding in strangers' cars. GoLoco (from Robin Chase, ZipCar's founder) was an American take that never really caught on in the States.

by sveme 12y ago

tormeh 12y ago

Probably just language barrier. But much of English-language culture is just American culture and it is very navel-gazing. Never underestimate Americans' ability to not consider anything happening beyond their borders, except as matters of foreign policy.

slyall 12y ago
It is very frustrating to see as a foreigner. A magazine article will be talking about something like legalizing prostitution and will be more likely to quote Benjamin Franklin than to say what happening in other countries where is is legal.
- mahyarm 12y ago
  America is surrounded by a near identical twin in the north, huge oceans on it's sides, and a relatively undeveloped south. The country itself is as large as europe with as many climates to experience. It's nearly inevitable. Europeans on the other hand, can drive to a different developed nation in 5 hours. Seeing your relative across the country isn't that big of a deal. Being aware of cultural differences is inevitable.

krebby 12y ago

mitfahrgelegenheit.de is another great one. Ride shares tend to be much more popular in European countries because the distances between major cities are usually shorter and people are generally more trusting of riding in strangers' cars. GoLoco (from Robin Chase, ZipCar's founder) was an American take that never really caught on in the States.