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• Register to join a carpool |
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The most common carpool arrangement involves commuters sharing the driving and riding duties. For example, in a two-person carpool one commuter drives one week using his or her personal vehicle and pays for the vehicle operating costs, while the other commuter rides. The next week the commuters’ roles are reversed.
The other carpool arrangement involves one or more commuters driving only and one or more commuters riding only. For example, in a two-person carpool one commuter does all the driving using his or her personal vehicle, while the other commuter only rides and pays an equal share of the driver’s vehicle operating costs.”
Contact everyone on your matchlist. Once you've registered with the Foothill Commuter Services you'll be able to instantly access lists of people who live and work near you and have similar work hours. Don't be afraid to contact them. You'll probably notice at least one person on your list who lives around the corner and works down the street from you, so why not share the ride?
Cover the basics. In making your carpool arrangements, be sure to get answers to some key questions:
• How often will you carpool?
• Who has a vehicle? If all passengers have a car, who will do the driving?
• Do all the drivers have full insurance coverage?
• Where will you meet? Will you pick up at home, or at a mutually-convenient location.
• When will you meet? Work schedules are often more flexible than you think.
Decide the dollars. One of our most frequently asked questions about carpooling is how much should passengers pay. If commuters rotate the driving equally, money doesn't have to change hands, but if only one person drives, passengers generally chip in to cover the costs of gas and parking.
Get to know your fellow carpoolers. Carpoolers who don't know each other sometimes feel more comfortable meeting prospective carpool partners before they drive together for the first time. You can talk on the phone or even get together for coffee. This is a great opportunity to discuss carpool specifics.
Establish "rules of the road." Each carpool is unique, but in all successful carpools, members agree on topics such as the following:
• Food, coffee, smoking and perfume/cologne usage
• Radio preferences
• How long drivers will wait for delays
Exchange important information and share emergency contact information before starting your carpool.
Give plenty of notice if you'll be away. Let your carpool partner(s) know about vacations and personal days well in advance, so they can make other arrangements. If you are taking a sick day or have a personal emergency, notify others right away.
Give it a try. Many commuters start carpooling on a trial basis, for a month or two. Once you try it, you'll see how much you like it!
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