vLane Blog

Cool Commute: Craigslist Rideshare

From LaurenG, Featured Contributor
Posted on August 5, 2008

Filed under Green, Mileage, Misc, Advice , Classifieds, Humor, Review

It's like hitchhiking, but with some forethought and a small price.

If you find yourself needing a spur-of-the-moment ride down the coast, or your car happens to break down the night before an out of town meeting, why not try Craigslist's rideshare listings instead of booking a flight or renting your own car? Business on the rideshare board is busy, so there's no need to resort to hitchhiking, or shouldering the huge gas burden of a long drive alone.

Here's how it works: if you're looking for a ride someplace, you post a 'ride needed' request including when you hope to leave, and what you can offer (gas money, good music, etc.) If you're driving somewhere and want a passenger, you post a 'ride offered' request including the same details and what you expect from the passenger. You might guess that there are way more "hitchers" looking to bum rides than drivers offering rides, but that's actually not the case. A highly non-scientific study of the postings in the SF bay area over the last week reveal that there are slightly more people looking for people to ride with them than people looking for rides. And, with 70-80 postings a day, there's a decent selection if you're going to a common destination.

Where is everybody going? The most common posts are for trips to Los Angeles, but Washington and Oregon are also popular destinations. It's also possible to find postings for cross country trips. People offering rides often request that passengers split gas with them or pay an upfront fee (usually $20-$30 for a ride down to Southern California, for example). Daily carpooling requests also show up, but not as often. The best part is you don't have to plan in advance. Most postings are for trips within the week, including same day. The exception is major carpooling events like Burning Man, which people are already planning for.

Craigslist has etiquettes, and the rideshare board is no different. Unless specified, nobody wants to drive 500 miles with Smelly Sam, Loud Leonard, Bad Voice Vicky, or Snoring Steve. It's not uncommon for those offering rides to ask for someone who has good hygiene or is semi-normal, but if someone is looking for an alternative rideshare experience, it's usually pretty clear. It is, after all, Craigslist. People offering rides should make sure that their passengers do in fact have a place to go once you reach your destination, in order to avoid the possibility of becoming their foster parent.

Lots of people are doing it, most of them to save money, but also to get some company for what could otherwise be a long and boring trip. What could get better than saving money on gas, meeting new people, and helping the environment all at the same time?

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LaurenG is a featured contributor for vLane.