Car sharing?

[Yellow Fang]

Has anyone tried those lift share / car pool schemes? I am going for a job interview in Swindon, but the rail fare from Reading to Swindon is extortionate. I would be handing over all my drinking money disposable income to the Great Western Rip Off. I don't really want to get a car.

 

[cosmicbike]

I did it for a short period about 10 years ago. Worked ok with the person I shared with as we both lived within 1/2 mile of each other and worked at the same place on the same shifts. Only had issues if one of us finished early on 'drop-off' shifts. Saved a few quid mind.
Nowadays I just cycle.

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

Move house?

 

[Yellow Fang]

It hasnt worked very well for the people I've known who have done it. Mainly because of different expectations regarding payment and the car driver not being clear about exactly how much they wanted. You tend to get people not wanting to pay their fair share.
I think if your the driver its an pain because your beholden to the other person, and if you want to finish early or do something after work then you cant because you have to give the lift.
I would rather do my own thing and just pay the train company. I wouldnt be prepared to be taxiing someone about and then have them quibbling about the cost and making excuses about paying etc, if I was the car owner.

I wouldn't quibble about the cost. The train would cost me £28 a day. I understand the other issues. I wonder if there are any phone apps that would smooth the problems. Like if the driver can't make the journey back then call someone else.

 

[Tin Pot]

You mean hitchhike?

 

[arranandy]

I car shared for about 5 years with another 2 guys. We all lived within about a mile of each other and worked at the refinery at Grangemouth which was about 30 miles away. Worked great until 1 guy lost his licence for drink-driving

 

[Slick]

I car shared for about 5 years with another 2 guys. We all lived within about a mile of each other and worked at the refinery at Grangemouth which was about 30 miles away. Worked great until 1 guy lost his licence for drink-driving

I did the same at Grangemouth and other sites. We even managed to buy an old banger between us and run it into the ground. One guy lost his job and just left his share in the car. We scrapped it around 18 months later when the job finished.

 

[stalagmike]

I did it for about a year. I was the only driver so I guess it wasn't a share exactly, more just someone paying me a bit of petrol money. Which was fine by me. My partner uses a car share to commute (she doesn't drive), and it works out ok. Only ball-ache is when the couple she shares with want to go to the shops on the way home, or worse when they go on holiday and I have to drop her off and pick her before/after the school run. Once I get to my work I've already been in the car for 2 hours ferrying others around and it's only 25 minutes away!

 

[Electric_Andy]

Could work out ok, but ensure that fees/payments are sorted out before. Also there must be a strict policy around arriving late. My great uncle used to do this and was always annoyed because the chap he was picking up was sometimes late, or did not phone him to say he was off sick etc.

 

[Milkfloat]

I spent a year ferrying around someone when I first started work - I actually had to go out of my way to get her and drop her off. I never got a penny, in fact she gave me grief when I had to leave early or was on holiday. What a sucker I was.

 

[Milkfloat]

Why didnt you ask the woman for some petrol money?

I was a young trusting idiot in my first proper job, plus she was lovely You live and learn.

 

[Slick]

I was a young trusting idiot in my first proper job, plus she was lovely You live and learn.

you deserved it.