CARPOOLING
- 5 déc. 2015
- 3 min de lecture
What ?
The carpooling is the common use of a vehicle by a non-professional driver and one (or more) passenger (s) to carry out all or part of a common path.
There is several type or carpooling. The first one is the regular route one. For this one you need a real organization, it happen weekly or even daily. This kind of carpooling is really widespread between workers. Indeed, it allow them to reduce the cost of transportation by sharing a full tank, enjoying the company of colleagues or stranger, fight against traffic jam especially in peak hours.
The other one is the occasional one, for holidays or during festivals. They do not have vocation to repeat. There are easy to find this last few year thanks to some specialized website as "blablacar". Please find attached a user portrait to understand better the interest of this transport means.
Maybe this sharing experience will you give desire to discover this ecologic alternative.
Portrait :
Mathilde is 20 years old, she is a woman and she is French. She is a student of political sciences and love to travel, read books learn new languages and enjoy to discover new culture.
She accept to answer a few questions to highlight our vision of carpooling! Find attached the transcription of our meeting.
Believe me or not, but I discovered car polling thanks to my parents! Currently I am studying in Paris but come from Toulouse, in the South of France. I found the train pretty expansive to go back home just a few days, so we start to seek a solution. My parents have been told that the "blablacar" website was pretty sure, and offer interesting opportunities. I've always been an open minded person and was pleased to try this new means of travelling. So I've been on the website, book a travel a few days before, and spot a meeting point.
The d-day I was here, waiting for someone I didn't know the face but yet having a vague idea of the car style I was waiting for. For me, it was a crush, I fully embrace this philosophy. What I like the most is the fact of meeting someone you will probably never see again, unless a coincidence! You can speak of whatever you want, tell him/her story you friend complained to hear for the thousandth time!
Nonetheless your travel is totally unpredictable. Once I met a guys who didn't speak to me at all, it is also a risk but the game is worth the candle. I discovered people from every horizon, old, young, crazy, nice, funny... This is what is fantastic, all this different point of view gathered together.
I already travel abroad like that. Indeed, for example "blablacar" is an international website. Considering the fact that I have a lot of foreigners friends, it is a really easy and cheap way to meet wherever we want to. I also appreciate the flexibility. Even one hour before the departure you can book your travel and the prices are not changing.
Each time I get up into the car, I have this little apprehension mixed with excitement, it Is a really good life experience, trusting someone you don't know anything about. That's why I thing carpooling is also a human experience. Unfortunately you also could have disappointment. When I "carpooled" to Amsterdam the couple with who I was travelling dropped me off in the middle of nowhere, even if I paid and signed to go to the center. At this time my only option was to take a train, economically speaking it was so not really a good deal. Nonetheless people clearly do not make carpooling only for economical reasons. Indeed, once I hitchhiked and I met a man who wanted to publish on "blablacar" but he didn't have time. Most of people do that not to travel alone and have some company.
Best experience?
There were several! When you are going on 270 km/h in the German highway, when you are nine in a vintage old VW van listening to reggae! I totally improve my musical culture through all of the experiences.
Negative points :
- Uncertainty about the quality of travel : 3 places could mean 1 next to the driver 2 on the back or simply 3 on the back
- Rhythm breaks
- Delay
Positive points :
- Usually you can leave comments about the driver for more security
- Meet new people, sharing stories, human experience
- Save money
- Save time compared to buses or even train sometimes
- Fight against the greenhouse gas emissions effect
- Free meeting point, flexibility
Sources
Carpooling website:
https://www.blablacar.fr/
http://www.europe-carpooling.com/
https://carmacarpool.com/
Commentaires