OCSS Ride Share and Carpool Listing Safety And Tips

Personal Safety

Please keep in mind that not everyone can be trusted! Trust your initial feelings and do not travel with someone you do not trust.

You should meet, in person, the individual with which you are considering travel, in a public, well lit place, before agreeing to travel together.

Discuss travel and driving safety. Do not ride with alcohol drugs, firearms or any other items that could cause you harm or violate the law.

Confirm your prospective travel partner’s phone number by calling it. You may want to check the phone number in the phone book or on line.

You may want to record your travel partner’s driver’s license or other photo ID information when you first meet them; ask to see other information such as registration and insurance information; ask for personal references and call them. When wanting to see the driver’s driving license and other information be sure to let the driver know, do not expect them to have these items with them.

Carpool participants: get the true names of every person who will be in the vehicle.

Exchange emergency contact information for each other before travel and exchange important emergency medical information.

Drivers and passengers: you should always tell someone else who you are meeting, where and when you are meeting that person and what time you are expected to arrive at your destination. Stay in contact with someone while traveling.

Passengers: Prior to traveling confirm the make, model, and color of the car the driver will be driving. Do not get into the car if this does not correspond with the information that was previously given to you.

Passengers: make note of the license plate make, model, and color of the car and your route of travel and tell someone else this information.

All travel plans should be clearly discussed and agreed upon and that information should be shared with someone else.

Do not carry or expose large amounts of cash.

If animals are being transported, they should be property contained.

Tips

Avoid problems down the road by following these suggestions:

Decide where the designated pick-up point will be. Some carpools have door to door service, while others prefer to meet at a convenient central location.

Establish smoking/non smoking rules

Decide if eating/drinking will be allowed in the car.

Discuss which radio stations will be listened to.

Decide if there will be unscheduled stops.

Choose an alternate driver in case of illness or emergency.

Decide how to change carpool schedules around finals when other’s schedules will change.

Discuss how long the driver is expected to wait for someone if they are late.

Decide whether the carpool participants will share the driving during the week or if all will split the cost to one driver.

If you cannot find someone from your location offering a ride, list your need for a ride. Maybe someone passing through is looking for a rider.

Be flexible with your times. If someone is coming to campus earlier than you need to be here, take the ride and go to the library, use the time for clubs and activities, hang out in the Commuter Lounge or workout at The RPAC.

Make sure you mention any preferences you have when creating your listing such as smoking preferences, eating in the vehicle etc.

Look for riders in your location and in the locations you pass through on the way to campus.