Carpooling -- absurd offers

[pacem]

So at my works place there a few ads for carpooling, actually vanpooling. One guy's starting point is 70 miles way. I am only 19 miles away from work. But he drives by me so wouldn't be difficult to pick me up.

I inquire about the cost and it's $290. Now my trip is basically 40 miles round-trip, plus I pay about $80 per month in toll costs. Still doesn't come out anywhere near $290. I break down the cost for him line by line and he says it's "fixed price". No discount for you even if you are about 1/4 the distance we drive.

Talk to another guy. He is about 33 miles away. His rate is $200/month. I explained to him that my costs don't add up to $200 and I thought the point of carpooling was to save money, not to pay more. My cost is about $150/month but that doesn't include wear and tear, registration and taxes, etc.
Nevertheless my car is old and not much to lose by wearing it out.

I said to the guy #2, what's up with $200 when I am only 2/3 away of your distance and he also said his price is "fixed". He won't give me a discount to reflect the fact I am much closer.

Seems like these guys are running a business of some kind, or just want someone to pay their car payments.
The first guy, the $290 guy 70 miles way. It's a van and if he loads 4 people into it, there is no way that commute runs $1200/month. Not even 140 miles round trip.

 

[Shannow]

Over the years I've car pooled, and long ago figured that you just have to hang the expense.

And drive yourself.

 

[bdcardinal]

I drove a co-worker to work for about 2 weeks. Never again, not worth it.

 

[Lyman]

At only 19 miles away it isn't worth joining a carpool. Not unless you have someone close by and just trade off driving. I have three co-workers that live about 60 miles away. They ride together and trade off every three days. 3 days = 1 tank of gas.

 

[gfh77665]

Originally Posted By: pacem
I break down the cost for him line by line and he says it's "fixed price". No discount for you even if you are about 1/4 the distance we drive.

I said to the guy #2, what's up with $200 when I am only 2/3 away of your distance and he also said his price is "fixed". He won't give me a discount to reflect the fact I am much closer.

Seems like these guys are running a business of some kind, or just want someone to pay their car payments.



Its real simple. If it does not work for you, don't carpool. Drive your self.

 

[linkbelt]

Remain independent, drive yourself.

 

[Kruse]

The last time I carpooled with somebody to get to and from work was several decades ago. The thing I remember the most was that he had to stop off at the liquor store every night to buy a pint of Yukon Jack. And yes, he drank it as he was driving home.

 

[Pop_Rivit]

Simple. Either pay the price, find public transportation, or drive yourself.
Originally Posted By: pacem
Seems like these guys are running a business of some kind, or just want someone to pay their car payments.

Why is making money a problem? It actually sounds like an opportunity for you to make some additional money if you're smart about it.

Originally Posted By: Kruse
The thing I remember the most was that he had to stop off at the liquor store every night to buy a pint of Yukon Jack. And yes, he drank it as he was driving home.


And you were foolish enough to ride with him a second time?

 

[KrisZ]

So these people use their vehicles all the time? Sounds weird. In my place they rotate the vehicles and no money changes hands, which I think is best for everyone. Disputes over money usually end up badly and I would not risk it at my place of work.

 

[Bud]

Don't carpool. Problem solved.

 

[Bottom_Feeder]

These people are not in the business of doing you favors or saving you money. I'm surprised you didn't get laughed at or hung up on when you complained that it wasn't cheaper.

 

[eljefino]

If you work for the federal gov't they subsidize the van in certain places. The van pool price mysteriously always meets (if not exceeds) the subsidy. I ride a van and the "killer app" is nap-time in the van, which gives me more awake-time in the evening.

IRS figures ~53 cents a mile is a legitimate reimbursement rate. So for 18 miles (one way) times .53 x 20 working days you could reimburse $190 without it being "income" for the guy.

Similarly, my private auto insurance specifically allows being reimbursed for car pooling "expenses" as long as it's not a profit making scheme.

 

[Kira]

I know "what I think (or thought) doesn't matter, but...

I always thought that carpooling involved several people living nearby sharing, say, weekly driving duty.
It's done to save wear and tear on member's cars and any tolls.
There's always a favored car and a "rattler".

Were one member not to own a car he could pay and take part and all involved would know the price he paid because he'd pay that week's driver/owner.
Simple, clear, honest.

In light of this scenario......
A pick-up service is just that A SERVICE which you buy or pass on.

Sounds like you'll be passing on his offer that's all. Just say, "No, thank you". Kira

 

[Ethan1]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
IRS figures ~53 cents a mile is a legitimate reimbursement rate. So for 18 miles (one way) times .53 x 20 working days you could reimburse $190 without it being "income" for the guy


That's true for the first passenger, but it's all gravy from there. The additional passengers won't really accelerate your depreciation, tire wear, gas usage, etc in a measurable way.

 

[supton]

Sounds like the numbers don't work for you. Those people are making a buck, offering a service, and that's just how it works.

Unless if those 19 miles are miserable it sounds like you are better off on your own. Otherwise, if you hate the drive, it may be worth a few cents/mile for someone else to deal with it.

 

[fdcg27]

Given the flexibility that you sacrifice in any sort of car pool arrangement, it would have to save you significant dollars to be worth doing.
In this case, these offers really are absurd.
Spending more for less flexibility makes no sense at all.
For either of these guys, the marginal cost of accommodating you is close to nil.
I'd therefore offer them both a hundred bucks a month cash and see what they say to that.
I'd bet that fixed price isn't quite so firm after all.

 

[Rolla07]

Definitely they are trying to make additional revenue

 

[69GTX]

The 53c per mile is not linear either. On a trip to work, the first 0-10 miles probably holds the larger majority of the non-fuel expenses. Figure once the car is warmed up and running at highway speeds, miles 11-20 might only be 20-40% of the cost of the first 10 miles.

 

[Falken]

Let's look at it another way:

He has to keep a seat empty for you the entire distance, or just for the last 5 mins of the drive.

So I believe it is fair you pay what everyone else pays.

 

[bunnspecial]

The last time I car pooled was ~60 miles each way. As it so happened, I was working in the same building with a good friend who also happened to live in the subdivision. He is a childhood friend who I still consider a good friend.

In any case, he had a Corolla and I had the Lincoln then. He drove most days, and in exchange I kept his car full of gas. I saved a LOT of money on gas, and he always had a full tank. It worked well for both of us for the few months we did it, although we quit after that because our schedules changed enough that it was impractical(and he and I finally thought it was smarter to live closer to work).

As it is now, I live 10 miles from work but have a half dozen co-workers who live within a mile or so of me. Some folks can't believe I live "that far" away(I work at a university, and a lot of my co-workers live close enough that they walk) and tell me that I should carpool with some of the folks who live close to me. Especially at that distance, I much prefer the freedom of my own car. I have driven co-workers to/from work when they had a car in the shop and am happy to do so but don't want to get into a formal arrangement. I'll just ask for a return of the favor if I'm ever in a similar situation.