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It was Robert Burns who wrote, "The best-laid schemes o' mice an' men; gang aft agley," [often go awry]. He wasn't talking about carpooling way back then, but we should heed his warning in all of our undertakings. Setting up a carpool is such an undertaking. It is a wonderful way of getting to work in an eco-friendly manner. Without proper planning, however, the carpool situation can "lea'e us nought but grief an' pain."
Here are six to tips to ensure that your carpool plans don't go agley:
- Just because you have four seats doesn't mean you need to fill all four. Find people who live nearby. There is no sense going out of your way to save a negligible amount of gas. Make carpooling as convenient for everyone as possible. Plan routes ahead of time from each of the carpoolers' home.
- Don't hesitate to oust a lollygagger. A consistently late carpool is a doomed carpool. Nothing will hurt the overall morale of the carpool than a consistently late, Dagwood-esque character in its midst.
- The carpool should only have one function. It should take people to and from an area, usually to work, at a consistent time every day. It is not a delivery service. It should not be used to run errands for one of the carpoolers. Let everyone know this up front.
- Discuss costs and be willing to renegotiate if things change. If one person drives each day, the non-drivers should kick in to give the driver some extra cash for his gasoline and car maintenance. If gas prices rise, don't groan when you have to pitch in a little extra.
- Establish communication. If the carpool driver gets sick, someone should be the replacement driver. A replacement driver should be an assigned position, and it should rotate as drivers rotate.
- Set strict boundaries and guidelines. No smoking means no smoking. It is okay to disallow food and drink. The maximum time a driver will wait should be established upon carpool creation. Strict rules will allow for a more organized carpool.
More on Carpooling:
Which Carpool Service is Right For You?
Divide the Ride: Create, Organize a Parent Carpool
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Jeff Says: Slugs Invade Nation's Capital
Find, Start a Carpool
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