The Worst of All

Date: Twice in the past 6 months
Time: 8:30AM-ish
Wait Time: don't remember
Car: 2-door
Climate: Smelly
Audio: Rattling of car parts

I've been taking casual carpool for about 10 months now and LOVE it, but I've had two horrible experiences, both in the same car. There's a small two-door old Honda Civic, part white/part blue (probably held together with duct tape!!) that I will NEVER get in again. The driver's a good driver but his car is repulsive, and that's an understatement.

The smell: combination of years of old sweaty man smell & residual cigarette smoke. Imagine the worst body odor smell times 10, plus years of cigarette smoke that has seeped into every inch of the car.

The car: small, and going to fall apart at any moment! The center console in front is missing so you can see the inner workings of the car, and the stereo looks like someone punched it into the car 6 inches so there's exposed metal and wires everywhere. Everything rattles constantly and appears as if it's about to fall apart like the end of a jenga game at any moment.

I'm not picky about the kind of car I ride in, but I DO NOT want to feel the incredible urge to shower again once I get to work, nor do I want to test my ability to hold my breath so as to not breath in this horrible smell during the 20 minute ride.

I love casual carpool but I will forever avoid this car like the plague.

Small & Suffocating

Date: 10-10-2011
Time: 8:30AM
Wait Time: 0min
Car: 2-door
Audio: Sports radio

There's never any rhyme or reason each day as to whether there will be a long line of cars, a long line of passengers, or both. Today was cars. Lots of them. I'm no car snob but I was disappointed to miss the four-doors in front and behind the car I wound up in.

I got in the back of a small, old, manual transmission car. For someone who's 6ft tall, this was less than comfortable. Then the traffic was horrible and the driver proceeded to ride the...clutch? gas pedal? Not sure which, but whatever it was, it caused quite a bit of fumes in the car.

By the time we made it to the city, I had a headache from fumes and bumping my head on the ceiling of the car every time we went over a bump. Great way to start the week...or not.

Creepy… but Jazzy

Date: 10-10-2011

Time: 8:20AM

Wait Time: 4min

Car: 4-door

Climate: FREEZING

Audio: Smooth Jazz

Ok, so I thought I'd give Creepy Carpool another shot. As awkward as it is, it is so damn convenient. I'm still not quite over the whole notion of riding in with a stranger. I never know what has happened on the car seats I'm sitting on, but then again, can it be ANY worse than any seat found on the various dysfunctional modes of public transportation the bay area offers?

The routine is as follows:

1. Approach the carpool pick-up location

2. Scope out who you may be sharing a car with. As you approach the line, you may want to speed up or slow down depending on who you might end up sharing a ride with

3. Approach the line, and realize that you and your passengers must be allies, you never know if your driver will turn on you. (Keep in mind, the person you're standing next to, may be in cahoots with the driver, and planted there as a diversion. Be aware of this.)

4. As the car approaches, at all costs, act like this is your car that you are getting into. Don't show hesitation, people will know you're new, and possibly a risk to the smooth rotation of carpool loading. Nobody wants to share a car with someone who isn't sure of themselves, especially in an emergency / carjacking / kidnapping situation that may occur.

To be continued

Creepy Carpool 101

The idea of getting into a car with a complete stranger is foreign to me, especially when it doesn't involve asking the question: "Can I get a ride with you?" The whole notion that I can walk up to a car and open the door and sit down next to someone I've never met, and have them say good morning, as we drive off across the bay, somewhat freaks me out. But for $1.00 from Oakland to San Francisco, you really cannot beat that.