Paying for rides!

Hello Everyone,

I am usually a slug from Bob's to 18th and E, but sometimes I drive, but 80% of the time I am a slug.
I just wanted to see how everyone feels about slugs paying drivers a minimal fee to catch a ride.

The way it works right now:
The driver's Expenses are:
Monthly Parking is around 200-250.00 (downtown area)
Gas (I dont have to tell you about gas prices)
Wear and Tear on the car

BUT, as a driver, your ONLY benefit is being able to get to your destination faster because of slugs in your car.

AS a SLUG, you also get to your destination faster, but you also save LOTS of $$$ in GAS, Parking And wear and tear on your car.

So CLEARLY, the slug has a MAJOR advantage in the way the system works right now, you get ALL the benefits for FREE. It is like having your own Chauffeur.

If I was to take the metro from Springfield, to Farragut West i would spend about 12.00/day (includes parking fee at metro) so FREE rides are obviously better.

MY POINT:
We as slugs should start contributing to a GAS fund for the driver who is nice enough to give us a ride, i am not suggesting an exorbitant amount; off the top of my head I would suggest 1 DOLLAR per ride at a minimum that would allow the driver to get 4/day which would be about 1 Gallon of gas per day.

It only seems fair to me, I understand that some of you will NOT like this proposal. But think about the alternative if you were to drive (Gas, parking, wear and tear) or take the metro (fares and Parking and Time) you still come out ahead by paying just 2/day for slugging. Everyone is being affected by the current state of our economy, lets be fair to our fellow drivers so we can all continue to benefit from this amazing system.

Like I said, I am mostly a slug and truly will NOT mind paying 2/day for all the aforementioned benefits.

What do you all think??

thanks

S

Some private industry companies and government agencies offer free parking for their employees.

sandy,

If you charge for rides, you might have to apply for and pay for your taxi license and the associated business and insurance fees. I'm not a lawyer, but you might want to look into the legal side of that.

Slugging has always been a mutual-benefit enterprise with NO CASH changing hands. If it's costing you or other drivers too much to drive and the time savings of picking up slugs are no longer worth it to you, then don't drive.

If the slug lines get to the point where they're not supported by enough drivers, slugs will have to either drive themselves or resort to public transportation.

In my opinion, right or wrong, I think that the system is already broken, for the drivers NOT the slugs of course.

Regarding the 1 dollar fee, it would be a DONATION for gas NOT a way for the driver to make $$$. HARDLY. I am not a Tax lawyer, but how is it different from setting up a carpool and helping the driver w/the monthly Gas bill? I used to be part of a carpool and she did not report whatever $$$ we gave her to the IRS. I can attest to that.

Yes if its not working for you as a driver, then simply become a slug. Problem solved Right? well some ppl, drive to work because they have to and are unable to slug. In the instances in which I drive, I do it because I have to pick up my daughters or need the car to do errands during the day, or go to meetings etc.

Regarding guidelines to follow when donating a dollar, "who is gonna set up the guidelines?" someone asked. Well who setup/enforces the guidelines right now??? NO ONE.
When I have been a driver Here are some of the few things that have happend to me while a driver:

-People w/suitcases requesting for me to open the trunk(can you say TAXI?).
-People Farting in my car w/horrendous smell
-People requesting me to drop them at a diff. spot that the agreed destination.
-People w/grocery bags who while getting in the car hit my car w/their cans of tuna.
-People talking on the phone THE WHOLE WAY (talk about making you feel like a chauffeur)
-People that, for WHATEVER reason have not showered in days and have this unbearable body odor.
-People applying MAKE UP on them WHile i drive.

Yes there are guidelines that everyone talks about here on the board but who setup/enforces these guidelines right now??? NO ONE.

Here is a quote from the same discussion in 2005 from user 122582
back them ppl complained about the price of gas about to hit 3 dollars, now is about to hit 4 dollars w/no end in sight, here is the quote:

"Slugs who never drive or otherwise contribute anything (other than their rear end in a seat) need to think about supporting the system.
"

I knew that my post would not be popular, but I am just giving my .02 cents.

Thanks.

S
I would love to hear from people who are 100% drivers, anyone??

I drive 100% of the time. Now, if some nice slugs were to have say non-monetary items like Donuts or better yet Sticky Buns, that would be a more acceptable, palatable, and tax-free form of compensation.

To Sandy's point however, I have considered taking an American Airlines approach and setup a charge for the 2nd (and 3rd, and 4th, etc) bag that some slugs insist on trying to cram into my car. http://aviationblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2008/04/american-airlines-to-charge-25.html.

We could also implement a Dogbert type charge for anything that Slugs do that annoy us; the worse the pet peeve, the higher the charge.




FKA Atlantis.99