Help me find carpooling partners
August 7, 2012 12:01 PM Subscribe
I'm having trouble finding carpooling partners in the northwestern exurbs of Baltimore. Please help.
Every day that I commute to work, it is a 100 mile round trip. I have the ability to work from home, however, it's not a regular thing due to the nature of my work.
The cost of gas and car maintenance is killing my budget. I'd like to carpool/rideshare, either taking turns driving or having my carpool partner(s) or I chip in for gas/maintenance.
I've posted on 2 or 3 local carpooling websites looking for rideshares, and have so far come up with absolutely nothing. I've asked around at work and haven't found anyone who lives near me -- with the exception of one person whose hours are different enough from mine that it's not feasible.
My commute is from an exurb northwest of Baltimore to a suburb southwest of Baltimore, and as I said it's about 100 miles round trip.
I love my job and I love my house and where I live; moving and/or changing jobs are not options I'm willing to consider.
Does anyone have any tips for finding rideshare/carpooling partners?
Every day that I commute to work, it is a 100 mile round trip. I have the ability to work from home, however, it's not a regular thing due to the nature of my work.
The cost of gas and car maintenance is killing my budget. I'd like to carpool/rideshare, either taking turns driving or having my carpool partner(s) or I chip in for gas/maintenance.
I've posted on 2 or 3 local carpooling websites looking for rideshares, and have so far come up with absolutely nothing. I've asked around at work and haven't found anyone who lives near me -- with the exception of one person whose hours are different enough from mine that it's not feasible.
My commute is from an exurb northwest of Baltimore to a suburb southwest of Baltimore, and as I said it's about 100 miles round trip.
I love my job and I love my house and where I live; moving and/or changing jobs are not options I'm willing to consider.
Does anyone have any tips for finding rideshare/carpooling partners?
erideshare has 79 carpools listed for Baltimore. - although a lot of them might be headed to DC.
Have you posted on Craigslist?
Are there commuter parking lots nearby? Make up a flier and post it - maybe even flyer windshields of the parked cars.
Can you drive part way abd pick up a train / bus?
I also commute 100 miles RT, however I live south of DC so I can slug up 95 to the Pentagon and catch Metro from there to the office.
posted by COD at 12:12 PM on August 7, 2012
Have you posted on Craigslist?
Are there commuter parking lots nearby? Make up a flier and post it - maybe even flyer windshields of the parked cars.
Can you drive part way abd pick up a train / bus?
I also commute 100 miles RT, however I live south of DC so I can slug up 95 to the Pentagon and catch Metro from there to the office.
posted by COD at 12:12 PM on August 7, 2012
What about slugs?
I did this in San Francisco and it saved me bridge toll and about 45 minutes every morning. It was great because no one person depended on me or vice-versa, I could be early or late, or just not show up at all if I didn't feel like it. Another good thing was since I had no relationship with the riders, we'd all ignore each other and do whatever.
Can't recommend it enough.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 12:15 PM on August 7, 2012
I did this in San Francisco and it saved me bridge toll and about 45 minutes every morning. It was great because no one person depended on me or vice-versa, I could be early or late, or just not show up at all if I didn't feel like it. Another good thing was since I had no relationship with the riders, we'd all ignore each other and do whatever.
Can't recommend it enough.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 12:15 PM on August 7, 2012
Response by poster: I just posted to erideshare about an hour or so ago (you might have noticed my similar user ID). We'll see what happens with that.
As for the City of Baltimore number -- there are different phone numbers posted on signs along my commute for carpool info. One is 410-313-something (closer to work), and the other is an 800 number (closer to my house). I've never seen that 396-POOL number so I wonder if the other numbers might be a better bet along my route. It's still worth a try.
(I just Googled "410 313 carpool" and got 410-313-3130. It's a Howard County carpool number. I'm guessing the 800 number is therefore Carroll County and that gives me another Google search to try.)
posted by tckma at 12:19 PM on August 7, 2012
As for the City of Baltimore number -- there are different phone numbers posted on signs along my commute for carpool info. One is 410-313-something (closer to work), and the other is an 800 number (closer to my house). I've never seen that 396-POOL number so I wonder if the other numbers might be a better bet along my route. It's still worth a try.
(I just Googled "410 313 carpool" and got 410-313-3130. It's a Howard County carpool number. I'm guessing the 800 number is therefore Carroll County and that gives me another Google search to try.)
posted by tckma at 12:19 PM on August 7, 2012
Response by poster: There are slug lines around here, but the only ones I know of are oriented toward getting people who live in Virginia into Washington DC.
posted by tckma at 12:20 PM on August 7, 2012
posted by tckma at 12:20 PM on August 7, 2012
Slugging happens due to HOV-3 lanes. I don't think Baltimore has any of those, and even if they do, they probably don't come into play on a commute which doesn't go through downtown.
posted by COD at 12:23 PM on August 7, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by COD at 12:23 PM on August 7, 2012 [1 favorite]
Best answer: What about checking with mid- to large employers on that side of the beltway (Owings Mills, Columbia, etc) to see if they'll let you post a notice on their carpool boards/lists? e.g., CareFirst, T. Rowe Rice are both in Owings Mills. Social Security is in Woodlawn.
When I worked in Owings Mills, there was some carpooling, and many of my coworkers also had significant others traveling on that side of the beltway. Often from, say, Columbia to Hunt Valley and back, or from Carroll County to Columbia. That's why posting to an employer's rideshare board might turn up more options than just the employees themselves.
posted by ImproviseOrDie at 12:42 PM on August 7, 2012 [1 favorite]
When I worked in Owings Mills, there was some carpooling, and many of my coworkers also had significant others traveling on that side of the beltway. Often from, say, Columbia to Hunt Valley and back, or from Carroll County to Columbia. That's why posting to an employer's rideshare board might turn up more options than just the employees themselves.
posted by ImproviseOrDie at 12:42 PM on August 7, 2012 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Improvise: I work in Columbia. It may make more sense to check with employers here. But I think there's probably more people who work around 695 who live up by me. I tend to take MD-97 to I-70 to US-40/US-29.
posted by tckma at 12:57 PM on August 7, 2012
posted by tckma at 12:57 PM on August 7, 2012
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by SMPA at 12:06 PM on August 7, 2012 [2 favorites]