My First: Carpool
June 5, 2008
I carpooled to work this week for the first time. I feel pretty good about it, knowing that my co-worker and I saved a little bit of fossil fuel - about 75 miles’ worth, roundtrip. (We both live in Bethesda and commute to Baltimore.) Unfortunately we’ll only be able to do this about once per week.
Even as gas prices have been skyrocketing around me, only recently did I consider major changes to my commute.
Trust me, if I could use public transit efficiently, I would. But I’d have to Metro from Bethesda to Union Station, D.C.; hop an hourlong MARC train to Baltimore; then grab a Baltimore City bus from the MARC station to my office. Two trains, one bus, and almost two hours later, I’d arrive. Call me crazy, but that’s just not appealing, even with gas at $4-plus per gallon.
Still, I figure there has to be something I can do - besides begging to work from home.
Last week I heard an NPR piece on “slugging,” which is intriguing. Participating drivers and hopeful passengers have formed a symbiotic relationship; they meet in parking lots and share a ride to the office, shaving up to a half hour from their commute by zipping along the HOV lane.
Alas, there aren’t any HOV lanes on my commute, and therefore probably not any drivers willing to pick up a “slug”. Also, something about catching a ride with a complete stranger - even in daylight - rubs me the wrong way.
We’re considering reducing the number of cars in my household from two to one in an effort to save on car insurance and maintenance. Heck, I’d bike to work if it wouldn’t take me all day … and we weren’t in the middle of Maryland’s rainy season.
Anyone else out there debating whether to make a commuting change?
JACKIE SAUTER, Web Editor
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The AP reports today: Employers look at cutting down on workers’ commutes