Ridesharing helps students cope with sluggish economy, rising gas prices
With just a carry-on suitcase, a computer bag and the jacket on his back, Sherman Wong has navigated through 40 states since graduating from Juniata College last May.
Despite limited funds, the Hong Kong-native has been able to satisfy his wanderlust through a combination of ridesharing, hitchhiking and couchsurfing.
And while the young man is traveling solo, it hasn’t been a lonely road. Wong, who studied cultural studies and social complexity, has made friends along the way.
These individuals also connect him with more travelers and others able to help. Sometimes, Wong said, it’s as simple as posting a Facebook status to find a ride.
While Wong’s travels demonstrate ridesharing on a larger scale, for some college students, this means carpooling to work or school. During off seasons when many students return home -- including spring, winter or summer breaks -- rideshare may be cheaper than plane tickets.
With forecasters predicting the price of gasoline to rise to $4.25 per gallon next month, more people may become interested in taking advantage of carpool programs and public transportation to offset costs.
Many colleges have introduced ridesharing programs in recent years as part of sustainability initiatives and to help students save money. For instance, 130 colleges have joined Zimride, a social networking platform created for local and longer-distance rideshare arrangements.
Integrating Facebook profiles allows a clearer idea of the driver and the person requesting to purchase a seat. According to Zimride co-founder John Zimmer, reading reviews from previous carpoolers also helps dissipate safety and trust concerns.
Since the site was created in 2007, users have traveled more than 100 million miles and saved more than $50 million worth of savings in vehicle operating expenses, including gasoline, Zimmer said.
When California State University East Bay junior art major Crystal Joy Bis was attending Humboldt State University last semester, she often commuted the five-hours, or 280 miles, to the San Francisco Bay Area to visit home.
Since Bis does not own a vehicle, she relied on Craigslist to find cheap rides, typically paying $10 to $25 each way. Of the more than 20 times she’s hopped into a stranger’s vehicle, she recalls only one bad experience.
Bis said the female driver and herself picked up a young man who also pre-arranged via Craigslist. They felt uncomfortable because he was persistent in trying to drive, even after revealing his recent release from jail.
That strange situation epitomizes a common sentiment: “Everytime people asked me how I got home and I told them ‘Craigslist,’ their reactions were pretty extreme. They would scream, ‘No way! Are you kidding me? Why would you do that?’” Bis said. “They said it wasn’t safe, that they were worried for me.”
Wong said whether traveling in the states or internationally, it’s important to listen to gut instincts and exercise common sense to avoid dangerous situations.
For San Diego State pre-nursing sophomore Melody Ann Bausa, the idea of ridesharing and hitchhiking is not so appealing.
“You never know who’s out there and while you should trust that everyone’s not crazy, after hearing different stories about crime in the news or movies, it makes it really scary,” Bausa said. “I’d do it maybe if I was really desperate and needed to get somewhere. There’s always a chance that you’ll make new friends.”
As for Wong, he plans to travel for the next two years, including revisiting friends made in the last year. In fact, the rest of his personal belongings are with three different friends and even his mail gets sent to five different locations.
“It’s all about staying in touch and maintaining relationships,” he said. “Students should travel. It helps them learn more about society.”
Holly Pablo is Spring 2012 USA TODAY Collegiate Correspondent. Learn more about her here.
This story originally appeared on the USA TODAY College blog, a news source produced for college students by student journalists. The blog closed in September of 2017.