Go Green, Go Geek, GoLoco - April 24th, 2007
We already live in a world in which pretty much anything can be done via the Internet. Want pizza? Click to order one with the toppings of your choice, and eliminate having to have cash. Don’t like the tedium of grocery shopping? Order online with your favorite major grocery store, and they’ll deliver using special refrigerated trucks. Clothing stores, hardware stores, and furniture stores have been selling their wares over the ‘net for years, and we don’t need to mention auction sites like ebay.
It’s not just goods and services you can buy over the ‘net, however. You can also coordinate dinner with friends, or even meet the love of your life, and then arrange to have a limousine meet him or her at the airport (when they arrive on their e-ticketed flight). And now, thanks to a company called GoLoco you can also find a carpool service.
Yes, that’s right, you can carpool without ever leaving your desk.
GoLoco markets themselves as part eco-friendly service provider (after all, carpooling means less cars on the road) and part social networking service. After you have an account, you can either post information on where you’re driving and see if others need to hitch a ride, or arrange to ride-along with someone going in your direction. The service allows free carpooling, but it also works with pay-per-ride services, though it skims 10% off the top as a transaction fee.
In addition to providing basic “hook-up” services between drivers and passengers, GoLoco takes steps to make sure individual users are safe - safer, even, than any blind date. Their user profiles include photos and descriptions, as well as contact information, and once you’ve arranged to give or take a ride, your itinerary will be emailed not just to you, but also the “security buddy” of your choice, so that someone always knows where you’re going and who you’re with.
GoLoco users have branched out beyond merely ride-sharing of course, often using the site to arrange meet-ups for movies or dinner, or even to exchange recommendations for other service providers, like gardeners or electricians.
If you need a ride, chances are someone nearby is going in your direction. Go green. Go geek. And GoLoco.
Posted on April 24th, 2007 by QueenMab
Filed under: general, public service |
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