Tripmi carpool guidelines:

When it comes to carpooling, every TripMate is responsible for his or her own safety. Here are some guidelines that everyone can follow to make life easier for all concerned:

Safety

  • Avoid exchanging home addresses and meet with your TripMates in a public place before you carpool.
  • Show each other I.D. - passports, student cards or driving licences - so you know you're travelling with the right person.
  • If you want character references for your TripMates ask for one and make sure to follow them up.
  • TripMates who want to see the driver's driving license and insurance certificate should let the driver know beforehand and not expect them to have these with them.
  • Passengers should ask the driver for the model, colour and car registration beforehand and should not get in the car if these do not correspond to what was provided on the phone.
  • All TripMates should inform a friend or family member of who they will be travelling with, when and to where.
  • Keep it simple: don't commit to carpool for a year with someone you've just met. You don't even have to give them your mobile number or email address - Tripmi.ie allows you to interact securely, so if you want to maintain your privacy keep your communication to the site.
  • Trust your instincts - if you feel uneasy about something, don't do it. There are a million ways to change a situation if you're not happy about it. You're not carpooling to be polite.

Communication and Etiquette

  • Talk about everything first - the more clearly you communicate with your TripMates about what you want, the better it will be for everyone. If you have something to say, say it as early as possible.
  • Work out beforehand issues like how long you will wait if one of your TripMates is late (we suggest 5 minutes, 10 at the very latest).
  • Unless you've discussed it already, the driver should have final say on the choice of music/radio station, food bans, etc.
  • Things happen - if you're not going to make your pickup or collection, call those involved immediately. But if you keep changing things, be prepared for them to find other carpools.
  • Finally, remember why you're doing it: if you fall in love that's great, but the point is to get from A to B cheap and green.