Friday, January 15, 2010

Riding Along...




When you're drivig to school, are you driving alone? Or are your friends tagging along in the passenger seats? Hopefully your car is full and you have no room for anyone else! While carpooling may be a hassle for some, it's a very 'green' thing to do.
Whether it's to school, work, a game, whatever, carpooling can save everyone big bucks on gas. With pollution in the world on the rise, carpooling is an easy way to be clean, and still drive your hot-rod. If just one car is 'pooled' it will act as if four less cars were on the road, therefore, less gas is being emitted into the atmosphere. If you don't have your own car, you can always hop in your friends', and save your parents the trouble of getting you where you need to be, while helping make the earth cleaner!
There are more than a enough advantages to carpooling, but here are a few. It saves money on the cost of gas, parking, tolls, tires, and repairing of vehicles over time. Another advantage is that it would lessen traffic, making trips faster and cutting fuel costs even more. Many people use their driving time as personal time to be alone and let stress go, while others don't like the quietness and get enjoyment from other people being in the car.
Although carpooling is a great way to help the planet, there are a few disadvantages to it, that are sometimes deal-breakers. It can sometimes put you in a difficult position, such as if the driver or another passenger is a smoker. It may lead to social conflicts if the passengers don't get along. Carpooling takes away from personal time in the car on your way to work, school, etc. Carpooling also leaves you with no time to run errands, or make short unexpected trips, as you are dependant on the driver. It could also create a problem because some people would rather get to their destination 15 minutes early, rather than 2 minutes before they need to be there. It can cause stress with time if your passengers are late some mornings, which in turn would make the whole group behind for the day.
So, carpooling; yes or no? It's a personal decision, and if you're willing to put up with some stress, in the long run, it's probably worth it. You save money, help the planet, and gain friends. It's all up to you and what you want to do to help the earth!

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