Would you consider carpooling to commute to work? (UK)

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hunsnet457@reddit

God no. Once carpooled with a family member who I got on very well with.

It’s great in theory and it was fun to not only save money but chat shit to and from work, but the inconvenience of last minute changes to your routine when you add a second person onto the mix far outweighs the benefits.

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OriginalPlonker@reddit

I tried this once, and it went well right up until the other person forgot he was picking me up from work. At least he came all the way back.

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DameKumquat@reddit

Only did it when I was young and my housemates all worked in the same place. Five of us would take one car each morning and generally at least 4 would leave together.

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Illustrious-Air-7777@reddit

I did it for years with child school runs, shared the morning drive with one family and the evening drive with another. So it just seemed normal to pick up one or occasionally two of my husband’s work colleagues as I drove past their houses and then their workplace on my way to work. Also used to pick up a childhood friend if I got to the bus stop he was waiting at before the bus arrived, it was nice to reconnect. I did give a bloke from the pub lifts as well but changed my route to avoid him as he was very generous and I found having to refuse his offers of cans of special brew and a spliff embarrassing as he was very keen to share and it wasn’t quite the done thing to turn up to work reeking of weed and beer, especially not at 7.30 am.

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dreamribbons@reddit

No, my drive to work helps prepare me for the day and my drive home gives me time to decompress. I don't want to have to try and force small talk with someone. I wouldn't mind giving a one-off or occasional lift to someone if I worked close with them, but not as a regular occurance

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speculativeinnature@reddit

I did it for about 6 months when I was in my early 20s. As in it was my car and I collected this guy every day- we worked in the same building and an email went out after he started saying that he needed a lift.

He was a mega-prick, but I wasn’t assertive or confident enough to bin him off… so I was really chuffed when he left to work somewhere else…!!

Sadly it has put me off doing it again! But at no stage did I fear for my safety or security.

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ReynoldsHouseOfShred@reddit

Yeah i used to and it worked fine. Other than that all my commutes have been public transport or walking/cycling. Not an issue for me

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Asleep-Software-4160@reddit

No, I used to pick a guy up on my way to work and it became a massive pain in the arse. (1) It wasn't on my direct route; (2) he was never ready on time.

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these_metal_hands@reddit

No.

I like driving on my own and listening to audio books.

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anon1992lol@reddit

I picked up/dropped off a colleague on my way to work quite frequently a few years back. I got on well with him.

But, the extra couple of minutes was frustrating, and it made me realise how much I used my commute to switch on/decompress. Picking him up reduced the time on this.

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ashyjay@reddit

In the politest way possible, Fuck no.

While people on the road piss me off, driving to work is the only time to get quiet time on my own with no one talking to me, and I find driving enjoyable, I'm also a horrific passenger as I judge the shit out of people's driving.

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GrabbedByTheGhost@reddit

I did it for 6 years. There was usually just two of us but occasionally three.

Made the 3 hour round trip nicer, and gave you a rest on your "week off".

I can see the cons, such as being stuck there if you needed to leave in a hurry. I have a family now and ill relatives so I probably wouldnt do it for the foreseeable.

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londonflare@reddit

Someone in my team did it for about a year. I work in a small city with very expensive parking £15 per day so meant they split the cost and parked in the city centre a short walk from the office rather than use cheaper park and ride. There has to be a big monetary benefit to do it.

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strawberrypops@reddit

No, I wouldn’t want to do that at all. My colleagues are chatterboxes, my husband is a chatterbox, I need that time to myself! I’ve also given lifts in the past but have found myself waiting around for people who aren’t at all ready to go and it’s frustrating. For the sake of my own sanity, I’m not carpooling!

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MiddleAgedDread123@reddit

I did it occasionally when I worked about 15 miles away. Used to pick up someone who lived just off my main route to work and it was fine once a week or so but I wouldn’t want to do it daily.

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SocietyPleasant7461@reddit

Carpooling sounds nice in theory, but the reality is very different.

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Ornery-Wasabi-1018@reddit

No, I wouldn't.

I want to be able to leave when I want, not at the latest time someone in the car wants to leave.

I want to be able to get home if needed for an ill child.

I really enjoy the 25 mind I get each way each day without having to make polite chat, or wrestle kids.

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Swimming-Lie5369@reddit

When I did a company wide survey to assess travel habits of a workforce, only 0.4% said that they would consider carpooling.

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