Sometimes, it’s hard to know if ridesharing is a good fit. To help you decide, we asked our Irvine Spectrum area commuters to share their stories with us. Get a feel for what it’s like to vanpool to work.
Meet Debi from Capital Group
Home City: Long Beach
Tell us about your commute:
What’s the best part of your commute:
I purchased a car recently and am worried about the wear and tear that could affect my warranty. Now that I’ve been in a vanpool, it’s almost like I don’t need a second car anymore. My ride to our pickup location is 5 minutes away. The people in our vanpool have become good friends. I don’t have to deal with the heavy traffic on our 25-mile commute. Also, knowing that we always have a way to get to and from work, even with car troubles, is a huge load off my mind. It has saved me money, time, and my sanity. I’d be miserable without it.
Biggest concern about your commute:
It does limit the ability to run out during lunch, but it’s never really been a problem because I am a driver. I can take the van if needed. Non-drivers are limited in their ability to run errands during the day.
Why do you vanpool:
I love that it saves me time, money on car repairs, wear and tear, and fuel. I love that when we have a full van, we have taken 7 cars off the freeway. That’s better for the environment. I love the friendships I’ve developed. I love the convenience of it. WIN, WIN, WIN!
Have you used our Emergency Ride Home program?
Yes, it was seamless. I called in the morning, arrangements were made quickly, and the ride showed up as scheduled. Very courteous driver.
Tips for people new to vanpooling
The only tip I would give is to become a driver in your vanpool. Not all vanpools formed require all participants to be drivers, but it does help. (Drivers have use of the vehicle when it is not in use for the commute).
Anything Else You’d Like to Add:
This is the first time I’ve ever used a vanpool. For the first 3 years (at Capital Group), the ride to work was long, frustrating at times, and added what felt like days to my commute time. Now I jump in our van. If I’m not the driver, I sit back, de-stress, share stories with my vanpool co-workers, sleep, catch up on personal emails, or play games on my phone.
I’m a much happier person when I get to work and when I get home because my commute is enjoyable… yes ENJOYABLE!
Thanks for sharing, Debi!
