Frequently Asked Questions

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So.. What's this site about again?

This site is about saving you time and money, and saving the planet too. Here's how it works: Let's say you're going to Campbell River from Cortes Island next week. You'll be travelling with a vehicle, because you need to pick up some goods -- a bag of chicken feed, for example.

But to get a car all the way to Campbell River costs quite a bit of money. So, you click on over to the add a ride page at LocalRideshare.net and post your intended ride. Then, other people see the ride you've posted, get in touch with you, and arrange to share the costs and benefits of a trip to Campbell River. When you post your ride, you can say what you would expect someone riding with you to contribute, in cash or trade, towards the car owner's costs for the trip.

What makes the LocalRideshare.net system unique?

# 1) LocalRideshare.net is local. Each area that wants a rideshare system can have one using the LocalRideshare.net platform, but they remain seperate regions. That way when you go look for a ride, you're not browsing through rides from Vancouver and Calgary, when all you want to do is go to the store at Mansons Landing. It makes for a friendlier and more convenient ride sharing experience. Hey, on Cortes you probably know half the people posting rides!

# 2) LocalRideshare.net works for one-time rides. Many rideshare systems (such as the excellent Jack Bell foundation rideshare system) are only used for commuter rides. In fact, some specifically disallow people to post one-time rides. This is great if you live in a city and commute to the same place every day, but how many people do that here on Cortes? Or on Quadra? So the LocalRideshare.net system works with both -- regular rides and one-time rides. It is rural compatible.

Do I need to make my e-mail address public?

Nope. You can choose how much of your contact information is visible to other members. Just go to the My Rides page and click on the 'edit your member information' link.

What's in store for LocalRideshare.net and the rideshare system?

Good question. There is a whole list of nifty features that are on their way, including:
  • Ride buddies -- invite your friends and get notified by email when they post new rides
  • Improved ride-matching interface, with map-based location confirmation.
  • RSS feeds so you can stay informed about upcoimg rides
  • An online forum to discuss LocalRideshare.net, ride sharing, and other interesting topics