What a great idea! "Rent a car from someone nearby" . Heard on Marketplace Money...

[truth2power]

Just heard this on a segment of NPR Marketplace Money. An intriguing idea. Took me less than a minute to find the company online.

Getaround. Based in San Francisco. You register with the company and you can rent your car to somebody for however long you want...an hour, a day etc. You set the price. The company takes care of comprehensive insurance. The person you rent to supplies the gas.

It doesn't matter if your car is new or if it's just a clunker. It might just fit someone's needs. Sounds like a good idea in a location like SF where good public transportation is available and a car owner may not need the use of their car all the time.

Link: http://www.getaround.com/ Click on "tour".

In what other US locations might this be a good idea? This is the kind of creative thinking we need in the "new economy".

[leveymg]

1. I like this idea - they started this in the 1870s with farm equipment, why not cars?

In addition to farmer's coops, this also owes much to the concept of mutual farm insurance. This idea can, of course, be extended to the sharing of any good and the exchange of services into a full barter economy, which is common during crises such as wars and economic collapses.

The idea of "private property", beyond purely personal items, may become outmoded in the coming era.

[originalpckelly]

3. Bartering is not good in the long run, however.

You forget the need for a universal good.

[leveymg]

4. If I mow my neighbor's lawn, and get an afternoon of cold beer, that serves the universal good

. . . at least it does in my book. :beer: :toast:

[OneGrassRoot]

13. ...

:thumbsup:

:)

[WolverineDG]

2. right now it's only in California

:(

Great idea though!


dg

[truth2power]

7. If you click on "sign up" it says, "if you sign up now you increase the chances

of a roll-out in your area next." I guess they're looking to expand around the country.

[WolverineDG]

10. I did nt

[OneGrassRoot]

14. I wish these sites didn't require you sign up via Facebook...

I hate using those apps to sign up with a site. :(

But I love this, thanks for sharing!

:hi:

[buddysmellgood]

5. We had a neighborhood truck for about 10 years. The agreement was informal. It would have been nice

to have an agreement like this.

[truth2power]

8. I sure would like to have the use of a truck, short-term, whenever I needed it...

I need a truck, badly. At one time I looked into buying a junker truck. Didn't care what it looked like, just so it got me from point A to point B. But even old ones are expensive.

I'm forever needing to haul things from the hardware store. and let me tell you, if you haul a 4x8 sheet of plywood on the roof of your car you'll have a whole new respect for how airplanes fly. :evilgrin:

[Fumesucker]

9. ...

[truth2power]

11. LOL! Too funny. I guess that one won't get airborne.n/t

[sofa king]

12. It's "the tragedy of common sense."

...Or lack thereof.

[blondeatlast]

6. That's a great idea. I hope it catches on. I'm considering a couple of different cars

to purchase in a few months and that would be a great way to see if I like them sans the salesman pressure.