Why don't people carpool and use public transportation?

ForeverRoses · #1 06-05-2007, 02:33 PM

I would love to carpool- in fact my next-door neighbor works a building away from me-however I have to be at work by 8am and he doesn't usually even wake up until 8am. So we have carpooled when the weather is bad (he has a 4wheel drive) but other than that, no. Plus I have to pick up my kids from daycare, so I either have to be the driver or the driver has to be willing to stop to get my kids AND have car seats.

KatieKate1244 · #2 06-05-2007, 04:16 PM

I take the bus around my hometown to get to work and such, but it's only because at 23 yrs. old I still can't drive. The times are sometimes inconvienent, but my bosses have been willing to work around it. I also have the "luck" of a bus from my rural school into the nearest port of civilization, but I don't know anyone who really uses it due to a lot of robberies/stabbings/etc that happen on that route.

OneBadZeta02 · #3 06-05-2007, 04:29 PM

I think that public transportation is going to become more popular as the gas prices continue to rise. I live in Virginia <Hampton Roads area> and there is very limited public transportation here so you have to rely on your vehicle. I used to make a joke that if gas prices continue to rise that I was going to trade my car in for a bike...well the way that gas prices are looking along with the fact that they are predicting gas to hit $4 a gallon by the summer here...I just might look into that!

Dionysus · #4 06-05-2007, 04:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KatieKate1244

I take the bus around my hometown to get to work and such, but it's only because at 23 yrs. old I still can't drive. The times are sometimes inconvienent, but my bosses have been willing to work around it. I also have the "luck" of a bus from my rural school into the nearest port of civilization, but I don't know anyone who really uses it due to a lot of robberies/stabbings/etc that happen on that route.

Did your employers know that you take the bus before they hired you? Sometimes, when I interview for jobs, they clearly let me know that they wouldn't want to hire me if I used public transportation.

UGAalum94 · #5 06-05-2007, 05:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dionysus

Did your employers know that you take the bus before they hired you? Sometimes, when I interview for jobs, they clearly let me know that they wouldn't want to hire me if I used public transportation.

Really? Or are you kidding?

I could imagine this question coming from the manager of a fast food restaurant hiring kids or something as a indication of reliability, maybe, but I haven't ever interviewed as an adult where my method of transportation came up.

Am I missing something in this conversation?

33girl · #6 06-05-2007, 05:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dionysus

Did your employers know that you take the bus before they hired you? Sometimes, when I interview for jobs, they clearly let me know that they wouldn't want to hire me if I used public transportation.

If an employer even ASKED you that question, they need reported to the EEOC. They can ask if you have reliable transportation, but it's absolutely none of their business what that transportation is - you can ride a camel to work if you want to.

Dionysus · #7 06-05-2007, 05:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alphagamuga

Really? Or are you kidding?

I could imagine this question coming from the manager of a fast food restaurant hiring kids or something as a indication of reliability, maybe, but I haven't ever interviewed as an adult where my method of transportation came up.

Am I missing something in this conversation?

Quote:

Originally Posted by 33girl

If an employer even ASKED you that question, they need reported to the EEOC. They can ask if you have reliable transportation, but it's absolutely none of their business what that transportation is - you can ride a camel to work if you want to.

I am not kidding, this happened all the time when I applied for retail and restaurant jobs in undergrad. It has happened once or twice when I applied for "big kid" jobs.

I've been asked so many off the wall questions during interviews, so that one just kind of slipped below the radar. I had a car, so it didn't bother me that much. I didn't think anything about it until I got older.

Way to keep the rich richer and the poor poorer...and being very blunt about it all.

That question is just so wrong in other ways too...

GeekyPenguin · #8 06-06-2007, 12:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dionysus

I am not kidding, this happened all the time when I applied for retail and restaurant jobs in undergrad. It has happened once or twice when I applied for "big kid" jobs.

I've been asked so many off the wall questions during interviews, so that one just kind of slipped below the radar. I had a car, so it didn't bother me that much. I didn't think anything about it until I got older.

Way to keep the rich richer and the poor poorer...and being very blunt about it all.

That question is just so wrong in other ways too...

I've gotten that quite a few times. A few firms in Minneapolis require that you have your own car - WTF for I don't know since they are within walking distance of the light rail and about 1000 bus routes.

kddani · #9 06-06-2007, 06:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GeekyPenguin

I've gotten that quite a few times. A few firms in Minneapolis require that you have your own car - WTF for I don't know since they are within walking distance of the light rail and about 1000 bus routes.

eh, if I didn't have my own car I wouldn't be able to do my job. I wouldn't be able to get to magistrate offices in my own country, and I wouldn't be able to get to the surrounding counties where I do work. I also wouldn't be able to do site visits to investigate problems or visit clients.

I used to take the bus (Pitt and CMU students can use their Pitt ID to ride public transportation for "free"- it comes out of our fees) until my ID expired. I would still take it now, but the nature of my job is such that my schedule is so unpredictable and I often need to leave the office to go somewhere. So unfortunately I have to have a lease, which costs me friggin $250 per month. There is only one cheaper garage with a reasonable distance - that's $220 a month, but has a one year waiting list.

I wish I could take public transportation... it would be soooo much cheaper.

A lot of people just don't have the kind of jobs anymore that you have very strict hours. Public transportation and carpools don't allow for that flexibility

Marie · #10 06-06-2007, 01:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 33girl

If an employer even ASKED you that question, they need reported to the EEOC. They can ask if you have reliable transportation, but it's absolutely none of their business what that transportation is - you can ride a camel to work if you want to.

Are you sure? I work for a Big 4 accounting firm, and having a car is a requirement of the job. I guess it would be alright if you got a ride to work everyday, but outside of NY relying 100% on public transportation wouldn't be acceptable/feasible.

kddani · #11 06-06-2007, 06:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marie

Are you sure? I work for a Big 4 accounting firm, and having a car is a requirement of the job. I guess it would be alright if you got a ride to work everyday, but outside of NY relying 100% on public transportation wouldn't be acceptable/feasible.

Yeah, whether or not you have a car is not a recognized form of discrimination, to my knowledge. The EEOC is there to deal with racist/sexist/age related discrimination.

susan314 · #12 06-06-2007, 10:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kddani

Yeah, whether or not you have a car is not a recognized form of discrimination, to my knowledge. The EEOC is there to deal with racist/sexist/age related discrimination.

I've seen it flat out say in job ads that having your own car is a requirement for the position. I'm not sure that an even remotely savvy company would put that right out in an advertisement if it were an EEOC issue.

Conversely, I've also seen job ads specifically say that the location is "convenient to bus stops." (Of course, as I recall, the positions didn't appear to be terribly high paying or prestigious...)

KatieKate1244 · #13 06-05-2007, 10:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dionysus

Did your employers know that you take the bus before they hired you? Sometimes, when I interview for jobs, they clearly let me know that they wouldn't want to hire me if I used public transportation.

I've never mention it until AFTER I've been hired. I have depth perception issues with my eyes, and am currently not allowed by the state to drive. If I was denied a job/fired for using the bus, I'd sue in a heartbeat.

ziasha07 · #14 06-06-2007, 08:14 AM

The PT System in my city is completly ridiculous. It takes 15 minutes to get to my school in a car. I rode the bus there because I was desperate one day... TWO HOURS! No no, I don't think so.

KSigkid · #15 06-06-2007, 08:46 AM

I used to take the T in Boston all the time when I was living there; my wife and I had a car, but parking is tough/extremely expensive if your office doesn't provide a spot. My wife ended up driving because her office provided one. If I end up working in the Boston area after law school, though, I'll likely have to get a car.

In CT, there's really no way to take public transport. Hartford has a bus line, but, I'm more than hesitant to try it. Parking isn't expensive at all, and you usually can find somewhere to park within walking distance, whether it be a lot, garage, or meter. My job has free parking, and the law school has plenty of parking on campus.