[stu]

Just seen a news report here in the UK that talked about US commuters "slugging". Essentially carpooling with strangers. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slugging
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'S')lugging, also known as casual carpooling, is the practice of forming ad-hoc, informal carpools for purposes of commuting, essentially a variation of ride-share commuting and hitchhiking. While the practice is most common and most publicized in the congested Washington, D.C. area (where it is primarily used by commuters who live in Northern Virginia), slugging is also used in San Francisco, Pittsburgh, and other U.S. cities.[1] Sluggers gather at local businesses[2] and at government-run locations, albeit not always with official sanction.[3]

[Jack]

I think that in my area of Texas, slugging will get someone hurt or killed. Either a driver will victimize a passenger, or vice versa, but it will happen.

Human nature is so very predictable. Consistent, too.

[aldente]

From a female perspective carpooling with strangers sounds like something else with strangers... rather take the bike.. or what would you expect - a new avenue to date?

[Iaato]

In a previous life in DC (at least 10 years ago) slug lines were common. People needing rides to work would stand and wait, and cars would pick them up. That way the single driver cars could use the HOV-2 or HOV-3 lanes. They worked very smoothly, without many problems. The main incentive for the drivers was the HOV lane use.

[diemos]

The primary motivation is to be able to avoid traffic by using the carpool lanes. It's been going on for quite a while, long before gas prices spiked up.

[eastbay]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Jack', 'I') think that in my area of Texas, slugging will get someone hurt or killed. Either a driver will victimize a passenger, or vice versa, but it will happen.

Human nature is so very predictable. Consistent, too.

[stu]

So are these carpool lanes situated in every major urban area of the USA and are they normally busy?

They're talking about introducing them here in the UK.

Great concept but it would surely take a sea change in the mentality of the populace in order for it to really take off.

Maybe high gas prices are just what's needed to instigate this sort of behaviour, though I don't have high hopes.

[Iaato]

The HOV lanes are the key to making it work, Stu. And the workerbees in DC tend to be an orderly, polite, rule-following bunch, so things don't tend to get out of hand.