Friday, August 31, 2007
Rental Cars Available to Students, Faculty and Staff
8 1/2 x 11 Newsletter - August 30, 2007 - Carnegie Mellon University: "Carnegie Mellon has partnered with Zipcar, the world's largest car-sharing company, to provide cars to students, faculty and staff on an hourly or daily basis."
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6 comments:
This is a BRILLIANT idea! Renting a car for an hour or two will come in soooo handy, especailly if you are under 25 or whatever the age is now that you have to be to rent a car. I am so glad CMU caught on to this, it will make shopping for project supplies and other things so much simpler (or so we hope). Plus who would say "no" to less time spent waiting for the 59U...a lost cause....
I am very excited for this. I am almost definitely going to sign up, since it's essentially free, and I'm sure I can drive 5 hours in the next month to use up the credit. What's especially great about this service is that there is no way kids our age can rent cars. The age minimum being 18 is a huge advantage. And let's face it - no one wants to rely on the bus. Yesterday we waited no less than 40 minutes for a bus to Squirrel Hill. We could've walked there faster. But having a car would be so incredibly handy for those trips to the waterfront, or when you just don't have time to spend waiting for a bus. Time management is going to be a big thing for me this semester and if I can eliminate a half hour wasted just waiting for a bus (not to mention when it becomes winter) then it's definitely a plus.
I have been in Pittsburgh for about two weeks and I can already tell that waiting for the bus will not be a good way to spend time while I'm here. The issue of course is the trade-off with renting a car. It is an amazing business strategy to have a promotional month to really show people the convenience of having this rental vehicle. I can foresee many problems reserving one of only two cars available, especially on weekends when everyone wants to head off campus for some reason or another. On the other hand, it would be worth it if it meant less waiting around for buses. I am tempted to hop on board, but I may wait a year and see what others have to say about it before I join up.
Well this seems like a much better idea than leaving a bunch of bikes out on campus and using the honor system and a gps duct taped to the bottom to ensure their return. Though only having two cars to start out with seems a little scarce if they truly to achieve any sort of popularity. Though I really hope this does work out as it will help make my life easier as less people will be asking me to drive them places.
I think this is a nice gesture to the CMU community. I also feel it is a nice vote of confidence. Giving students the ability to become more independent, even if for a few hours, could prove to be a rather ingenious move on the Universities part. I feel as if this sets CMU apart, and hopefully other institutions will see this as a productive use of finances, and move in a similar direction. I also like the fact that one of the cars is a hybrid. Supporting and promoting positive environmental practices is always a plus!
The idea of having only two cars available at all times is somewhat of a dilemma, especially within the promotional month where everyone is trying to use their credit before October 31st. However, I think it's a wonderful idea. I'm curious as to see what the given insurance actually covers and where exactly these "reserved parking spots" are located. Overall, well done CMU; especially with the Hybrid!
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