Zippity Do-Car

For a 99 percenter like myself, getting around town can be such a headache-inducing prospect that I often pass on social invites because I’m “too tired”, “have to work”, or “am trapped under something heavy”, when the real reason is: I don’t have transportation. 

I’ve shared a few war stories about taking the bus, driving a debtor’s car or just not going, so my best thinking to date has been, “I’ll just walk.” What other option is there if you can’t afford a car and would rather swallow nails than take the bus?

Zipcar.

My boyfriend recently signed up for the greatest idea since sliced bread – Zipcar, a membership-based car sharing company. It’s like renting a car, only more convenient: you can rent by the hour ($8) or day ($66), gas, insurance and 24-hr roadside assistance are included, your reservation comes with 180 miles per day, and pick-up and drop-off are super easy.

I got so excited!

Here’s how it works. You sign up online with a credit or debit card for a one-time up fee of $25, and then your yearly membership is $50. You receive an access card called a Zipcard with a wireless chip in it that opens the car you reserved only when you’ve reserved it. In other words, when your reservation is over your Zipcard will no longer access the car.

You can reserve online from minutes to a year in advance, for an hour or up to four days, they tell you the exact location of your reserved car (usually a specially reserved zone – like a taxi zone – on the street), you pick it up without the hassle of long waits at the rental office behind someone who can’t decide if they want a Ford or a moronmobile, open it with your Zipcard, and off you go! If you need to fill up with gas, just use the gas card they provide (located in the car).

If, like me, you “don’t want to own a car” (translation: can’t afford one) or are afraid of long-term commitment, a Zipcar membership might be the thing for you. I don’t mean this post to sound like an ad or a review, but I’m just so enthused at having a 99 percenter transportation option that doesn’t make me feel like I’m 12 years old.