This one is dedicated to all the olds who insist millennials are risk-averse: spotty youths are now using Twitter to solicit rides from strangers and acquaintances alike.
They do it to get to school, pool parties, and more. That’s right, your kid might be hopping into a car with a stranger in his or her swim trunks right this minute. From WNYC’s apparent Bay Area Teen correspondent Bianca Brooks:
“Lots of us are using Twitter and Facebook to find rides and not just to school. Now that it’s summer, we cyber-hitchhike even more, because rides are scarce and parties are plenty. It’s awkward to call a friend and ask for a ride, and half the time, they’ll say, ‘Sorry, my car is full.’ But with Twitter, you just tweet #AshleysPoolParty and look for other people heading the same way.”
Ugh, so many partiez. But, Ms. Brooks insists, oftentimes, the teens “stay within their own social circles and don’t branch out beyond friends of friends when asking on Twitter.” Some are also using Craigslist:
“Hey my name is Danny. I’m trying to get back home to Eureka. I’m 22, super friendly. Clean guy. I have money for gas.”
“Hello! I’m looking for a ride to Las Vegas. It’s my best friend’s bachelorette party. I am a college student, 25 years old. Intelligent and energetic. And love to converse.”
“Hey guys. I’m in need of a driving partner for a trip to the West Coast…. 1) We take turns filling up the gas tank. 2) Whoever is driving has control of the music.”
Ms. Brooks points out that ridesharing not only saves money, but also serves as “evidence that people still depend on each other. My generation shares their cars and apartments the way neighbors used to share cups of sugar.” After all, kids today have to deal with the mess of an economy our parents are leaving us somehow.
