Erin, Communication Manager: ”Different strokes for different folks.” It’s a funny phrase that means always keep an open mind when meeting new people, and appreciate their differences from you!

Adam, Director of Marketing: “Follow your heart and everything will turn out right.”

Paul, Account Manager: My mom once told me with a smile, “You get the kids you deserve.” She meant it proverbially, but also as a compliment. It also happens to be profound wisdom from a woman with five children.

Jay, Community Manager: My mom is an amazing cook and she always told me to live your life the way you cook. Always try new things, and most importantly, share it with the ones you love the most.

Femi, Software Engineer: One piece of advice my mom always gave was to pray about where we were going and not rush into things without finding peace first

Nasim, Executive Assistant: The best advice my mom gave me was to always believe in myself and stand up for my rights. Growing up in Iran as a teenager was tough. Women were viewed less than men, but because of the advice my mom gave me I never felt inferior, instead I felt even more powerful!

Thank you to all those amazing mothers out there!

Happy Mother’s Day,

The Zimride Crew

Created by: CollegeAtHome.com

Have a song recommendation you want to add to the mix?  Share with us on our Facebook page!

Happy travels,
Your Zimride Crew

During the UC Santa Cruz fall quarter of 2010 my drives home to Southern California were ridiculous. Deyanira (in the left of the picture), the other half of my serious relationship, lived in the heart of Orange County. $45 bucks on gas each way literally sliced my wallet in half – but I had to do it. The love of my life lived almost seven hours away – and I was determined to do anything to make it work. All I can remember from those two and half months was racing out of my last class of the week, buying two Redbulls, and hitting the road. The gas killed me, but the look on her face right after midnight was soooo worth all the leg cramps and twitching eye-sockets. It was worth the drive every time and I couldn’t complain.

Then sometime later, a billowing, gorgeous blue flyer on campus stole my attention – “Sell the seats in your car, save gas, share the ride.” Could this be real? I signed up on Zimride within five minutes. I posted a ride offer to Orange County for that next Thursday. Three seats in my car had been sold less than twenty-four hours after posting – 30 bucks each way for four passengers varying between one way and round trips. I quickly did the math and thought to myself “$180 total! Holy crap! How did I not know about this before?”

I loved my first Zimride. Three other UCSC students and I were all headed to SoCal – they kept expressing their gratitude for the ride. Little did they know, I was way more thrilled than they to be making so much dinero. My gas was covered completely, and I even had some left over to take my lady out on a moon-kissed date. This same excitement continues on every single Zimride. With all the cash and smiles, how could it not?!

To make a long story short – Deyanira moved up a month after that first Zimride. I’d like to think it was all the energy I put into seeing her so often and making so many trips to SoCal. After all, long-distance relationships are more than geographically “long-distanced” – you really have to find a way to remain as close together as those first few months of puppy love. Since the move, we have driven down to SoCal to visit her and my family (February 2011 to March 2012) at least THIRTY-TWO times!

Thanks for the story Lauren! Any guesses on how much Lauren has made? Check out her Driver Tips to learn her secrets of being an awesome Zimrider. If you have a story that you want to share, please send your Zimride Story from the Road to community@zimride.com!

-Your Zimride Crew

St. Helena, CA - Photo courtesy of Curtis Rogers

Zimriders save money, meet new friends, and help the environment by ridesharing. As a community, we’re all responsible in doing our part to keep our planet rocking for future generations. Here’s a list of green habits that we embrace at Zimride HQ:

Turn off your computer monitor and lights when you leave your office
- Nick, Director of Business Development

Bring your own shopping bags instead of using non-degradable plastic bags
- Curtis, Account Manager

Sign documents electronically. Sharing files online also help reduce paper usage and toner waste 
- John, Co-founder

Utilize natural lighting to help brighten up the mood and decrease power consumption
- Jay, Community Manager

Ditch plastic utensils and non-degradable plates and cups for reusable tableware. A little bit of dish soap goes a long way in reducing waste 
- Nasim, Executive Assistant

Use a reusable coffee tumbler when you go out for coffee to reduce the use of disposable cups
- Jane, Account Manager

Have a green tip you’d like to share? Please share with us at community@zimride.com!

Happy Earth Day and make sure you enjoy the view outside today,

Your Zimride Crew

I work for a large company with tens of thousands of employees, so Zimride and Facebook actually helped me find rideshare buddies I would not have thought of. Also, use of the Zimride referral link breaks the ice and turns us onto the idea of sharing our resources rather than clogging the roads with more cars. It also keeps us from draining our wallets of money we would rather spend on skiing and boarding equipment like new boots and helmets.

One of my riders was a repeat from a previous Zimride who as it turns out skis pretty much at my level (i.e. gnarly stuff). I arranged to pick him up at the Larkspur Landing Ferry for our Zimride to Lake Tahoe, and it turned out someone else found me on Zimride that wanted to ride with me using the very same ferry. What are the odds! While waiting for the ferry to arrive with my passengers, a third passenger contacted me to ride from Sacramento to South Lake Tahoe, which was perfect because we had just enough room for one more person. The Zimride communication features were perfect for coordinating rides because each of them could see what they were getting into. They had time to lookup my profile and my vehicle to decide whether it was appropriate for them. And there was zero tension about when we would arrive and who would pay for gas, food, etc. That right there made the ride an absolute blast. One of my passengers turned out to be an experienced back-country snowboarder with amazing stories about ski areas all over the United States. I’d pay to hear the things he shared with us. Great stuff!!!

Our 4-1/2 hour drive seemed like it flew by in half that time.

Thanks to Shad for sharing his story! If you have a story that you want to share, please send your Zimride Story from the Road to community@zimride.com!

-Your Zimride Crew

Adrian Nier, “Steering wheel” August 1, 2009 via Flickr, Creative Commons Attribution.

Carpooler or lone wolf, road tripper or commuter — whatever your driving pleasure, there’s one thing that should never vary. Safety.

Unless you’re a professional base jumper — or some equally wild (yet, totally awesome) daredevil — it’s likely that driving is the most potentially dangerous thing you do each day. With that in mind, we at Esurance put together a few driver safety tips for our ridesharing friends at Zimride.

Avoid distracted driving
From cell phones to infotainment devices, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to focus solely on the road. In 2009 alone, almost 5,500 people were killed and about 448,000 were injured in distracted driving–related crashes (and that’s just in the U.S.). And studies show that hands-free devices can be just as distracting as regular cell phones while driving. It turns out that (contrary to popular opinion) the human brain simply isn’t designed to multitask. So when you’re driving, make sure that’s ALL you’re doing. (You can yell at the kids or fix your lipstick later.)

Learn about the 3 types of distracted driving.

Use a talking GPS system
Apps that dictate directions not only help you keep your eyes on the road, but they also keep you from holding up traffic and driving erratically (no more straining to see street signs in the dark). Now, that’s just smart.

Get some tips for using GPS.

Drive the speed limit
Most of us know that speeding can be dangerous, but many drivers don’t realize that driving too slowly can also cause problems. The sluggish pace of overly cautious drivers, lost souls (navigationally speaking), and looky-loos forces drivers going with the flow of traffic to slow down abruptly. Slow drivers can also set off road ragers and impatient drivers, leading to unsafe passing attempts, hard stops, and the increased potential for accidents.

See what else there is to know about slow driving.

Wear your seat belt
It practically goes without saying that seat belts dramatically reduce risk of death and serious injury. According to the CDC, among drivers and front-seat passengers, seat belts reduce the risk of death by 45 percent, and cut the risk of serious injury by 50 percent. So do yourself a favor. Buckle up.

There’s so much more to know about seat belts (no, really). Check it out.

Carry an emergency kit
Having emergency supplies on hand can help get you through a sticky situation (like severe weather, a minor accident, a breakdown, or a zombie attack). Water, a flashlight, and a first aid kit are just a few of the supplies we suggest keeping with you.

See what else to keep in your car emergency kit.

Don’t drive under the influence
Duh. But nonetheless we’d feel irresponsible if we left it off the list. If you’re using Zimride to go to a concert or festival, it’s especially important to make sure whoever’s driving is sober. Make a plan before anyone starts drinking so it’s clear who will be the designated driver.

Find out how breathalyzer tests measure blood alcohol content.

And if you’re a passenger, choose the middle seat
Who knew that cursed middle seat (the one we all competed with our siblings to avoid) is actually the safest? It’s true. While the back window seats are 59 to 86 percent safer than the front seats, the middle seat is 25 percent safer than the window seats. That’s because the middle seat offers the most distance from impact.

Find out the best spot for kids and car seats.

A few more safety tips for the road …
• Adjust your headrest to be behind your head (not your neck) to avoid whiplash
• Make sure your tires are properly inflated to avoid a blow out
• Keep your windshield clean (inside and out) to avoid being temporarily blinded by the sun — especially during sunrise and sunset
• When the light turns green, take a second to scan the intersection before you proceed (slowpoke pedestrians and drivers running red lights will thank you)
• Use your turn signals so other drivers can give you space to do your thing

Want to feel even safer? Esurance has a ton of articles all about driver safety. (After all, protection is the name of our game.)

So, how can you make nearly five-thousand dollars on Zimride in a year? To be honest, I just figured out the Zim-ropes as I went along! Follow the lessons that I’ve learned and hopefully you’ll come up with tips ten times better than these that can make you even more gas cash than I made.

Timing is Everything
Post your ride offers really early. Try to post two weeks in advance of your trip – this will give you plenty of time to get passenger requests. If you take frequent trips Zimride now lets you add multiple dates for the same trip!

Communicate Efficiently
Stay in constant contact with your riders. Let them know exactly what they’ll need to know – your car’s make and model, the number of seats available, the price of the ride, round-trip or one-way, and pick-up and drop-off locations.

Discuss Every Tidbit
Can you fit extra luggage? Do you have a pet squirrel? Make sure to go over other requirements like luggage, pets, smoking, music preferences, and other things that are important to you and your riders.

Keep Your Passengers in the Loop
Definitely keep them updated if the departure time or anything else changes. Your passengers will feel secure and will be much more likely to stick with your ride. If they feel uncomfortable or do not hear from you before the trip they might question whether you’re a reliable driver and cancel their trip – it’s hard to make gas money with empty seats!

Accommodate Your Passengers
Your riders’ comfort equals gas money. Keep the atmosphere in the car easy-going and pleasant. You’ll get good reviews on your profile and these same riders may even want more rides from you in the future. A good driver also knows to adapt (sometimes, not always) to their passengers’ schedules.

Be Flexible
Be open to making changes to your rides. Learn as you go along! Try to be as safe, flexible, and kind as possible before and during the trip.

Enjoy the Compensation
Most of the $4,800 went to gas money, but every trip I save a little to get my oil changes and other car maintenance. Some of that four-geez even went to road snacks. I haven’t paid for my own gas on a round-trip ride to SoCal in fifteen months. And let’s not forget – I’ve helped students and Santa Cruzan’s easily get where they need to go at super low prices, especially compared to plane expenses and train travel times.

A big thanks to Lauren for sharing her tips. Do you have any Zimride tips? Share them with us at community@zimride.com!

Happy Travels,
Your Zimride Crew

Everyone likes #winning, right? By ridesharing with Zimride, you already save on gas expenses and meet new friends. We decided to sweeten the pot (and ride) even more. Going to Coachella?  Post a ride by clicking the button below and you’ll be entered to win!

For our Coachella Zimride partnership (already with over 750 rides posted), we’ve also teamed up with America’s #1 DJ, Kaskade.  He’s excited to help his fans ride to Coachella together, and is giving away 2 Meet & Greet opportunities.  All you have to do is post a Zimride to Coachella as a driver or passenger by clicking the green button!

• You must be attending Coachella.
• One ride poster from each weekend will win a meet and greet with Kaksade for you and your Zimride! (limit 5 – all from one vehicle).
• The Meet & Greet occurs on Saturday, April 14th and the second Meet & Greet Saturday, April 21st.
• Meet & Greet time is TBD and details will be provided to winners upon contact.
• Winner will be chosen and contacted Friday evening (April 13th, and April 20th, respectively).
• Click here for the official rules of this contest.

For more fun, post a picture to Kaskade’s FB page of your car decorated with your best interpretation of the Freaks of Nature tour artwork.

Rock On!
Your Zimride Crew

For those regular trips you take often, posting them on Zimride just got a bit easier. We’ve introduced a new “Add more dates” button when you post a ride. Instead of needing to add a new ride for each date you want to travel you can just attach additional dates to a frequent ride.

Whether you’re a passenger who’s looking to travel on multiple weekends or a driver who’s making repeated trips, it just takes a couple clicks to add additional travel dates. So go ahead, post your recurring ride to Grandma’s house or that frequent trip to Los Angeles. It’s now easier than ever!

As always, we appreciate your feedback as we continue to improve your Zimride experience and we’d love to hear from you about this new enhancement. You can email us at support@zimride.com.

Happy travels,
The Zimride Crew