Welcome to the 21st Century of hitching a ride: it's called SideCar, a ride-sharing smartphone app.
You plug in a destination and it tells you if someone can pick you up, suggesting a "donation" determined by the passenger.
"It's all cashless, it's done on a credit card so at the end of the trip the passenger simply selects the amount that they'd like to donate to the driver," co-founder Nick Allen explained.
What's different about this app is that the drivers aren't professional cabbies. Meaning, if I want to drive I could. All I need is a license, a car, and a clean background.
Allen said the company does background checks.
"We predominantly use Lexis-Nexis," he said. "We've given well over 100,000 rides and haven't had a single incident."
You can even check out your driver.
But that doesn't make it foolproof, said security expert William Vorlicek.
"Right now in my mind there's a lot of holes in this," Vorlicek said. "Somebody could use this to transport drugs."
Sidecar said its No. 1 priority is safety. But one obstacle in New York City could be the law.
The city's Taxi and Limousine Commission said that any driver accepting payment for point-to-point rides must be licensed with the TLC.
If anything, SideCar proves that people want choices, said Christina Warren, a tech analyst for the website Mashable.
"I think this is yet another example and proves the TLC needs to get on the ball, because this proves people really like other ways of finding and arranging transportation," Warren said.
Thursday, June 20 2013 6:10 AM EDT2013-06-20 10:10:08 GMT
The driver of the vehicle that left several people injured and a trail of destruction in the area of 2nd Avenue and East 4th Street in the East Village has been arrested.
The driver of the vehicle that left several people injured and a trail of destruction in the area of 2nd Avenue and East 4th Street in the East Village has been arrested.
Wednesday, June 19 2013 7:07 AM EDT2013-06-19 11:07:13 GMT
Photo courtesy of @N42_21_W71_04)
Riders should anticipate some changes but "near normal" service on the Long Island Rail Road for the morning rush.
Riders should anticipate some changes but "near normal" service on the Long Island Rail Road for the morning rush. Crews have been working to repair tracks and switches after Monday's derailment.
Friday, June 14 2013 10:13 PM EDT2013-06-15 02:13:07 GMT
A simple commute into New York City on a New Jersey Transit bus turned into a nightmare on Thursday. The driver appeared to get lost, so the 45-minute ride took more than two hours.
A simple commute into New York City on a New Jersey Transit bus turned into a nightmare on Thursday. The driver appeared to get lost, so the 45-minute ride took more than two hours.
Friday, June 14 2013 10:32 AM EDT2013-06-14 14:32:37 GMT
Brooklyn community advocates are offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction in the killing of a livery cab driver.
Brooklyn community advocates are offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of a suspect in the killing of a livery cab driver.
Thursday, June 20 2013 7:08 AM EDT2013-06-20 11:08:24 GMT
A northern New Jersey town has reinstated its volunteer fire department days after suspending it because a teen was accused of molesting a firefighter's 3-year-old son behind a fire truck.
A northern New Jersey town has reinstated its volunteer fire department days after suspending it because a teen was accused of molesting a firefighter's 3-year-old son behind a fire truck.
Thursday, June 20 2013 6:10 AM EDT2013-06-20 10:10:08 GMT
The driver of the vehicle that left several people injured and a trail of destruction in the area of 2nd Avenue and East 4th Street in the East Village has been arrested.
The driver of the vehicle that left several people injured and a trail of destruction in the area of 2nd Avenue and East 4th Street in the East Village has been arrested.
Wednesday, June 19 2013 10:55 PM EDT2013-06-20 02:55:03 GMT
The actor James Gandolfini, best known for his award-winning portrayal of New Jersey mobster Tony Soprano in the HBO series "The Sopranos," has died in Italy. He was 51.
The actor James Gandolfini, best known for his award-winning portrayal of New Jersey mobster Tony Soprano in the HBO series "The Sopranos," has died in Italy. He was 51.
Wednesday, June 19 2013 10:53 PM EDT2013-06-20 02:53:25 GMT
Joe Torre's daughter caught a 1-year-old boy who fell from a fire escape outside a second-floor apartment in the Bay Ridge section of Brooklyn Wednesday morning.
Joe Torre's daughter caught a 1-year-old boy who fell from a fire escape outside a second-floor apartment in the Bay Ridge section of Brooklyn Wednesday morning.
New York state and Eastman Kodak Co. have reached a deal that will keep some of the troubled company's operations in Rochester and provide $49 million for environmental cleanup at the once bustling Eastman...
New York state and Eastman Kodak Co. have reached a deal that will keep some of the troubled company's operations in Rochester and provide $49 million for environmental cleanup at the once bustling Eastman Business Park.
Wednesday, June 19 2013 6:51 PM EDT2013-06-19 22:51:22 GMT
Franklin Reyes, 17, was in court Wednesday. He is charged with the death of 4-year-old Ariel Russo.
Franklin Reyes, 17, was in court Wednesday. He is charged with the death of 4-year-old Ariel Russo. He is accused of driving without a license, then fleeing police, jumping a curb, and hitting Ariel and her grandmother as they were walking to school.
Wednesday, June 19 2013 6:13 PM EDT2013-06-19 22:13:15 GMT
More than 70 percent of New Jersey residents have seen or heard the state's "Stronger than the Storm" advertising campaign, according to a new Rutgers-Eagleton poll.
More than 70 percent of New Jersey residents have seen or heard the state's "Stronger than the Storm" advertising campaign, according to a new Rutgers-Eagleton poll.
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