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.
Tuesday, June 18 2013 3:46 PM EDT2013-06-18 19:46:32 GMT
Photo courtesy of @N42_21_W71_04)
Riders should anticipate cancellations and delays on the Long Island Rail Road for the Tuesday evening rush. The railroad has canceled 21 trains that normally leave Penn Station between 3:27 and 7:01 p.m.
Riders should anticipate cancellations and delays on the Long Island Rail Road for the Tuesday evening rush. The railroad has canceled 21 trains that normally leave Penn Station between 3:27 and 7:01 p.m.
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.
Wednesday, June 12 2013 11:39 AM EDT2013-06-12 15:39:38 GMT
New Jersey Transit's board has approved a proposal to provide wireless Internet service at train stations and on trains. But it's not clear if it will cost commuters.
New Jersey Transit's board has approved a proposal to provide wireless Internet service at train stations and on trains. But it's not clear if it will cost commuters.
Tuesday, June 18 2013 7:15 PM EDT2013-06-18 23:15:19 GMT
FDNY photo via Twitter
Emergency workers are on the scene of a trench collapse in Queens that trapped one person on Tuesday evening.
Emergency workers are on the scene of a trench collapse in Queens that trapped one person on Tuesday evening.The collapse happened at 119-02 83rd Avenue in Kew Gardens at about 4:50 p.m., the FDNY said.
Tuesday, June 18 2013 4:55 PM EDT2013-06-18 20:55:38 GMT
A man accused of fatally shooting a gay man walking with a companion in New York City's Greenwich Village pleaded not guilty.
A man accused of fatally shooting a gay man walking with a companion in New York City's Greenwich Village afterward claimed that he opened fire because the victim "thought he was tough in front of his bitch," prosecutors said in court papers Tuesday.
Tuesday, June 18 2013 3:46 PM EDT2013-06-18 19:46:32 GMT
Photo courtesy of @N42_21_W71_04)
Riders should anticipate cancellations and delays on the Long Island Rail Road for the Tuesday evening rush. The railroad has canceled 21 trains that normally leave Penn Station between 3:27 and 7:01 p.m.
Riders should anticipate cancellations and delays on the Long Island Rail Road for the Tuesday evening rush. The railroad has canceled 21 trains that normally leave Penn Station between 3:27 and 7:01 p.m.
Tuesday, June 18 2013 3:32 PM EDT2013-06-18 19:32:12 GMT
NYC
Nearly 3 million New Yorkers' homes are now in evacuation zones that cover more than a third of the city's population, under new maps released Tuesday.
Nearly 3 million New Yorkers' homes are now in evacuation zones that cover more than a third of the city's population, under new maps released Tuesday.In the wake of Superstorm Sandy, officials said last month, the number of zones would double and encompass about 600,000 more residents.
Tuesday, June 18 2013 3:05 PM EDT2013-06-18 19:05:09 GMT
Police are looking for a man who stabbed another man in Times Square Tuesday afternoon, authorities said.The victim was stabbed in the chest, the NYPD and FDNY said.
Police are looking for a man who stabbed another man in Times Square Tuesday afternoon, authorities said.The victim was stabbed in the chest, the NYPD and FDNY said.
Tuesday, June 18 2013 1:18 PM EDT2013-06-18 17:18:24 GMT
It's a sight that can trigger dread. The low-battery message appears on your cell phone when there's no charger around.
It's a sight that can trigger dread. The low-battery message appears on your cell phone when there's no charger around. Now New York City has teamed up with AT&T to install 25 solar powered charging stations over the summer.
Tuesday, June 18 2013 12:20 PM EDT2013-06-18 16:20:04 GMT
The director of the National Security Agency said Tuesday the government's sweeping surveillance programs have foiled some 50 terrorist plots worldwide, including one directed at the New York Stock Exchange.
The director of the National Security Agency said Tuesday the government's sweeping surveillance programs have foiled some 50 terrorist plots worldwide, including one directed at the New York Stock Exchange.
