Homebound Web site launches alternative student transportation
A 20-year-old student first came up with the idea to create an easier
way for students to find rides home when he was driving home on weekends
and holidays from his previous college, Florida State University.
Brennan Dunn, who now attends St. John’s University in Annapolis, Md., noticed how many cars on the highway had FSU decals and also how many cars only had a driver and no passengers. As he headed further south, he noticed the same cars going in the same direction, to the same places as himself.
Since many of his friends complained about the difficulty of finding
rides home, especially as underclassmen, he realized the potential of
Homebound.
Homebound is run similarly to the JMU Ride Board but can be found on
the internet. Homebound now is available to more than 1,200 universities
around the nation.
"As long as drivers are putting their trips in our database, availability
shouldn’t be an issue for riders," Dunn said. "Homebound
does everything possible, such as ensuring that the users are students,
to making sure the right people are using the service."
A trip from JMU to Long Island, N.Y., is about $15 to $20 for a round-trip
reservation. Usually student riders chip in with gas in addition to the
reservation fee, which is used to run the Web site. The schools that use
Homebound the most at the moment are Florida State University, Ohio State
University, John Hopkins University and Brigham Young University, according
to Dunn.
The Web site has a rating system that allows both drivers and riders
to comment and critique each other after the completion of the trip. If
a driver is tardy, for example, a rider can leave a negative rating, which
will appear if the driver creates another trip in the future.
Both parties can report complaints and Homebound will determine whether
to revoke memberships.
"Homebound isn’t for everyone," Dunn said. "I’m
the first to admit this. But a large majority of students are comfortable
riding with their peers and are looking for the most inexpensive trip
home."
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