My friend Carolyn loves using the Blue-SG car sharing system. It is a bit like bicycle sharing. Which appeals to those who like riding bikes. It is cheaper than a permanent vehicle. You have the pleasure of riding or driving. But if you are ill or away or busy you are not paying for it when you don't need it. You don't need to insure it, repair it, store it overnight, worry about it getting stolen.
She says it costs about 45 Sing dollars for three hours.
"The cars are tiny," she says, "but they get you from one place to another."
She used to drive a car. But the car got old and it got expensive. I thought she had given up driving. Apparently not.
I asked her, "Why would you take a car sharing car, driving it yourself, instead of sitting watching the world, or your phone, whilst somebody else drives?"
She told me, "It can be cheaper. And quicker."
"What do you do?"
"You go on the app and find the nearest park. Once you are registered on the system, you find the car, register to get it to open. I usually book for three hours. Then you have about three hours - until it runs out of electricity!"
"Ah. What could go wrong?"
1 "You leave it too long and it runs out of juice and you have to ring the company to come and rescue you. Which they do. Very fast."
"Any other disadvantage?"
2 "It is quite small. Unlike a normal hire car, you can't move house with it. The car boot (Americans say trunk) is tiny."
3 "It's not a people mover. You can't take a group of ten friends to a birthday party at a restaurant."
"Where do you leave it? Do you need to be at one of their car banks?"
4 "There might be no drop-off point where you end up?"
"Do you always need to be near one of their parks to park?"
"No, only when you discard it at the end. While you are driving about, you look for a parking place like a normal car."
"Can you take it to or from the airport?"
"Yes."
"That's handy. So, you can always get one when you need it?"
"Not necessarily. Like hire cars, and taxis, there's always a chance that all the cars are hired out and in use."
However, Carolyn loves the system. It is new to my family. We shall be trying it out - and reporting back to you.
These car sharing systems with cars at electric charging points are in many countries, but called different names.
Wiki explains the international terms
United Kingdom: "car clubs".[41] In the UK, "car sharing" refers to what is called "carpooling" or "ride sharing" in the US, namely the shared use of a car for a specific journey, in particular for commuting to work, often by people who each have a car but travel together to save costs.[42]
South Africa: "lift scheme".
India: "self-drive."[43]
See also
Useful Websites
https://www.bluesg.com.sg/faq/car-sharing
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carsharing
BIOGRAPHY
Angela Lansbury B A Hons ACG ALB PM5 EH5 DL5 VC5
The Author of several books including Etiquette For Every Occasion. Wedding Speeches & Toasts. How to be the Best Man. Quick Quotations. Who Said What When.
Blogs travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com
dressofthedayangela.blogspot.com
Braddell Heights Advanced Toastmasters Speakers Club Vice President Public Relations (VPPR), Previous President
Join BHA 1st Wednesday 7pm and 3rd Saturday 2 pm Singapore time
Vice President Public Relations (VP PR) of Tampines Changkat Advanced;
Secretary of weekly online Singapore International Dynamic Toastmasters Speakers’ Club;
Member and past president of Harrovians toastmasters club, UK; Past member of HOD Toastmasters, London. Past member in Singapore of: Toastmasters Club of Singapore (TCS); Tiarel; and Senja Cashew.
More details from Toastmasters International find a club.
Regular attendee at annual Swanwick Writers’ School, England.
Regular attendee at annual Writers’ Holiday, Wales.
Contributor to poetry readings, and after tea courses on: Speaking On Radio To Promote Books; and Plots And Character.
Winner of many club and area speaking contests in the UK and Singapore.
Language advisor to Empire Toastmasters club in Indonesia.
Language and speech workshops in Singapore.
Speaker on radio and TV in England, Scotland, the USA, and Australia.
Compiler of a school course on public speaking for teachers to prepare pupils for school open days with attending ceremonies before government ministers, Singapore.
Former member of Harrow Writers’ Circle, London, and two writing groups in Singapore.
Angela is on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Twitter. She would be delighted to link up with new friends.
Books by Angela Lansbury
How to be the best man. (Ward Lock / Cassell.)
Wedding Speeches and Toasts.(Ward Lock / Cassell.)
Unforgettable British Weekends.
Poetry Workshop Workbook.
The Tailor and the Spy. (Lulu.)
Larry The Talking Labrador. (Lulu.)
Writing Poetry for fun.
Quick Quotations
Who Said What When
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