Five less obvious carpool benefits you probably haven’t considered…

In our last article we got through the obvious ‘common sense’ advantages of carpooling. In this one we look at the less obvious (but no less compelling) reasons. 

It’s amazing the things you can discover on an everyday car ride to and from work.  Here are just a few…

1. Maths 

Appreciating the intricacies of fuel pricing, household budgets, and discretionary spending can be a welcome by-product of a fiscally responsible carpool. Having a friend, neighbour, or colleague ready with the spreadsheet is helpful here and, depending on the needs of the group, cost of rides can be assessed down to the cent. Saving $2.37 a trip can really add up if you’re carpooling a few times each week.

2. Mates

When you get to a certain age it can be hard to make friends and maintain social  relationships, particularly in a town with as transient a population as ours. While your carpool may only be one or two trips a week this quality time with other humans is perfect for growing your social network and making connections for life.  

3. Gossip

OMG, did you hear about what Stacy said to Margo after Gemma told Stacy what Nicky said about Claire? And what Dave told Adam about Stacy?  

4. Scenery 

It’s easy to miss out on all the wonders of life in Queenstown when all you can see is the white knuckles on the steering wheel in front of you. That’s why being able to relax and share knowledge with the carpool team can be one of the most satisfying parts of the trip. Your fellow passengers will point out things you haven’t noticed before, like the significance of a local tree, or the history of a famous bridge or track. And you can reciprocate, sharing the spot where you vomited up three litres of mulled wine after a friend kept taunting you with talk of anchovy milkshakes. 

5. Memes and more 

Quality chat is a big advantage of a carpool. Staying up to date with memes (and headlines and local news and bad jokes and all things popular culture) can greatly improve the quality of your commute. However, it may be that some rides you’ll be happy with the radio or a playlist. Some weeks you might want to share a podcast, or your ‘pool may even attempt an audio book. 

If there’s one thing that’s true of all the benefits about carpooling, it’s that you won’t find out until you take the leap for yourself. If you regularly travel around Queenstown, now is the time to connect and commute. It may be for one regular trip a week; it may be every morning and evening – whatever works for you!