Jonathan L.'s Profile

Just right for a big city dweller

Choosing to live in a large city comes with its own set of compromises. One of the larger ones: transportation.
Where I live in San Francisco, I only have a handful of options for getting around town. However, when it comes to getting groceries or going out of town, I pretty much have to take a car. So I can either buy a car to sit mostly unused most of the time, take a taxi (expensive), or I can just share some cars with other people in the same position and make use of it only when it's needed.
This is where Zipcar comes in.

Zipcar is a fleet of vehicles placed in different parking lots throughout the city. From there users reserve a car online, use it, and bring it back to the same lot.

Getting set up with the service is dead simple. Sign up online using your drivers license with which Zipcar checks your record and sends you an email to let you know that you're approved. From there, you prepay a set amount each month according to your account plan. After you've signed up, you'll receive a plastic card with an RFID wafer inside called a "Zipcard". This is used to lock and unlock cars you've reserved.

When you're ready to drive somewhere, the process is straightforward. You call or go online to reserve the use of a particular car. Zipcar informs the car from remote to unlock the car when you use your Zipcard. When you get to the car, you just hold your Zipcard over a reader behind the windshield which either unlocks or locks the car. The keys to the ignition are kept inside, so you can just hop in and take off.

One of the biggest pluses for more regular users is that the cost of all gasoline is included. There's a gas card kept inside that you can use at the pump to pay. With gasoline prices well over $3 in California, this one feature alone can make it more cost effective to use a Zipcar over owning one's own car.

keywords: transportation, city living, cars

1 of 1 people thought this review was helpful.

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Slimy

This little cup of goo definitely tasted like it was sitting in Grandma's fridge just a *little* too long.
The little chunks of rice were not cool either.

keywords: rice, non-dairy, ice cream

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Delectible Treats and Tea

I really enjoy tea time at Samovar. I usually get the Russian tea service with my significant other and just hang out and have some tea.

keywords: tea, teatime, slow

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