For those who travel on a bus or train seems to be boring, and a taxi call for a couple of hundreds of kilometers, although a comfortable, but excessively expensive option, the choice remains obvious - to use the search service for the travelers. Such applications received extensive distribution throughout Europe thanks to convenience and savings, although there are "pitfalls", which are desirable to avoid.
On how to find a trip in one of the most popular services for finding the fellow travelers "Blablakar" and at the same time not run into scammers or worse, will tell the editorial board 24cm.
Sketch of rude grinds
Let it be difficult to imagine a person who has never heard about the Blablacar application, after all, it is worth mentioning about the advantages and cons of such a way to find passing transports as a passenger or find a companion on the road that will not go to fall on the way, and at the same time save on gasoline as a driver.
Advantages for the passenger:
- The price of the trip is lower than by public transport;
- There are no restrictions on the routes - you only need to choose a car that goes in the desired direction;
- The place is possible at the last moment - it is not necessary to worry about the availability of tickets;
- The desired option will be quick;
- the possibility of choosing travelers for gender signs;
- By agreement, you can travel along with a domestic pet;
- With passing cars, you can also pass the parcel;
- the presence of a mobile application;
- lack of prepayment.
For drivers, pluses are that there are, with whom to talk on the road, and in a chance to compensate for the cost of fuel and depreciation.
But the main minus is that people who agree on a joint journey through the service, who are unfamiliar to each other. And therefore many aspects of the trip are determined not by law, as in the case of train, aircraft, bus or taxis, but in good faith and decency of satellites. It is not difficult to imagine the situation when the driver does not wait for the passenger or the latter late to the appointed time of departure. Plus it is difficult to predict how the journey will end: whether it will be possible to overcome all distance in the atmosphere of a friendly conversation or there will be a conflict. Yes, and there is no hotline - it will not be possible to solve the controversial moment.
And there are also such characters both among drivers, and among the passengers who are stuck in the travelers only for the sake of their own designs - in this case, from the next voyage, you can return on foot, having lost the car, or not return at all.
How to find a companion through the service
Go to the official website of the Balablakar service, and without registration. But in this case, only limited functionality is available to the visitor - you cannot book a trip unregistered user."Strong for the Branca, hold on, chauffery"
In order to register as a driver, you will need:
- Click the Registration button and select its option: via email or social network;
- enter e-mail;
- specify the name, gender and date of birth;
- Subscribe to the newsletter or refuse it;
- Set password;
- Specify the phone number (valid, because requests from passengers will come to it), which will come to the code for minutes with the code;
- The resulting code to enter in the field on the site and wait for confirmation - registration is completed.
Next you need to configure the profile:
- Place a photo of the car and your own;
- Specify preferences on the way (music, conversations, silence, etc.);
- pass the verification of identification certificate;
- Specify detailed data on the car.
These fields are filled at will. However, it is necessary to take into account that the profile is fully filled in more detail, the higher the level of confidence from potential satellites.
Now you can go to the creation of a trip and search for passengers:
- In the profile, select the item "Suggest a trip";
- Specify the landing site and disembarking, not forgetting to prescribe landmarks to simplify the search (metro station, monuments, shopping center, etc.);
- Add intermediate stops on the way - this will allow you to take additional passengers on the road;
- Fix the date and time of departure (you can specify data and for reverse flights);
- Specify the price for 1 satellite and the number of free places in the car;
- Collect the nuances of a joint trip. To do this, it is possible to use the additional functionality of the site: "Maximum two people in the rear seat" - the consent to take no more than two passengers to the rear places; "Only for women" - the announcement will be available only to female representatives. In a special field, you can also register additional conditions like the number of baggage, consent to the transportation of animals, etc.;
- To make a decision on automatic booking - when refusing to confirm requests will have to personally.
Without steering and pedals
Registering as a passenger will have to go through the same stages as the driver. And the profile is becoming a similar way:
- accommodate your own photos;
- prescribe preferences on the way;
- Add scan passport.
You can also, if you wish to enter additional information about yourself - frequent routes, interests, etc., which will allow the rest of the users more about a potential fellow traveler and make a decision regarding his candidacy. The more the data is indicated, the easier it is to get approval.
After registration of the profile, you can start searching for a passing car:
- choose "Find";
- Specify the initial and endpoint of the route, the date and time of the scheduled trip - the search engine will display available options;
- Among the proposed ads, choose the appropriate. To clarify the details, simply click on the request to find out information about the cost, driver, car, flight features and other satellites;
- stopping the choice on the proposal favorite, click "Continue";
- Specify the number of passengers and click on "Book".
Also, if you cannot immediately find all wishes to find transportation, and the time tolerates, you can create a trip notification (item in the menu is called), in which to specify the required criteria. When the ads corresponding to the specified requirements appears, an alert will receive an e-mail.
If the trip broke, you can cancel it in the "My Booking" menu by selecting the relevant flight and specifying the reasons.
"The enemy does not sleep - be vitel!"
In order not to get due to the satellite in the trouble of varying severity, it is worth following certain recommendations:
- choose travelers with a high rating, maximum information in profile and positive feedback;
- If there are no reviews, you should look for information about the satellite in social networks;
- In the "Blablakar" suggest that the passenger will give the driver to the driver at a personal meeting, therefore it is not necessary to agree to the conditions of the distance prepayment - this time is not provided in the service, so the fact of payment does not work, and the money will disappear if the flight will deny;
- It is necessary to pre-contact the satellite and discuss the details - check the match prescribed on the site;
- Before the trip, you should warn relatives or friends, to inform the contact number of the fellow traveler (and the car number), as well as make a photo of the driver and auto (or photo of the passenger) when meeting and send familiar;
- If another person arrived at the meeting place, the joint trip is better to abandon security.
The listed rules are valid for the majority of both passengers and drivers, because the owners of the car also should be careful and remember that the car is not only a means of movement, but also an impressive amount of money equivalent.