By Jules Suzdaltsev
Without a car, San Francisco is an island subsidized by public transit. Any serious road-tripping requires a ton of advanced planning. Otherwise, you’re just waiting for somebody with a car to suggest driving up to Marin for the weekend, which is fun, but annoyingly dependent.
Luckily, the city that brought you “puff-puff-pass” is applying the same concept to driving, by way of the already successful carsharing app: Getaround. Its goal is to make driving in San Francisco less of a hassle by bringing together car owners and eligible drivers, letting owners cover the insane cost of having a car by renting it out for chunks of time; anywhere from an hour to a week. Getaround is offering Bold Italic readers a $50 credit to all first-time drivers. Just register here to claim your credit.
Last month, on a whim, I decided to take a weeklong solo road trip through NorCal – an unplanned adventure. I looked into renting a car, but being 24 years old, even the discount places came with a steep price-tag, not to mention a lot of beat-up beige sedans. My roommate sent me a link for a Getaround rental, and within 10 minutes I was looking at a list of nearby cars, in my price range, and available for my planned dates. I chose a Smart Car ForTwo, and using the GPS-enabled Carkit installed inside of it, I could book, find, and unlock the car all from my iPhone. Two hours after I decided to hit the road, I was driving up the Golden Gate Bridge on my way to Lake Mendocino, blasting tunes, and asking Siri where to eat.
While impromptu road trips are a great way to spend a weekend, there are a ton of other sweet ways to get the most mileage out of Getaround. For one, its an easy way to ride in style for a fraction of the real cost. Say for example your parents are in town. They never believed in you (that’s why you moved to San Francisco), so why not roll up in a 2014 White Porsche 911 to pick them up from SFO? For $50 an hour, make your parents eat their words after all those terse Thanksgiving dinners, right? Just pick up the car on your way to the airport, and drop it off after you drop them at their hotel. Afterwards, use Muni for everything, tell them it’s in fashion. Then eat ramen and leftover kale for three weeks in your rathole shared apartment, because they were totally right.
Alternately, are you tired of hearing your environmentally-responsible friends brag about their brand new Honda Priuses and Nissan Leafs? Blow them all away with a ride in your sexy, all-electric 2012 Tesla Model S for only $25 an hour. Oh, your Prius gets great gas mileage? What’s my gas mileage? Oh right, infinity. Or wait, is it zero? Somebody fill me in, I’m not a math guy. Maybe we can figure it out on the built in 17” touchscreen, which is in fact larger than the screen I am writing this on right now, and I’m inside a goddamn house.
Okay but seriously, Getaround isn’t just for showing off or road tripping in a tiny car, it’s particularly useful for everyday life, like when you gotta move things around. Whether its groceries or furniture, this 2013 Toyota Tacoma pick-up truck is just what the doctor ordered. You got a flat screen TV? How about a queen-sized mattress? Two mattresses? Renting a moving truck is going to be an expensive hassle, with paperwork, deposits, and a shitty, broken down vehicle to boot. Instead you can rent the Tacoma for $13 an hour, unlock it with your phone, move your stuff, drop off the truck where you found it, and go on with the rest of your day.
Maybe you’ve got kids? Maybe you’ve got seven kids? Maybe you’ve only got four kids and a catered buffet to deliver to a bi-annual regional soccer tournament? No problem! Just instantly rent the new 2013 Honda Odyssey for $12 an hour on your phone, drop the third row “Magic” seats, and pile everybody on in. Since the owner prohibits pets and smoking, you can take comfort in knowing that your massively allergic kids will probably be okay, while the 16 sandwich platters you put in the back will arrive dog-hair free.
Whatever you need a car for, Getaround’s got you covered with a wide selection, flexible times, and seriously great prices. Rich and flashy? Pick up a 2014 Mercedes-Benz C Class for $12 an hour to impress everyone outside the bank.
On a budget and need to get last minute supplies for your upcoming party? You know this sub-minimum wage priced 2012 Mini Cooper, at $9 an hour, won’t break the bank if you need to stop by Safeway. In fact, since The Bold Italic loves its readers, and Getaround loves new drivers, together we’re offering a $50 credit to all first-time drivers, so if you’ve always wanted to make that trip out to Bakersfield or Reno, this is your chance! Just register here to claim that sweet free credit.
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