Solo Drivers should be appreciative of buses, bicyclists, pedestrians and carpoolers -not resentful

[Luminous Animal]

21. Some people who live in rural areas still manage to car pool and some think up solutions

to reducing their carbon foot print. My aunt & uncle and 5 of their neighbors worked out a phone tree buying system with the managers of local grocery, hardware stores, and feed stores. (Even the big ones like WalMart or CostCo). Whenever any one of them is driving into town, they email the others who then compile their lists and shop online or phone it into the stores to be ready for pick-up... one other person on the list has to volunteer to assist the drive into town and the loading up, everyone is obligated to go at least once a month (except for the infirm elderly and the disabled) and nobody is obligated more than twice a month. They use color coded stickers to slap on the bags to make it easy to distinguish between the orders.

There are a few of pluses with this system... 1) It cuts down on impulse buying, 2) It cuts down on gas costs, 3) It saves a lot of time for everyone involved.

And some of us are getting sick of the whining of some rural folks that there is nothing to be done.