Have you ever needed a car for a few hours and wished you didn't have to rent one all day long?
That's the premise behind Zip Car. The company rents cars from increments between one hour and four days.
It costs $35 to become a member.
You sign up online at http://www.zipcar.com
The company does a background search on your driving history, and assuming you pass, sends you a "zip card" within a few days of sign up.
Then, you go online and reserve what car you want and what hour(s) you want it. It costs $9 an hour to rent most cars.
Next, you show up to the car's designated parking spot and swipe the "zip card" on the windshield. The bar code scanner picks it up and unlocks all the car's doors. The keys are already in the ignition and you are ready to ride. When you are finished, park it back at the spot so the next rider can take it for a spin.
If it is almost out of gas, there is a gas card in the glove compartment that fills it up at no cost to you.
The cars have been a big success for urban lifestyle drivers in big cities like San Francisco and Washington D.C. Last year, they debuted in San Diego at UCSD and have been a hit.
Today, Zip Car expanded its San Diego fleet by two cars and entered the University of San Diego market.
USD freshman Danielle Bakhtiari seemed thrilled, "I don't have a car on campus, so this makes things a lot easier. They've made it so it is easy access for people and they made it so it is not that expensive."
For USD sophomore Christopher Helali, driving a Zip Car will make a huge difference. Because he serves in ROTC at San Diego State but attends USD, he has an hour and a half commute using public transportation. Now, he can drive there.
He says he will now be able to be more efficient with his time and do more homework. "It gives me freedom and that's something public transportation doesn't give you."
USD's Vice President of Finance and Administration says the cars are part of an effort to "go green" and something that "lessens some of the congestion on campus."
He says they are especially timely, "I think times are changing. When gas hits $4 a gallon, I think all of us think differently about how we get from point A to point B."
To book a Zip Car from USD or UCSD, go to http://www.zipcar.com
