Students Carpool with Friends to School

By Maisie Anderson
Staff Writer

Recently, a lot of our own Red Lion Area students have been participating in something that, knowingly or not, can majorly help the environment: carpooling.

There are many ways carpooling with friends can be beneficial not only to the environment but also to the students participating. Students end up using less gas, they don’t have to ride the bus, and they are able sleep in longer. Also, they can enjoy the company of others. “I get to spend time with my friends when I drive them home, and we get to catch up on things that go on in each other’s lives,” says senior Amanda Brown.

However, a few conflicts can arise when debating carpooling such as who drives whom and who pays for gas. Many times there is one designated driver, seeing as some people might not have their own car. As for gas, the cost is usually divided between the people carpooling in order to be fair. Senior Cary Anderson said that “it is a shared effort,” whereas Amanda Brown explained that her friends give her about ten dollars a month to drive them to and from school.

There are also a few drawbacks of carpooling with friends. “People don’t stick to schedules like buses do,” said senior Jake Owens. Students are left to depend on other students rather than a bus driver or themselves. Also, cars are not always dependable and can break down if they’re older, which would be a huge hassle when trying to get to school or home. On the other hand, many students said that they could not think of much they disliked about the whole thing.