Riding with strangers, with help from VCU

Would you take a ride from a complete stranger? Some students are doing just that, with help from VCU.

They are using the VCU RideBoard, which helps students find rides with other students to school, back home and just about anywhere else.

The board is located in the basement of the University Student Commons. Students can write their names, phone numbers and destinations on a ticket and post it on the RideBoard for others to see.

But how safe is it to get in the car with a total stranger?

Martha Harper, head of Off Campus Student Services, said as long as students are safe and smart in getting rides, the board is a great benefit. Safety is the main push around campus right now, and the RideBoard is no exception.

“Question your ride; make sure they go to VCU. Meet them beforehand, and if they make you uncomfortable, don’t go. Don’t make yourself a victim,” Harper said.

The university is not responsible for students, she said. Harper compares the RideBoard to the Trading Post or other classified ads. It is a student’s job to make sure everything is on the up and up.

Recently, freshman Jackie Barta needed a ride to James Madison University to see a football game and catch up with friends. So, Barta used the RideBoard.

“I feel safe putting my information out there. If I felt weird, I wouldn’t get in the car. I ask why they’re going to JMU and definitely check to make sure they’re a student,” Barta said.

This is not the first time she’s tried to use the RideBoard. But even her offer to pay for gas didn’t get her a ride. She is hopeful she will find a ride next time.

Many students have a difficult time finding rides this way. One look at the board, and you can see that far more students are looking for rides than are offering rides.

Some students aren’t open to sharing a ride with a stranger.

Jennifer Wishart, a former VCU student, lived on or around campus for five years. During her first years here, she commuted to Northern Virginia to see her parents at least once a month. Two years ago, they moved to West Virginia, and she has been driving there since then to see them. She has never considered using the RideBoard to find someone to ride with.

“Sure, it would help save on gas and probably make the ride shorter, but I don’t know these people. Like, why do I want to spend five hours in my car with a perfect stranger? I’d rather not take any chances. They could be weird or just annoying, and I don’t need that,” Wishart said.

From early childhood, many students are taught not to take rides from strangers. As young adults, some students are still following that advice. Harper said she thinks those lessons make it easier for students to stay safe.

“You have to hope parents taught their students how to be safe,” Harper said.

Harper has a 16-year-old daughter and said she would be comfortable knowing her daughter was using the RideBoard because they have talked about safety. But would Harper be willing to use the RideBoard herself?

“I would at 18; I’m not so sure now,” she said. “Then I would have assumed they were good people. I would be very cautious now.”