Tag Archives: low car diet

Zippity Zipcar – Sign Up for the Low-Car Diet

4th of July Weekend Fun - Quickly Solved by Zipcar

I have been a Zipcar member for a few years.  I can’t say enough about how much I like Zipcar – it a great service if you just need a car sometimes or if you need to borrow a larger car or truck for an afternoon.  Cars are easy to reserve and use, the customer service is great and very helpful.  The Zipcar I was using this weekend got a flat tire.  I don’t blame Zipcar for this – I am cursed with flat tires, car breakdown or some situation that involves a plumber on a holiday weekend.  The good news is that all I had to do was call the 800 number and they took care of the rest.  I no longer needed the car – I had reached my destination before I noticed the flat and they actually just towed the car away (they offered to change the flat for me).

How does Zipcar work?

Image representing Zipcar as depicted in Crunc...

Image via CrunchBase

Once you sign up at Zipcar.com they mail you a membership card. That car is your “key” for driving future vehicles.  When you need to borrow a car, visit Zipcar.com and reserve the car you want to drive.  Zipcars are parked in different locations around the city and there are all different types of Zipcars from sedans to minivans.

Walk over to your reserved car and hold your membership card over the drivers side of the windshield.  This will unlock the car and they keys are located in the car.

You pay for Zipcar by the hour or by the day.  The hourly/daily rate includes gas and insurance.  Once you are done with your trip.  Park the car where you picked it up, leave the keys inside and hold your membership card over the windshield to lock the car and end your reservation.

Use Zipcar Anywhere

Once you are a Zipcar member you can drive any of the Zipcars in any state.  I have used Zipcars in Pittsburgh, Los Angeles and Baltimore.  Your membership is good anywhere Zipcars are located.

The Car Diet

Each summer, Zipcar invites a group of drivers to take the low-car diet.  If you are selected you agree to give up driving your car for a month in exchange for a Zipcar membership and driving credit.  It is a fun way to try navigating the city with out your own car.  I have participated in the Zipcar Low Car Diet last summer – I learned that I like walking to work and that driving isn’t the fastest way around town. Plus they planned some fun events and had some nice giveaways for the low car dieters too.

If you are interested in signing up for the low car diet – fill out this form here.

Join Zipcar

If you are already sold on the Zipcar idea – click on our handy referral button below and get $50 in driving credit.

Join Zipcar and get $50 in free driving!

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Almost Carless in Pittsburgh

Zip car carsharing service at downtown Washing...
Image via Wikipedia

I am back on a diet – a low car diet that is.  The good folks at ZipCar have included me in another year of low car dieting – I give up driving for a month and they supply some Zipcar credits and fun giveaways (I hope we can give away some Zipcar gifts here on the blog too).  After participating in the low car diet last year – I was more than happy to join again – it turns out driving less is really a good thing for me and for the environment too.

#LowCarDiet This year ZipCar is tracking the low car diet on Twitter – you can check out some of my tweets about the project here.

I am huge HUGE huge fan of zip car and I will try to write some more posts here on IheartPGH about driving less.

Lets start at the beginning -in case you are a new reader or new to Pittsburgh (welcome new students!) or just new to ZipCar.

What is ZipCar? ZipCar is car sharing.  There are a bunch of ZipCars in designated parking spaces around Pittsburgh.  ZipCar members pay an annual fee – it is usually $50 – and then when you need to use a car – you pay an hourly rate for the car – in Pittsburgh the rates vary from $7-$14 depending on if you need a car or a pick up truck or a fancy car – there are some mini coopers and I think a BMW ZipCars in Pittsburgh.

So how does it work? When you need to use a car – you go online or via the iphone app and reserve the car.  Then you walk to the ZipCar parking spot and hold your membership card over the box on the windshield – it is a little transmitter in the corner on the driver’s side.  Your card will unlock the doors and the keys to the car are inside.  Off you go to teh grocery store, or Ikea or anywhere.  When you are done – return the car to the parking spot where you picked it up and hold your card over the windshield to lock the doors and log out.  If the car is available you can even extend your reservation online or via text message for additional time.

How much does that cost? What about gas? The hourly rate includes gas, insurance and mileage.  If the car needs gas – just pull into a gas station and fill it up – there is a gas card in the visor.  If the gas card doesn’t work – call ZipCar – they will help you out.

Join Zipcar and get $25 in free driving!I already have a car – should I sign up for ZipCar? Maybe.  One reason is sometimes you need a different car – last week I used the ZipCar pickup truck to move a couch – it was half the cost of renting a uHaul truck.

ZipCar USA. Another reason to be a Zipster (that is ZipCar speak for ZipCar Member) is that your membership works in any ZipCar city.  Last year when I was in LosAngeles, rahter then renting a car and agonizing over the rental car insurance – we just used the Los Angeles ZipCar when we needed it – we didn’t have to pay rental car taxes or the $25 night parking fee at the hotel.

Join ZipCar – If you are thinking about joining ZipCar use out referal link here or by clicking the ZipCar badge above – you get $25 in ZipCar credit (and we get $25 too) when you use this link –  Join Zipcar and get $25 in free driving!

Ribs and Rusted Root – Radio Round Up – September 3, 2010

  • Friday, September 3, 2010 – Part of First Fridays on Penn Ave
  • Stop by The Cotton Factory to check out their limited edition t-shirts and make your own reusable tote out of a t-shirt
  • Friday, September 3, 2010
  • Washington Road
  • Music by Mac Martin and The Dixie Travelers
  • 302 W. North Ave, 15212 – North Side
  • Thursday, Sept. 2 – Sunday, Sept. 5

Zippty Zipcar – get $25 in free driving

zipcar T-Shirt
Image via Wikipedia

One of the other things I talked about on WDVE this am is the Zipcar low-car diet that just ended last week. Pittsburgh is one of the 50+ city that has Zipcars parked around town. Once you are a member, you can reserve a car online and drive it when you need it.

I know Pittsburgh is a driving town – but if you are a student and just need to use a car once in a while for a trip to the grocery store or Ikea – or maybe you have a car for your family but once in a while you need to use a pick up truck – Zipcar is the perfect solution. The hourly rate is about $10 and that includes gas AND insurance. Continue reading