I have been in love with the Zipcar concept from the first I heard of it. They rent cars - by the hour or by the day - to members in several major cities. Members go online to reserve the car and then simply walk up to the car - Zipcars are parked all around the city - when it's time to drive. The company uses wireless technology to deal with all the details - making sure the right person has access to the right car at the right time, for instance.
I first heard about Zipcars in a newspaper article, and when Tom moved to Boston and became eligible I encouraged him to sign on to the service. For just $25 a year he can get a Zipcar membership through Berklee. Knowing that he has a car around the corner that he can drive should the need ever arrive is well worth the $25 annual fee.
As it's turned out, Tom hasn't actually had the need to drive one of these cars. Yet. Today he reserved one to use this weekend while we're visiting. We're going to drive down to the Cape to visit my parents, making a stop in Brockton for my brother and an IKEA run. We'll soon know, then, if the reality lives up to my expectations of this service.
I'm pretty sure we're not going to be disappointed. Stay tuned.
