WWYD? Carpool or Private transportation- Help please!

amother

Fri, Jan 01 2010, 3:14 pm

So heres my dilemma-

Next year, IY'H DD will be going into Kindergarten. We have the option of paying close to 2000 for the year for AM and PM private transportation, our forming a carpool. At this point, there are 5 people who would join a carpool and we would each take one day of the week.

Here is my problem- I dont know these people, and in the past I have had some bad experiences with carpools- For example, older DD's carpool was sclhepped to a Pharmacy for just a few minutes while an older child ran in, if school started at 8:45, DD sometimes wasnt picked up till after school started, so she was markedly late.

Now, I have a 2 person carpool and last week, DH of the person I carpool with took home DD from school. He is a massive smoker and I dont know if he smoked in the car with the kids but the car and DD reeked from the stench. Also, him and his wife both talk on the cellphone while driving without earpieces. This makes us very nervous.

So I guess the question is, is it better to spend 2000.00 on Transportation for DD for us to know she is in the hands of a respectable van driver who has done this for years and will get her to school on time every day, and who does have an earpiece? On the van there is no bus monitor monitor but the van driver is frum (I know that means nothing)! and hes driven the van for the school like for 16 years at least. At every stop while picking up the kids he seat belts the kids in too.

while I dont have 2000 to throw in the garbage, I can manage to come up with it. Is it worth it to do this?
Also, If you do recommend that I do a carpool, what do I do -tell people that I have certain rules such as DD needs to get to school on time (I think even in Kindergarten its very important to get to school ontime, there is no smoking or talking on a cellphone? They will think I'm nuts and can find someone who doesnt care about "rules in 5 seconds. I am lost!

amother

Fri, Jan 01 2010, 3:36 pm

when we had carpools in the past, there were strict strict rules. other than absolute emergencies, it wasnt shuffling tons of ppls kids around for a quick stop at hte bakery then then your mom's house to pick s/t up, etc.
on time meant on time, or the late parent's kid unfortunately gotkicked out.

if that is your only option for carpool, honestly, I would pay the 2000 for the year, if you can afford it which u say you can.
the smoke thing bothers me terribly. second hand smoke for a kid? you can say "no smoking with my kid aroudn" from now until the start of the next decade, but so what, if he smokes, the car will still reek and htere will still be "leftover" smoke there. UCH that is sickening for a young child!!!
plus, what you say about safety, talking on cell phones, etc, is all true.

Mama Bear

Sat, Jan 02 2010, 7:07 pm

$2000 for transp??? that's highway robbery!!!! If you should send your kid by taxi door to door it would cost you $12 a day, five days a week = $60, 4 weeks a month = $240, 20 months a year = $2400. Youre paying almost for a door to door taxi when this is a shared bus, it should not be this steep!!! I pay $325 a year for transportation. that's really high.

Barbara

Sat, Jan 02 2010, 9:10 pm

Mama Bear wrote:

How do you know it would cost her $12 per day by taxi? She might live further from school than you do, or closer. Taxis may not be as readily available as they are to you. And would a taxi really be willing to hang out in a carpool lane?

Also, not everyone is able to drive every day. They have other kids, other responsibilities.

OP. why not invite this group over for coffee to *organize* the carpool. Be up front and honest about your expectations, and ask them to be as well. Eg, does everyone have a minivan (otherwise you're not getting 5 kids in seatbelts). What happens if a child is sick, or otherwise not going to school on a carpool day. What are you going to do about booster seats (requried in many states -- see http://www.iihs.org/laws/ChildRestraint.aspx and definitely providing additional safety for your child).
Get comfortable with the other families. If it can work, great. If not, go with the van.

amother

Sat, Jan 02 2010, 9:41 pm

OP here

I live in Brooklyn Very Happy

Transportation is exactly 1600 a year (160 a month) times 10 months.
Its dood to door.
I couldnt send her in a Taxi by herself so it would be round trip twice a day and a taxi here to school has a minimum of six dollars each way. (so 6x4=24 dollars a day)- I have to get home too!
It would be very difficult for me to drive her twice a day, every day of the year or else I would do it by myself.

Even if people promise to abide by rules of a carpool, will they? I dont even know these people, just from the neighborhood and meeting in grocery stores I found out they are sending their kids to the same school as mine.

amother

Sat, Jan 02 2010, 9:56 pm

Mama Bear wrote:

I didntn say you should send her alone, I said your almost paying like it was a door to door taxi.

I understand mama bear but door to door taxi 2x's a day is 24 dollars a day, roughly 125 dollars a week. because its 6 dollars each way 4x's a day (plus a tiny tip) so the van is for sure cheaper- my dilemma was carpool vs. private transportation

amother

Sat, Jan 02 2010, 10:07 pm

chocolate moose wrote:

Could you try the carpool and pull out if your child hates it ?

The carpool people will all hate me as each person takes one day of the week. and then I leave them all in limbo to fill up my day. And who wants to make enemies with 4 people who are classmates with your kid?

My issue is not practicality. Im a worried mom and I worry about safety.