Who’s Haunting Your Carpool?

Who’s Haunting Your Carpool? 

Spend enough time commuting with someone and you learn things. Like their coffee order, their feelings about office lighting, and which person at work they mean when they say, “He wanted me to laugh at his terrible joke. Again.” 

Finding people who are going your way is a good start. Knowing what everyone needs to survive the ride is how you keep the group together. 

Every carpool has its characters. And since it’s October, we’re giving them a Halloween costume.  

Let’s meet the usual suspects. 

The Witch: Your Coven Coordinator 

She knows who lives nearby, who leaves at four, and who has been saying they want to carpool for six months. She puts everyone in a group chat, proposes a meeting spot, and suddenly you have a weekly arrangement. 

This is how a coven carpool forms. 

She also knows everyone’s business because everyone tells her. On the ride home, she’s checking on someone’s sick dog, celebrating a job interview, and asking for an update on the mysterious “we need to talk” text from yesterday. A baked good will be involved. Face it: you’re going to tell her everything. 

Her magic is making people feel included. Help her out by answering the group chat. Even witches should not have to send “Just checking!” three times. 

source: unsplash.com/steve dimatteo 

The Vampire: Please Respect the Silence 

The vampire arrives on time, buckles up, and faces forward. You receive a small nod. This is a warm greeting, honestly.  

They may become excellent company on the ride home, but at 7:05 a.m., they are conserving the energy required to answer emails for eight hours. Asking “Why are you so quiet?” will not improve the situation. It will make the fangs come out.  

A quiet commute can be a beautiful arrangement. Agree on the music, keep the volume reasonable, and let silence be comfortable. Sharing a ride does not obligate anyone to perform a personality before sunrise. 

 source: unsplash.com/dinu j nair 

The Werewolf: Something Happens at the Merge 

Outside the car, they are perfectly pleasant. Then someone cuts across three lanes without signaling, and you discover a side of them that has apparently been waiting for this moment. 

You understand the complaint. You witnessed the same maneuver. You just weren’t expecting a full witness statement. 

They can still be a great carpool buddy – just put them in the backseat. Crack the window, let them feel the breeze.   

source: unsplash.com/jon tyson 

The Ghost: Are You Still Coming? 

They said they were interested. They joined the chat. You agreed on Tuesday. 

It is now Tuesday. 

You’ve sent a message. You’ve checked your phone. They’re probably sleeping, but you’re already imagining your interview in the true crime doc.  

Plans change, but a carpool needs an answer. Tell the group if you’re working from home, running late, or need to cancel. Pro tip: agree ahead of time on how long everyone will wait. Nobody should be standing in a parking lot conducting a séance when they need to get to work. 

source: unsplash.com/tandem x visuals 

Start Your Own Haunt 

For a Hampton Roads commuter, finding a compatible ride starts with a few ordinary questions: Where are you coming from? When do you leave? Do you want conversation, music, or 20 minutes during which nobody needs anything from you?  

If you can’t find the witch, be the witch.  

Ask someone at work or bring it up in the neighborhood chat.  The ConnectingVA app can help you find a carpool match, too. It’s one of goCommute’s free commuter solutions for people looking to rideshare in Hampton Roads.  

Start your haunt with two people and a departure time. Your monsters will fill in the rest.