Awesome- you and 20 of your best friends are going to the Austin City Limits Music Festival in Texas in September, and you're up for a road trip but only one of you has a car, a Smart car, which won't even hold the Lone Star beer you intend to take. You're in a jam and Pick Up Pal may be the answer. Co-founders Eric Dewhirst and John Stewart may have really hit a home run with the January 2008 launch of their global ridesharing venture, Pick Up Pal.

In short, the website succinctly describes itself as "a global eco-friendly transportation revolution that connects drivers, passengers, and packages with the places they need to go..."

Unlike the informal and unreliable (but great that it's out there) Craigslist post ("Dudes- need a haul to the desert- anyone going that way?"), Pick Up Pal has a growing list of members all over the world (they claim it's being translated into various languages as I write this and it seems they provide the highest level of street address accuracy in all developed nations of the world) and each member has a profile as well as a rating. So if you're pondering taking a ride with Joe Schmo, just check out the reviews written by past passengers- sort of like a Yelp review- and Joe will read reviews by other drivers who have carted you to and fro, as well.

It works like this: you sign up to be a passenger, a driver or both. You fill in your profile and once ready, you post rides you're offering or rides you're hoping to passenger, and PUP will hook you up with an available driver or passenger. Drivers are alerted to potential pick ups and make an offer based on the trip and the passenger reviews. So while the membership is free, the ride isn't. The 2 parties agree on an amount and after arrival at the destination, the passenger pays the driver the full amount in cash. No fuss, no muss. Oh, and if you discover that you're no longer taking that road trip this summer, which means you won't be delivering something to someone as promised- PUP will hook up your package as well. While it may sound like a ripe opportunity for trouble, think of the good side and how much better it would be for that painting to be transported via Joe's "already going to that destination anyway" car rather than via nameless carrier? As if giving or receiving a ride from your fellow citizen and thus reducing your carbon footprint weren't enough, PUP offers the option of going in style by allowing you to choose swank-mobiles for special or not-so-special occasions.

As far as those 20 friends of yours are concerned, rather than everyone signing on and finding their own ride, check out their eco-rideshare program and sign up the whole group or event..

This is definitely a step ride in the right direction.