Contacting People and Privacy Concerns

• Call or email the people from your search or selection.
• Let them know you received their name through mecarpool.com.
• You don't need to put your phone number in the pool, people can contact you via the mecarpool website and you can exchange tel numbers privately.
• You should arrange to meet the people you are carpooling with at work (if that's the common destination) first before deciding to carpool.
• Only the information you enter when you submit a pool is publicly accessible. Your login ID and email address are protected from public view.

Safety Tips

Everyone is responsible for his or her own safety. However we do have some security suggestions.

• Remember that anyone can view and reply to pools without registering so avoid giving out exact home locations and other personal details with fellow car poolers until after you have met them and feel comfortable making a carpool arrangement with them.
• Arrange to meet at work or in a public place for the first time.
• Tell a family member or close friend who you will be travelling with, when and where you are travelling. Give them a copy of your travel companions' business card and contact details.
• Show each other some form of ID - passports, work permit, driving licence, etc - so you know you're travelling with the right person.
• If you feel uncomfortable about any aspect of a carpool arrangement, for any reason whatsoever, don't hesitate to cancel your pool.

• Decide who's driving and when.
• How many days will you ride together? Which ones?
• Will you alternate driving each day, each week or have one person do it all?
• If someone else drives your car, confirm they have a valid UAE licence (overseas licences are not valid for driving private cars) and they are insured (some insurance companies have age and/or other restrictions).
• Avoid arranging pick-ups or drop-offs at bus stops or similar locations where taxis often stop. Illegal private taxis do this and it's possible you may be mistaken for such a service by the police. Better to avoid the situation than try to explain it. Meeting in company or building foyers is more suitable.

Set Ground Rules

• It's easier to negotiate tricky questions before they come up.
• Agree up-front on issues like choice of radio stations, smoking, eating in the car and side trips.

Meeting Time and Place

• Decide on a mutually acceptable time and place to meet.
• Will you pick each other up at home or at another location?
• Agree beforehand what is an acceptable arrangement for delays - wait 5 mins? 10 mins? Wait 5 mins then telephone?
• Be considerate, if you'll be delayed then phone your carpool buddies as soon as possible.

Costs

• If everyone drives their own cars an equal amount of time then it should all work out happily for all carpoolers.
• If one person drives more, putting more miles on his or her vehicle, other passengers should help cover petrol, parking and tolls.
• Try our handy Savings Calculator to see how much you could save.

Just in Case

• Share emergency contact and insurance information with each other before starting your carpool.
• Write an emergency contact name and number of a friend or relative on your business card and give it to your fellow carpoolers.

Unexpected Absences

• Give plenty of notice if you'll be away.
• Let your buddies know about vacations and personal days well in advance, so they can make other arrangements.
• If you're taking a sick day or have a personal emergency, notify others right away.

Your Car and Driving

• Take care of your car. Keep it well-serviced, comfortable and clean.
• Drive safely. Always make your passengers feel they're in good hands.

This is Not a Taxi Service

• If you are contacted by people trying to offer you a taxi service (ie charge you for taking you somewhere rather than share a lift to the same destination), that is a private taxi arrangement which, in our understanding, is illegal in Dubai and the UAE.
• The easiest way to avoid this is to know your fellow car poolers - swap business cards, know where each of you is working.

Emergency Numbers

• 999 if you can't think of anything else, gets you the police.
• Al Ameen service from Dubai Police for safer communities - report any form of harrassment or similar problems to them. Tel 800-4-888 (toll-free).
• Dangerous driving - Dubai Police has a toll free number to report them, tel 800-4-353.

Use of mecarpool.com Services

• Please note that mecarpool.com is provider of travel information services only and carpooling arrangements made are entirely at your own risk. By using this website you agree that mecarpool.com or anyone associated with mecarpool.com cannot be held responsible for any consequences of using this website, or any outcomes whether expected or not, of any carpool arrangements made from this website.
• It is the understanding of mecarpool.com that drivers and passengers who register their pools with mecarpool.com are under no obligation, legal or otherwise, to their traveling companions or to mecarpool.com to abide by any such arrangements.
• mecarpool administration will monitor all pools posted and delete or modify, as they see fit, any that do not comply with mecarpool.com terms and conditions, or are not suitable in the opinion of the administration.
• These terms and conditions are subject to change at any time without notice.

Languages

• mecarpool.com offers services in English and it is expected that users post in English, however, mecarpool aims to be as user-friendly as possible and other languages for carpools are accepted as long as the administration is able to check them. So far we will accept pools written in the following languages:
  • Dutch
  • English
  • French
  • German
  • Turkish
• It should go without saying, but we'll say it anyway. Please don't post anything offensive. It will be at least modified and probably deleted. If you're not sure about it, it will probably be offensive to someone. Err on the side of caution and don't post it.