Nowadays there is an app for everything. There are apps to lose weight, there are apps for walking, there are apps to find love, and there are apps to take care of your home, even remotely. And then there are apps to find the nearest hotel, apps that give information about restaurants and bars, there are even apps that allow you to keep track of your electronic bills, all in real time. And, of course, there are also a number of Apps for those who travel by car. Some are just for showing you the way to get from destination A to destination B. Others, on the way, can give you directions. Others, on the way, can give indications on traffic, are able to indicate alternative routes... and in some cases they will surprise you! - Others are useful for learning English, French or another language of your choice while driving. And then there is the BlaBlaCar App, an application that in some aspects will surprise the user. Let's see what are the advantages, disadvantages and also the risks of using BlaBlaCar.
What is BlaBlaCar
To put it in complicated words, perhaps not clear to everyone, the BlaBlaCar App is a car sharing platform. In a nutshell, it is a large portal used in more than 20 countries, with a total of more than 75 million users, which does nothing more than organize the sharing of a car during a trip. In practice, just as two friends who have to pass through the same street on the same day would do, BlaBlaCar allows two users who do not know each other to share travel expenses: the result is a time saving, an optimization of mobility for the benefit of the environment and, in addition, an opportunity to socialize.
In fact, traveling two or more people in the same car can be much more fun than a - perhaps very long - trip alone. But, of course, it's a matter of taste, character and mood of the moment. Of course, there is also the financial savings.
This is a very modern approach to mobility: if until a few years ago ride-sharing was only possible between friends, friends of friends, family members, today anyone can share a ride with anyone. Of course, it is a matter of adopting the philosophy of sharing: in Italy we are perhaps not yet fully prepared for this kind of approach, but thanks to platforms such as BlaBlaCar we are working on it and growing in this direction as well. The advantages of such an operation are obvious, but there are also some disadvantages and even some risks. In the latter two cases, however, it must be said that it depends a lot on the mindset of the users: those who adopt this type of approach generally do so because they believe in it. This is exactly what happens with the home exchange mechanism. Let's look at it in detail.
How much does it cost to book on Bla Bla Car?
In Bla Bla car it is the website that sets the prices. However, if a driver is aware that his car consumes more than the average price indicated, he can modify the amount.
The platform is also great because nothing is deducted from the costs we enter. For example, if my ride costs 18 euros each, I receive this amount from any passenger.
So now you may be wondering: what revenue does the Bla Bla Car website have?
Until a few years ago there was the Bla Bla Pass weekly or monthly, which were subscriptions for which you had to pay but which allowed the passenger to make as many trips as he/she wanted.
The cost of the weekly pass is €3.99, while the season pass costs €5.99.
After the first two waves of Covid this option was removed, so anyone can travel again and pay only for the part of the journey they use.
Is Bla Bla Car reliable?
Having explained how Bla Bla car works, let's talk about its reliability.
Being a shared service with people you don't know, you may be wondering if it is reliable or not. My answer is YES!
And do you know why? Because the site is controlled.
Behind each publication there is always a team that verifies the reliability of the source.
But even more important are the reviews. Nothing like people's words have power in these cases, and in fact it is crucial to trust them to give or take away an approval. Through the system of reviews and ratings, you can get an idea of the person you are going to meet.
Bla Bla Car Insurance
Drivers' car insurances already provide coverage for passengers during the ride. However, BlaBlaCar adds AXA insurance at no additional cost that guarantees roadside assistance, transportation to the destination and delivery of forgotten items on board.
All the advantages of using BlaBlaCar
Using BlaBlaCar is simple and intuitive: the first thing you have to do is enter your own itinerary and then check the availability of other users to travel together that same day and on that same route. You can ask for a ride - in this case, the car you will use will be that of another user - or you can make your own car available. In this case, you will drive and accommodate the other BlaBlaCar user.
You can also buy monthly passes - perfect for daily commuters, i.e. those who have to make a certain journey every day at the same time - or you can buy weekly and daily passes. To make sure the platform is working optimally, it is always advisable to leave feedback.
Disadvantages of using BlaBlaCar
It is the driver who chooses the form of reimbursement: some opt for "cash in the car", others for a bank transfer. So, if you do not want to be left stranded and, what is worse, you do not want to jeopardize the success of your trip from the beginning, it is always a good idea to check the option chosen by the driver of the car with which you are going to make the prearranged journey.
Another aspect to highlight as negative is the possibility that the chosen user cancels the trip at the last moment. It is true that in these cases it is the BlaBlaCar platform itself that compensates for the damage, but the problem is still that one is left stranded: the disadvantage, therefore, is that if the trip is important, unpostponable for any reason, the risk of not making it - however remote it may be - exists.
Risks of using BlaBlaCar
The risk that first comes to mind is related, of course, to the people one may encounter: how can one be sure that the platform is not frequented by malicious people? Obviously, one cannot be 100% sure, but one can document one's intentions by using the comments of those who have already traveled there. For the fairer sex, you can also choose the "pink ride" option, so you will only travel with other women.
What is BlaBlaCar Pink
It seems from various surveys that the most reluctant are women, which is not surprising given that we live, unfortunately, in a country where the number of femicides is still too high.
Nowadays women have to be doubly careful when traveling with Bla Bla Car. However, to help us, the site has made available to us the "pink" option, which allows you to have your trip seen only by other women. So what will be created is an all-female trip. Cool, huh?
As for the risk of traffic accident, of course it cannot be avoided a priori. However, it's also true that the BlaBlaCar community shares a kind of specifications oriented towards the safety of users: all passengers must wear seat belts, breaks must be frequent, especially if the journey is long, and the vehicles used must be thoroughly checked. Not only that: the driver must not use a cell phone and, of course, must not consume alcohol or drugs before or during the trip. Of course, one can never be sure that the above rules will be respected by everyone, but it is to be expected that there will be a lot of spirit of cooperation in a community that was created precisely with the intention of helping each other.
