Driving in Los Angeles for most people is inevitable. Our metropolis of suburbs spreads out from the mountains to the sea and everything else in between. Plus, in our current economic state of affairs, many of us can’t afford the luxury of only taking jobs that are either walking or biking distance away.

Even if transportation via car is an unfortunate reality many of us must accept, no matter what your situation, there are ways to improve it. One of these is to sign up with Ride Amigos.

Using its free online Ride Matching tool, Ride Amigos allows you to post your desired destination and arrival time and then helps pair you up with anyone else on the same route. It also lets you know the amount of CO2 you’re keeping out of the air by ride sharing (by going with friends from West Hollywood to Santa Monica, you keep nine pounds of CO2 out of the atmosphere.)

The other obvious advantage of Ride Amigos is the amigo aspect. Isolated in our cars for hours each day can be lonely (and at least for me, sometimes NPR just isn’t enough). You could potentially make a new best amigo you might have never have known otherwise cooped up all alone in your car.

To be a Ride Amigo, the rule is simple: Act like an amigo. How?

• Be Honest: Don’t lie or post phony things about yourself online.
• Be on Time: Be respectful of your ride amigo’s schedule. Being late is a no no!
• Communicate: Once you connect online, confirm with each other personally.
• Plan Ahead: Pick obvious meeting locations so that you don’t get lost, etc.

Ready to find your next amigo? Visit www.rideamigos.com and get started.

Here’s to a long and lasting friendship to transport you!

Tags: Carpool Los Angeles, Freakonomics, Green LA, Green Living In L.A., Keep CO2 out of the air, Lower Carbon Footprint, Ride Sharing