Trees for Cars: Ride-sharing is Caring
- dkkeventdesign
- Jan 29, 2014
- 1 min read
An impressive example of altruistic entrepreneurship, reducing poverty and increasing environmental awareness is seen with the release of an independent ride share app called “Trees for Cars.” A homeless Leo Grand, code developer for the app, spent 1-hour a day for 16 weeks, learning how to code (in a Manhattan Park) from Patrick McConlogue.
According to iTunes, the current version of this app has 407 reviews which average a rating of 4.7 stars out of 5 stars. Grand says his mobile app is a, “great way to build relationships, strengthen communities, help each-other financially and energy wise, all under the umbrella of saving the environment." In addition to connecting drivers and riders, like other popular ride-share companies like Uber, Lyft, and Sidercar, Trees for Cars uniquely provides information on how much CO2 the user is saving with each ride, uplifting environmental awareness “through a healthy competition amongst users to save the most CO2”, says Grand. Some people may wonder if Trees for Cars has been subjected to any of the recent ride-sharing regulations imposed by the California Public Utilities Commission upon ride-share companies, following public outrage by many taxi-cab drivers in Los Angeles. The good news is that Trees for Cars is exempt because the primary purpose of its ride-sharing members is not to make a profit, and trips are distinctly pre-arranged.
RESOURCES: Trees for Cars - http://signup.treesforcars.com iTunes - https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/trees-for-cars/id767249238?mt=8 Uber, Lyft, and Sidecar - http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/top-lists/best-ride-share-mobile-apps-and-sites/ recent ride-sharing regulations - http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/CA-Passes-First-Rules-For-Ridesharing-224471371.html California Public Utilities Commission - http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/NR/rdonlyres/42294D2B-412E-466E-A74B-F1862BFC6924/0/PassengerCarriersBasicInfoandApplicantsRev012811.pdf Yahoo - http://finance.yahoo.com/news/leo-the-homeless-coder-finished-his-app--and-you-can-download-it-right-now-195026043.html
Honestly, it’s wild how some of these retail giants think they’re untouchable online. One minute you’re browsing for a pair of sneakers, next thing you know, your data’s floating around like it’s on a discount rack. For anyone trying to keep track of who’s who, there’s actually a pretty solid list here: https://consumerattorneys.com/resources/retail-companies. It’s like the ultimate cheat sheet for dodging shady practices or just knowing who you’re dealing with before you hand over your email, your birthday, or worse, your social security. The online retail jungle isn’t getting any tamer, so a little map never hurts.