Zipcar is getting some new competition in the DC market with the entries of Daimler North America's Car2go and Hertz on Demand.
I understand advertising is more about evoking emotions than literally saying buy this vacuum cleaner, but this Car2go ad on Metro did a lousy job of making car sharing seem useful. Dupont Circle, Chinatown, the Lincoln Memorial, the Kennedy Center, Ben's Chili Bowl on U Street - what do they have in common? They're places no one in their right mind would drive to from an in-city car sharing location - all are right on top of Metro stations, have really bad parking, or both. Metro, bike sharing, a cab, or a pedicab would be better options.
Even the activities don't seem either exciting or like good reasons to rent a car. Coffee, the bank, the gym - if you don't have a car, why the hell would you sign up for a gym you can't get to on foot, by bike or by Metro? Hike the Shenandoah, pick up your girlfriend at BWI, shopping at Tysons - wouldn't those be better reasons to get a short-term rental AND sound less mundane?
Why do I care? I want collaborative consumption to work because it has huge potential to help the environment, save people tons of money, and make local economies more efficient:
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