A smart thing I did for New Years Eve.
 

So yesterday around 5pm I started to stress:
We were meeting a big group for dinner at a brilliant steak house. Then we were going to a party.

I knew there was going to be drinking and it was also going to be hard to get cabs in Los Angeles on New Years eve.

So I went on Craigslist and posted an ad for DRIVER WANTED. Within 20 minutes I had no less than 5 responses.

I paid $20/hr. They drove my car. I had them arrive at my house at 8pm and then pick up my brother on our way to dinner.

The point is, rather than hiring a car service for hundreds of dollars or waiting in the cold for cabs all night. I just hired someone who needed to pick up a couple extra bucks and didn't have plans for New Years to work for us.

It couldn't have worked out better. The total with tip came to $160 and that got four of us around all night, in my 7 series BMW.

Of course I asked for clean driving records, copies of drivers license, etc.

It really worked out great.

That is pretty cool. I had to run over to the mall to grab something from Brooks Brothers and I noticed a line for cabs literally hundreds of people long. I thought about throwing a magnetic cab sign on my X and give a few people a ride to pay for my night! haha

Just out of curiosity though - were you nervous about letting someone you had never met drive your car?? Where was the person when you guys were inside eating dinner and at the party? Did they wait in or around your car? It's cool it worked out, but I think I would be pretty nervous to pull that off (at least here). I guess where you live there's plenty of starving actors that could do the job just fine though! :rofl:

Very valid question. I would say nervousness did cross my mind, then I reminded myself:
A) My lease is over in 8 months
B) I don't really love the 7 series and can't wait to get back to my X.
C) It's a car and my daily driver.. It's not my precious Porsche in the garage.

If the car got wrecked or stolen, that's what insurance is for. I also tried to use common sense when picking the driver from their responses on Craigslist. So while there was some risk, I didn't think the risk outweighed the benefit of having a dedicated driver. If something happens to the car, life goes on.

He brought paperwork and books with him and while we were eating dinner, he was parked a few blocks away and I presume he hung out in the car, got some work done and did some reading. Same thing when we went to the party. He was in a parking lot a few blocks away and just chilled and waited till we were ready..

- So I probably spent just a few more dollars than cabs would have cost and the only downside was the risk of having a stranger drive my car. But considering this is LA and valets drive our cars all the time, is there really much of a difference..

I'm going to do this every year from now on.

pretty interesting idea! What did you post it under?

I posted under JOBS subcategory etc.

The post cost me $25...

If I had a life, I might do this, too. (Un)fortunately, I don't. I worked during the day, then we stayed home for NY Eve. No partying here. :(

I like the idea, but something to consider in the worst-case scenario: what happens insurance wise if you give someone the keys and they drive off? Not the same as valet because there wouldn't be anyone to sue in case they drove off and insurance says no way.

Do you mean, what if they steal the car?

I would think the insurance company would find lots of ways to not pay a claim for the car being wrecked or stolen. Seems like a bad, high risk decision to me in order to save a few hundred bucks... sorry. They brought their driving records with them with a few hours notice at best?

If you give someone "permission" to drive your vehicle, they are covered under your insurance. However, there is probably an employer/employee relationship that would require alternative insurance b/c you hired him and it wasn't a "friend". Then again, I assume you paid cash, and didn't do so until the end of the night and you didn't file a tax return for him or anything like that so he wasn't technically employeed by you (or you could make that argument b/c there would be no way to trace it, assuming the guy corroborated your story)