What do carpools talk about

One of the side effects of carpooling is getting to know each other. Me and my buddies are in the car for at least an hour-and-a-half a day together, with no other agenda except to get home.

Without really trying, gradually, we have come to know way too much about each other.

The silver lining to this is that we arrive at work with a smile on our faces, and the knowledge that our home relationships are as good as the next person's. Or, everyone's problems are the same, except in a different flavor or color.

When there are three of us carpooling, the discussions are particularly lively. When the 3 engineers go at it, I might sleep or read or steer the conversation back to a regular topic. To their credit, the engineers have a sense of humor. I think the thing I value most about my carpool is starting the day with a smile because Don or John or Rick made me laugh.

Today, Don brought along a card he received from an insurance salesman. I was impressed with how many of the suggestions for a long and happy life had to do with your physical body. Eat right and exercise. The card didn't offer Dear Abby's #1 suggestion: be careful who you pick as a mate. The only thing they recommended in that department was to get more sex. Easier said than done. And there were no other hints about the importance of a good relationship to your health. At least our carpool has a good relationship.

Here's Don's advice for the day, which got us off on an interesting discussion during our carpool journey to work, and made me laugh. Don was shocked that "Have more sex" was on the list. He told me to take that one off, but I refused.

10 Ways to live a
longer and healthier life My response
Be optimistic Why bother?
Eat a balanced diet Pass the chips and cookies
Eat and drink with moderation Gimme more!
Maintain a healthy weight HOW? I already failed 2 and 3
Exercise regularly I don't have time for the gym
Have more sex With who, and when do I have time?
Get a pet Gonzo sheds too much. Is she really good for my health?
Make money at the job you love Okay, 1 out of 10 ain't bad. This is really important
Have fun at work and at home At least in your carpool.
Talk to your mother once a week I totally agree -- as a mother and a daughter.

Comprehensive Life Insurance Servies, INC 800 235 7201

What do other carpoolers have to say? We're a select group.

One of my carpool's passtimes is to keep a running list of "How I love carpooling, let me count the ways." I want to hear about the benefits of carpooling from other carpoolers. To get you going, here are some of our favorites.

"I love it when Susan picks me up at the door of the office. It feels like a chauffeur has arrived to take me home." --Don, one of three engineers in the carpool.

"I like Rick's heated seats, especially when he remembers to turn them on before he picks me up." --Susan, the only non-engineer in the carpool.

"When you carpool, you can rubberneck. A few months ago, I saw a drug bust by the side of the road. Because I wasn't driving, I could see the treat one of the cops was giving the dog as a reward for searching the car." --John, one three engineers.

"I like the company. I can network, too," --Rick, another engineer. [Not all carpools are so densely populated with engineers."

What makes you carpool? What makes you give up some convenience and "me time" to abide by a schedule?

Carpoolers out there -- you're not alone.

Welcome to a meeting place dedicated to the pluggers of the world who carpool. Only a certain type of person will carpool to work. She must be socially oriented, able to be with others during what would have been a solitary commute, and interested in reducing congestion and improving air quality. Unfortunately, carpooling is not the norm as it once was. Non-carpoolers are lured by the status of driving alone in flashy cars. You'll find true-blue, hard-core carpoolers drive utilitarian cars, often with high mileage. Their image isn't that important. Carpoolers care about having fun, arriving at work with a smile on our face because we've spent some time with our carpool buddies, saved a few bucks on gas/car maintenance and kept the Earth's air we all breathe a little cleaner.