Pirate's Cove

Here’s an interesting one, via Grist

In theory, Sidecar is about sharing. Here’s how it’s supposed to work: You’re headed downtown in your car, but before you leave you check your Sidecar app. A user a few blocks down is looking for a ride in the same direction. You swing by, pick her up, and drop her off. Everyone wins by sharing — she gets to her destination, and you get to feel good that the gas you just burned went towards transporting more than one human being. (Plus, Sidecar suggests that she “donate” a little cash to you for your trouble.)

Obviously, Grist loves this because it is supposed to help mitigate globull warming thanks to reduced fossil fuel usage, since the person is going that way. Personally, I think it is a good idea, too, minus the globull warming nonsense. Nothing wrong with car pooling, reducing energy usage. But, get this

Sidecar has to be careful not to say “this is just a different type of taxi service,” though. The company had to get a whole new law passed to make this service work, and it emphasizes that payment is voluntary.

And there in a nutshell is the problem with Big Government, which is always involved in everything. Here’s a damned good entrepreneurial idea, yet, they actually had to get a law passed to put the idea into practice. Why is it the government’s business if a company comes up with an idea to carpool and have the people being given a ride offer some cash to the owner of the vehicle? Somehow, Sidecar must be making some money off this idea, which is pretty good. Except for the part about possibly picking up “creepy people”.

No wonder the economy is stagnating: government is too heavily involved with our lives.