I agree with Robin, but would like to add a couple things: I always try to explicitly offer to chip in gas money (though sometimes I forget)--even when people are going in my direction. Some people will say no (or practically get insulted when you go to buy the gas for them... I had that happen last Saturday evening), but others will feel better about giving you rides. Who knows, you may be making it possible for them to afford going wherever too by splitting the gas money. *shrug*
I also tend to ask directly if I'm imposing and make it clear I don't mind finding alternate transportation should this be the case. Relatedly, I always try to have a fallback method of transportation, like the trains and buses that conveniently run all night here. For example, I know how to get to and from Dickens Fair in San Francisco entirely via public transportation, though I have yet to travel the entire distance that way (and indeed I know at least a couple people who'd have my head if I took the bus to BART alone at night--though that's only a short distance, and many people go right past BART stations). *shrug* Anyway, enough rambling. Hope that was a bit helpful, anyway.
The only issue with offering to find alternative transport is that in the major cases it isn't always possible due to service hours for buses.
I, too, have had a few people object to me using my own "alternative transport" methods. A once-regular to the Inferno used to make sure I got a ride back, even if I did have my bike.
I also tend to ask directly if I'm imposing and make it clear I don't mind finding alternate transportation should this be the case. Relatedly, I always try to have a fallback method of transportation, like the trains and buses that conveniently run all night here. For example, I know how to get to and from Dickens Fair in San Francisco entirely via public transportation, though I have yet to travel the entire distance that way (and indeed I know at least a couple people who'd have my head if I took the bus to BART alone at night--though that's only a short distance, and many people go right past BART stations).
*shrug* Anyway, enough rambling. Hope that was a bit helpful, anyway.
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I, too, have had a few people object to me using my own "alternative transport" methods. A once-regular to the Inferno used to make sure I got a ride back, even if I did have my bike.
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