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The East Bay’s casual car pool, which has carried commuters across the Bay Bridge for more than a decade, is not only a ritual for thousands of car poolers but is somewhat of a culture. 

“Conversation on the morning ride is usually dictated by the driver,” said Albany resident Alison Moore from the back seat of a car. She is one of the dozens of local residents who stand in line on Sacramento Street in north Berkeley waiting for a driver in search of company. 

By participating in the informal ride sharing program, Moore saves money and is spared the inconvenience of driving. And the driver, by having two passengers in the car, saves time while driving in the less congested car pool lane. 

Of course, the catch is that you have to ride with a stranger. 

“There is a weird psychology to it,” said Julie, a Berkeley resident and casual car pooler who chose not to give her last name. “But people get over it and you just suspend the stranger danger.” 

Riders can expect to encounter the occasional eccentric on their shared morning commutes, said Julie. 

“There was one driver who blasted ‘Fiddler on the Roof,’ really loud,” she said. “So, we just ended up talking about Fiddler on the Roof. Some people are just different.” 

Car poolers say that riding with complete strangers allows people from a variety of backgrounds who would otherwise not meet share time and perspective. 

“Especially at north Berkeley, there’s a variety of classes that live in the area. I’ve ridden with construction workers who have to get up early, tons of lawyers and professional people,” Moore explained. “You get a real cross-section of the community.” 

Some riders, though, don’t interact socially, Moore said, and prefer to read a newspaper or plan their day during the drive. 

Many like the radio. 

“About 85 percent to 90 percent of the drivers play NPR [National Public Radio.]” Moore said. “It’s really that high.” 

Despite the informality of casual car pooling, there are some expectations. 

“There is some etiquette, not just in the car but as far as where people expect to be dropped off,” said Moore. 

While most passengers are dropped off at San Francisco’s Fremont Street Bus Station, drivers will often drop off passengers at work if it’s not far out of the way. 

Among the no-nos are stopping for gas in the morning or changing plans midstream, riders say. 

Casual car pooling has developed not from any city plan or policy but as a grassroots invention. Its exact start date is difficult to determine; however, transit officials say BART strikes in the early 1980s may have played a part in the program’s formation.  

“I just saw all these people out there,” said former BART rider Yujia Cui. “It's faster than waiting for BART.” 

Pickup spots include north Berkeley BART, Adeline Avenue near Ashby BART, and the intersection of College and Claremont avenues in Oakland. 

On the return trip, car pooling incentive for drivers isn’t as strong because there is just a small stretch of a car pool lane on the western approach to the bridge. 

As a result, mass transit services, aware of the effects of casual car pooling, are in greater demand in the afternoon.  

“We are very much aware of casual car pooling and it does impact transit operations,” said Mike Mills, a spokesperson for AC Transit. “We end up with more passengers on the eastbound commute in the afternoon.” 

In addition, casual car poolers provide competition to many transit services. A 1998 study of the loose-knit program, conducted by RIDES for Bay Area Commuters, concluded that between 8,000 and 10,000 Bay Area residents took part in casual car pooling every day. 

And with fares at both BART and AC Transit increasing this fall, car pooling might grow.