Can ridesharing be fun and profitable?

By jmurawski via Flickr

We all know ridesharing is a good thing to do, right? It cuts down on traffic, reduces pollution and makes getting from Point A to Point B a more sociable experience. But then there’s the reality of finding rideshare partners and coordinating schedules. And what if you get stuck in the car with someone who’s a total creep?

There’s a new company called Zimride that says it’s reinventing the ridesharing experience here in Southern California. Using social media, the company promises to make finding a road trip partner hassle free, safe, fun and even profitable. Here’s a conversation with Zimride’s co-founder John Zimmer about how it works and how you can make pretty good money, too.