Students speak with WABI about ride-sharing service founded by alumnus
WABI (Channel 5) spoke with University of Maine students about working for and using the Tip Whip ride-sharing service. The service was created by recent UMaine graduate Spencer Wood. “All the drivers are college students, all the riders are college students, and it’s like modern-day hitchhiking,” Wood says. “There are no fees, it’s just a tip.” Similar to Uber or Lyft, students use the Tip Whip app to call a nearby driver. “It’ll actually tell them how much it would cost to take an Uber ride or how much it would cost to take a taxi to this location, and then how much it would cost if they decided to drink and drive,” Wood said, adding the student drivers keep 80 percent of their tips. UMaine students told WABI the service is a great way of saving money and staying safe. “I’m a broke college student, so I can’t afford a $20 taxicab home,” said Jennifer Shevlin-Fernandes, a UMaine student and Tip Whip driver and rider. “You’re free to go out, and you don’t have to worry about walking home in the cold or getting stranded somewhere,” said Adam Green, a fellow UMaine student and Tip Whip user. “It makes you feel a lot safer and it’s just way more convenient.”