A car is a very personal possession, and no matter how many insurance policies or guarantees of satisfaction we offer, there’s nothing more powerful than simple regard for a fellow human being.

Recently we had a gentleman named Eric show us how important this is. When he arrived at our lot in San Francisco, Eric noticed that the Toyota Prius he was picking up had a United States Air Force Veteran bumper sticker. Being former military himself, Eric took especially good care of Lucas’ Prius. When he returned it, he even asked us to give to the car owner a personal note he’d written.

A few days later, Lucas came back. Of course, we gave him the note and told him about Eric. Lucas was so moved by Eric’s note and how respectful Eric had been of his car - taking care of it as if it was his own - that he insisted on covering the entire cost of Eric’s rental.

Because incoming travelers are renting locals’ cars when they visit - and everyone is going to the next place - most of our FlightCar rental customers will likely never meet the people sharing their cars with them. Still, we see the connections at the office, and that’s what makes what we do feel like more than business.

A few months ago I joined FC to help build the support department and make the user’s experience buttery smooth. It’s been busy, surprising, and generally awesome, especially because of people like Eric and Lucas.

We want you to know we’re especially rewarded by our interactions with customers, like when they provide useful feedback or point out exactly how the service helped them.

We also hope to promote a sense of community, and are inspired by your stories and ideas.

So you’re going to start hearing about local FlightCar events where you can hang out over free food and drinks, play games, meet each other, and share ideas. In the spirit of sharing, you’ll also hear about local organizations we think you’ll love. Plus, you’ll get to meet the founders and the team. So come and tell us directly what you like, need, or want, and what you think we should do or try to solve next.

We’re calling our first meetup “Sharing Economy Happy Hour.” It will take place on September 27th from 630-10pm at Citizen Space in Downtown SF (Harrison & 2nd).

In honor of the people who have served, and continue to serve, FlightCar will be donating 100% of the $10 admission ($20 at the door) to the heroes of Team Rubicon, an organization of former soldiers like Eric and Lucas fighting natural disasters and rebuilding lives. We’re proud to stand by them.

BONUS: If you or your friends mention this blog post, you’ll get a free gift at the event. Come say hello!