My hitch-hiking days are over thank

PickupPal is a ride-sharing service, i.e. matching drivers and passengers.

The economic model sounds wonderfully flexible

Passenger pays the Driver the agreed amount in cash (or otherwise, if agreed upon) at the end of the ride.

'Otherwise' would seem to encompass a whole range of payment options.

Separately, the 'Help' pages add a new dimension to trust mechanisms

Send them a message via our messaging system and get a sense of who they are – a simple message will give you a good idea if they are someone you can start to trust.

Sit in the front passenger seat, if you can. Rear doors often have child locks on them, meaning they cannot be opened from the inside. If you must sit in the back, check the child lock is off before you close the door.

Note the vehicle licence plate, and its make, model, and color before you take ride. If you have a cellphone, text this information to a friend and have them confirm they got your text. For example (AYDL 098, VW GOLF, Black) - do not be shy to tell the driver you are texting this information -

Have these people heard of a little thing called 'public transportation'? In which passengers need not worry about child-locks?

All the reputation systems in the world aren't getting me in a car if I need to text a license plate to feel safe.