ride-along

See also: ridealong and ride along

English

Noun

ride-along (plural ride-alongs)

1. Alternative form of ridealong
   • 2011, Jack W. Snook, Richard B. Gasaway, Tim L. Holman, A Leadership Guide for Volunteer Fire Departments, page 26:

     A ride-along serves several purposes. First, some candidates want to become fire fighters because of the glorified lifestyles portrayed by Hollywood heroes, and a ride-along will allow a potential member to experience the reality of the fire department.

   • 2013, Kevin Opheim, Along for the Ride, page 95:

     There was only one person on a ride-along that week!

   • 2017, Darren Burch, Twisted but True:

     One of the benefits of a ride-along for a family member is to give them an opportunity to witness a cop's job firsthand, gaining insight into what we do as law enforcement officers.

   • 2022, Elaine Biech, ATD's Handbook for Training and Talent Development:

     She took ride-alongs with sales reps so she could see the skills they used and those they needed.

2. A person who goes on a ridealong.
   • 2012, Curtis E Mozie, Beyond the Yellow Tape:

     As a ride-along, you have up front close experience on how our police officers operate day and night out enforcing the laws of DC.

   • 2013, Kevin Opheim, Along for the Ride, page 95:

     The policy at the time was: When a ride-along was in the car during a pursuit, the deputy was to pull over and let the ride-along out.

   • 2017, Darren Burch, Twisted but True:

     There is a common belief among patrol officers that there is a “ride-along curse,” suggesting that when their shift involves taking a ride-along, it usually means the patrol shift will be mindnumbingly boring; a series of barking dog complaints, burglary reports, and the like.

3. (by extension) A member of an organization who is more of a follower than a leader.
   • 2017, Kenneth L. Fisher, The Ten Roads to Riches:

     Being a ride-along doesn't make you immune, but it takes the bull's-eye off your back.

   • 2023, Eleanor Catton, Birnam Wood, page 319:

     He had taken her for a dogsbody, a beta fish, a bridesmaid, a ride-along; he had looked right past her, as likely many people did.

4. (marketing) A piece of marketing material that is included in a mailing about a different product.
   • 1994, Jay Conrad Levinson, Seth Godin, The Guerrilla Marketing Handbook, page 178:

     Stacks of ride-alongs that share the cost of the mailing.

   • 2010, Tyler G. Hicks, 101 Great Mail-Order Businesses:

     Since the dessert advertisement is a ride-along with your ads for other foods, your only additional cost is the printing and paper charges or Internet page cost for your dessert and/or ice-cream ads.

   • 2021, Nelson Searcy, Jennifer Dykes Henson, Maximize: How to Develop Extravagant Givers in Your Church:

     In the corporate world, a company puts a ride-along into a mailer that another company is doing.