<p>northeastmom, living in a warm-weather state, I don’t have experience with huge winter energy bills, but I share your concern, and I truly sympathize. I think people here will run their ACs a lot less this summer, and some of our elderly poor will die because of it, just like last summer. </p>
<p>Our governor has just declared an official drought for California, so our water prices will be going up, too, and they’re considering mandatory rationing. </p>
<p>The rising oil prices will ripple out to every aspect of our lives: plastics (made from oil) and all other consumer products that are transported will rise. It’s hard not to feel a creeping sense of doom/semi-panic. My faith in our government’s ability to respond to this global economic issue is just not very high.</p>
<p>I tried riding my bicycle to work when we moved to where we are and I found that riding bicycles on the highway wasn’t conducive to long-term health. Between tractor-trailers traveling at 50 MPH and launching rocks off their tires, a lot of difficulty crossing highway onramps and offramps (the cars are very reluctant to let you through) and smaller roads that are unfriendly to bicyclists, it seems a hard way to go.</p>
<p>It was a lot easier to cycle in the Boston suburbs into Boston.</p>
<p>A coworker tried an interesting experiment. He bought a electric adapter for his bicycle. It came with a lead-acid battery and a motor that attached to the front wheel. This contraption could allow him to travel consistently at about 20 MPH. The problems were the weight of the thing and that the battery lost its ability to hold a charge. The idea was to charge the thing in the office for free (to him) fuel. It seems that he tried the technology at an immature point.</p>
<p>To bicycle to and from work, one would need showers, a plan for bad weather, and the ability to carry work clothes. Some workplaces don’t provide all of those perks.</p>
<p>Good for you! If I lived only eight miles from work and could bike safely there and back, I’d do it, and on days I have to pick up my 6’2" son from school, I guess I’d just sling him over my shoulder and pedal off, hmmm? As I don’t, can’t, and am unable to, I won’t. </p>
<p>And my little Honda Civic 5-speed isn’t a GMC Yukon XL, thank you very much. </p>
<p>Now, where might we find a parking space big enough for your sanctimony? Maybe next to the tractor trailers, hmmm? Okay!</p>
<p>~~~</p>
<p>I paid $3.89 this morning for gas; gas at the stations I usually go to is in the $4.03-$4.09 range for regular. The closest station to me is more than that, but how much more today, I don’t know; their prices can be 10 to 20 cents more than the places I usually go.</p>
<p>I often take public transportation to work. The subway is $3.80 one way, and the parking fee is $4.25, making the roundtrip $11.85. Of course, I have to drive for 15-20 minutes to get to the parking lot, so I’m still using some gas; commuting by public transportation adds at least 30 minutes one way to my commute, so I’m commuting for 3 hours a day instead of 2 hours a day.</p>
<p>I’ve filled my bike tires, and have vowed to not drive on my 4 days off, unless it is an emergency. All errands are to be run after work, or I can walk, ride my bike, or (shudder) use the (hardly existent) bus system.</p>
<p>Went away for 2 nights (to another NE state where gas is cheaper!) – when we got back today the price at our “dueling” gas stations (see previous post) was up $.10 to $4.39. It’s crazy!</p>
<p>I have been carpooling since Jan this year. </p>
<p>Once our very active DD goes to college this fall, I think we will actually save quite a lot on gas. The trips taking her everywhere add up very fast. </p>
<p>Oh, I think the regular is $3.99 this morning.</p>
<p>I saw 10 cars lined up in front of a station today. The reason for the line was that they were selling no brand name gas for 3.95 for “cash only”.</p>
<p>Just saw gas for 3.95 at another station in my area. I don’t know why they were lined up at the station earlier today. The one for 3.95 did not have a single car there, and they were open for business, and you could use a credit card. Go figure.</p>
Fortunately that’s not the way it is now. Gas seems to be readily available and most stations don’t have long lines - in fact, it seems to me that the pumps are more available than normal (less driving - fewer fills). I can imagine that the stations with the cheapest gas could have some short lines.</p>
<p>My guess is that the reason I saw a line at one station early today was that they had a large sign up that said “cash only”. I think some people did not shop for the best price of the day, and thought this was a bargain. I guess once they had 3 cars lined up, the others just followed and thought this was a bargain.</p>