<p>Ketty, yes I heard that (shakes head in amazement). Did you see how the lorry drivers there staged a strike yesterday?—just parked their trucks on a bridge and demanded that the government provide some form of significant price relief for truckers.</p>
<p>One advantage a lot of Europeans countries have had over us for many decades is an infrastructure which makes mass transit widely available. Most of us have been so dependent on our cars as our only source of daily transportation, that we don’t have a lot of other options. I worked out at the Y tonight, which is five minutes from my house (I do every weeknight), and as I was leaving, someone else was leaving at the same time on a Vespa type scooter. I wonder if we’ll start to see an explosion of sales in this type of vehicle.</p>
<p>The way I see it is that we have been living in la-la land. Generally speaking, everything has been relatively cheap for a long time: oil, mortgages, clothing, food, etc… (tuition and housing being notable exceptions). My generation, my upper middle class peers, has not had to scrimp or be frugal unless we felt like it. That may be changing, and I don’t see it as a bad thing. There has been a lot of waste by the middle and upper classes. Most of us can change our behaviors and cut back the waste and make it through the hard times ahead. We just have never had the practice on a national or world scale. (Already we as a country are driving 5% less than last year… as gas goes up, that number will also rise and that will have some impact on oil prices and speculation, etc… I paid $4.09 per gallon this morning BTW.)</p>
<p>As for the poor, I do feel trepidation for them, especially those in other countries who are already living hand to mouth. Somalia, for example, is very worrisome.</p>
<p>It’s especially bad in my neck of the woods, where mass transit is completely lacking (birthplace of the auto industry). The thought of $12 a gallon gas, as some are saying might be the case by next year, is terrifying. My H worked 15 minutes from home for 20 some years. A few years back, all engineering operations were moved an hour away. There are no comparable jobs any closer to home. We can’t afford to live closer to work … first of all, there is a glut of houses on the market (and specifically in my neighborhood); second, the taxes are outrageous in that area. The company provides cars/gas/insurance for those a bit higher up in the food chain than my H. No wonder the car guys in charge don’t see any need to move toward more fuel efficient vehicles! :)</p>
<p>That was one of the lead stories on our local morning newscast last Thursday or Friday. The reporter said that our gas prices are expected to align with world prices & that “some” speculate prices will reach $10 or even $12 a gallon by next year. That report came a day or two after I interviewed for a job 38 miles from home (with a tough commute). It made me wonder if I’ll ever be able to do more than make ends meet … although I am extremely grateful that I can do that. I realize that many cannot.</p>
Our prices are already generally aligned with world prices. You can’t compare our $4 with $.50 tax to Europe’s $4 with $5 of tax. Their prices are artificially high due to their tax. These reporters want to make this sound as bad as they possibly can but if gas really hit an honest $12 per gallon (not including tax) then the world demand would diminish tremendously and there’d be a glut. Supply and demand will kick in well before then as the price is starting to truly hit some pain points.</p>
<p>I’m with you Poetsheart. The price of all goods are going up and up but salaries are stagnate for many. I just hope things start turning around soon. I will be parking the car, and mine is not a gas-guzzler. I cringe everytime I fill up and it’s $40. I cannot imagine SUV’s and minivans.</p>
<p>I always wanted to ride a moped or one of those tiny tiny cars but never did because I am afraid of the huge cars all around. I don’t mind if everybody drive small cars and then I can drive something small, like I always want to. I would want a Tata Nano for US$2500. </p>
<p>I started off my adult life when times were like now - I remember stagflation and high gas prices ! The experience was so bad I geared all my adult life preparing for it, so I guess I am doing ok. I hope it will go away soon because I don’t want my children to go through what I went through - graduating to unemployment and then underemployed for years.</p>
<p>What never ceases to amaze me is the incredible short-sightedness of American consumers. Every time there is one of these oil crunches with hyper-inflation at the pump, the sales of gas guzzlers plummets and the small cars with good mileage have a waiting list of buyers. Fine. But as soon as supply increases and the prices relax we promptly forget the lessons we just learned and go right back to our behemoths. </p>
<p>I can’t count how many times we’ve repeated this stupid cycle since the first gas shotage bck in the 70s. How many times does it take before we, as a group, learn that it’s in our interest to drive fuel efficient vehicles ALL the time and not just when there is a shortage on.</p>
<p>It has always amazed me as well. But then it takes a crisis to get people moving and this may be just the ticket. I look forward for my children and grandchildren and I suppose for everyone’s children and grandchildren. I ask myself, “What am I doing today that may help them down the line?” This question keeps me sane and gives me a purpose right now.</p>
<p>Another triumph of form over content. There are real cars that cost less and have about the same economy – they just don’t have the “I’m so green” personal statement attached. It’s a lot greener keeping your 10-year-old Ford Taurus than buying a new SmartForTwo.</p>
<p>You win! Our fleet consists of a 14-year-old rarely-driven pickup, an 8-year-old minivan, a 7-year-old Subaru, and a 2-year-old Mazda. The Mazda is the best in the the family at a real 25-30 MPG, and the Odyssey is the worst at 16 MPG. Surprisingly, the truck gets slightly better mileage than the van, but it is a half-ton work truck without air conditioning or a V-8 engine.</p>
<p>How about a Mazda 121, 19 years old, 34,000 miles and it will run for a long time more. I fill the tank once every 2 1/2 months. My son calls it a collectable. It is small and dependable.</p>
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