Gas Prices
May 9th, 2008 at 7:21 am by Susie
I’m hoping things get to the point where my boss allows us to work from home, because even my relatively short commute is becoming very expensive:
As prices near — or in some places top — $4 a gallon, most Americans say they are cutting back on other household spending, seriously considering buying more fuel-efficient cars and consolidating their daily errands to save fuel.
Americans worry that steep gas costs are here to stay: eight in 10 say they doubt today’s high prices are temporary, the poll finds. It’s the first time such a large majority sees pricey gas as a long-term problem.
The $4 mark, compounded by a sagging economy, could be a tipping point that spurs people to make permanent lifestyle changes to reduce dependence on foreign oil and help the environment, says Steve Reich, a program director at the Center for Urban Transportation Research at the University of South Florida.
“This is a more significant shift in behavior than I’ve seen through other fluctuations in gasoline prices,” he says. “People are starting to understand that this resource … is not something to be taken for granted or wasted.”
Thanks to great political leadership from both sides of the aisle, of course!
I honestly don’t understand why we haven’t reinstituted the 55 mph standard that Jimmy Carter put in place. Whether people liked it or not, it saves gas - and it’s difficult to do when everyone else on the same road is driving at 65 or higher.
tell me about it. my g/f gets u[ at 6:30 to ctach the train now because she can’t afford the commute to trenton.
another thing that should be done is mileage standards need to be raised. I don’t understand why the US automakers say they can’t make more efficient cars, since they rose to te task in the late 70s and early 1980s.
man, sometimes I miss my GLC
A small correction, it was Tricky Dick who signed the double nickel law in 1974. Nixon actually was pretty good on the environment.
Vehicle engines have been getting more efficient at a steady rate, but the vehicles have been getting bigger and heavier. Getting better mileage is a matter of reducing vehicle size and weight to those of 1980s, not engines. If you put a current engine in a 1980s vehicle, the mileage will jump. My 1987 Toyota pick-up was much lighter than the current model.
Yeah, prices are getting pretty crazy. I just hope we don’t get to the point where they start rationing things and have to wait in long lines to get whatever gas we can…
My first car got 36 mph; my new Subaru gets 20mph, 25 highway. I feel a lot safer in it than I did in my first, a ‘63 Bug. But man, the gas prices are killing me.
I moved to Minnesota recently and decided to get a 4WD SUV because of the winters. I wanted the old Honda CR-V, the ones that got like 30 MPH, or a RAV4, which was similar. I was shocked to find these vehicles were now bigger than they used to be and got worse gas mileage.
I got the RAV4 (21/27, or something like that), but I work from home and only drive a little and our other car gets really good mileage. If I didn’t feel that we needed a better vehicle for bad weather and if I didn’t bang my head each and every single time I ever got into a Civic, I’d have gotten the Civic.
My old Nissan Sentra got amazing gas mileage. I once did a trip to Atlantic City and decided to drive no faster than 55 each way. It was about 90 miles from where I lived to AC. With me and another guy in the car I got 49 miles to the gallon. Now the Sentras are all big cars, but mine was an ‘84 Sentra and that was a little guy. Great vehicle, too, and very reliable.
I, for one, do not want to see the return of “The Highway Patrol Full-Employment Act of 1974″ aka, the 55 speed limit.
Improving fuel efficiency and mass-transit, on the other hand, are both good ideas that hopefully will get more attention now.
You east coast urban elites are all alike - and yeah, I’m one now. But i wasn’t always. Growing up in the midwest I can assure you the 55mph speed limit is NOT the answer.
Remember that secret energy meeting that cheney had…it’s been 7 years and finally the secret is out.
jeeri: Sure do. And I also remember the secret Health Care Task Force meetings a certain First Lady insisted on holding. I - as a believer in democracy and open government - was equally appalled by both. The strange thing is, with the exception of dear, sweet Wendy Whiner all here see clearly see the problem with the Energy meetings. Leaders who insist on operating in secret are not to be trusted. Strangely enough, half of those very same people want the very person who A. insisted on a secret process for health care and B. blew it big time – to be our next president.
It’s a big ole crazy world and I do declare, I just understand it sometimes.
of course that last sentence should end “….I just DON’T understand it sometimes.”
Ditto on the “Eastern urban elites” statement. When it is a 9 hour drive to the nearest city at 55mph, vs. 6.6 hours at 75mph, we’re talking about the difference between being able to complete a monthly shopping trip within one day and having a very expensive overnighter.
Once upon a time small towns had all the stores you needed to survive. That hasn’t been true for decades now. Most of these small farming towns are too small and poor even for Wal-mart to consider building a store in nowdays, and unlike in the early part of the 20th century the railroads are *gone* so there’s no way to get stuff in other than to go to the city and get it. So folks do what they gotta do.
If people get rid of these monstrous SUV’s then it will be safer to drive “Smart cars.” A friend of mine just got one and it is really spacious inside. She bought it online. It comes with panels that snap on and off so if you want to change the color or if you get into an accident just pop that baby off. Body shops beware.
I also recommend Philly Car Share. Check to see if the have a “pod” near you.
We now have small fuel efficient cars and if we need something bigger we rent something bigger…works for us.