sprockets

It's universal, people complaining about the rising price of gas. I hear it all the time at work. Sometimes people talk about getting a more fuel efficient car, or hoping for the "magic bullet" - the electric car. Nobody I work with has actually done anything about it. I work in a highly technical industry, surround by engineers and technicians for the most part. These are people who are accustomed to logically and systematically problem solving on a daily basis, as part of their job. I'm no different. With the last jump in gas prices I'd had enough and decided to start integrating a bicycle with mass transit at least once a week, cycling more for errand running, and lately driving MUCH slower than I would normally drive in order to save gasoline. I mention the steps I'm taking to my co-workers during these conversations and they actually laugh at my strategy to deal with the problem at hand. Like driving at the speed limit or taking mass transit or cycling to work is so far out of the realm of possiblity. Yet none of them has actually done anything to solve their common problem of fuel prices.

Has anyone else experienced something similar to this?

FXjohn

when you compare buying a new prius to simply paying more for gas, most people pay more for gas.
I'm wondering if I'll see less boating & jetskis on the lake this year

sleazy

i think youll definitely see fewer boats... as their gas tanks are large, very expensive to fill up, and economy is measured in gallons per hour.

but jetskis? no. probably no difference. like a dirt bike- whether it takes $8 or $20 to fill it up... you dont really care and can still have a great time on what is considered a small amount of money.


as for the topic of the thread, i started commuting last year. essentially blocking out entire months where i didnt start my i.c.e. vehicle. but this year, i'm hearing and seeing ALOT more people moving in this direction. even people not accustomed to being fit or outside.

kf5nd

Learned helplessness.

wahoonc

I am hearing and seeing the same general thing around here...everybody pissing and moaning, but nobody putting their money where their mouth is...

I work out of state. My company reimburses me well for the use of my heavy truck. However I am not thrilled with the 8 hours it takes to make the 430+ mile round trip every week. I started using Amtrak to go back and forth on the weekends. It is faster, the company pays for it, it saves the company a solid $80 a week over my mileage costs and I am reducing miles as well as wear and tear on the truck. No it is quite as convenient, but it is faster, cheaper and much less stress for me...fair trade off in my book. Some job sites I can commute to by bicycle others I can't. We have also started using crew vans again to haul the guys back and forth from the office to the jobsite as well as the jobsite to the motel. So far it has worked pretty well, and kept fuel costs at least partially in check.

Aaron

Hobartlemagne 

Im trying to take it easy on the accelerator. Keeping the RPMs under 3k can really help raise your
city-driving fuel economy.

rhm

Well, Paul McCartney is driving a nice new hybrid... anybody see this? Someone didn't think this all the way through, though....

https://www.cnsnews.com/ViewCulture.a...20080514b.html

gwd

Yes. I'm always surprised at people with engineering or physics degrees who can mentally appreciate the efficiencies in using a bicycle and also the concept that efficient facility location can save time, money and energy yet can't apply the concepts. Bikes were a good choice when gas was cheap. Living close to the places you often go saves time for more fun things even if Bush is right that global warming isn't a problem.

Platy

What am I doing about it? I'm out in public on my bike using it for transportation. Hundreds of people see me every day going about my business. I doubt anyone looks at me and thinks, "Wow, I want to be just like that guy!" But maybe a few think that if a guy like me can get around happily on a bike, they could too. Or maybe some would-be cyclist sees me and thinks, "I never noticed they had a bike rack there" or "I never noticed the buses here had racks on front" or "Look at that shortcut that I never saw before". Stuff like that.

TuckertonRR

I've inspired at least one co-worker to ride in (at least 2x a week, anyways)

fluke

I drive an '02 Trans Am WS6.. I actually get 27 mpg with it though (manual transmission, I cruise around like 900 rpm, lol). I just drive much less. I combine my trips and tag along with other people if they are already going somewhere I need to go too. I don't drive much at all when school isn't in session (I'm a college student). I am way too far from college (40 minutes driving, and mountainous) to ride a bike there (although if it were close I definitely would and my college campus is bike friendly - just not skateboard friendly..), so I just drive my car to the first bus stop/parking area and take the college bus the rest of the way (or walk if I have plenty of time). I'm jealous of those who get to ride to work or school in nice weather.

I like cars.. but only drive when I need to. When I DO drive, I baby car around and limited pressing the gas more than I need to - better for the car too, which I keep in great condition (car show tomorrow here in town!). Knowing how to drive a manual car is a skill that will save you a lot of money in purchasing a car, driving your car, and replacing worn parts on your car (manual is cheaper to maintain than auto), and if you are a performance junkie you can enjoy full control over your car and usually better performance (depending on the car and use). Really though.. the whole rise in gasoline costs and saving money comes down to making smart choices about how often to drive, and being smart about things when you do drive - not just splurging money on the latest in technology for a bit more MPG (which really isn't saving you money if you didn't NEED a new car to begin with). Lifestyle adjustment is more important than the fuel economy of your car.

Artkansas 

I'm doing nothing to improve the situation. I was bicycle commuting in the '70s and bicycle commuting now. No benefit.

peace_piper

+1

That's just what I'm doing.

Let the cagers keep *****ing about the high cost of gas.

I don't think hybrid cars are going to save them either. A strange phenomena has taken place that hybrid owners drive more than non-hybrid owners. "It's okay honey, we get better mileage!" Most people aren't going to go out and buy a hybrid either. My housemate was thinking about it, but then she just paid off her car she's had for five years. "Now I can spend the extra money on gas," she says. "I just paid off my car and for the first time, have no payments on a car. Like hell I'm walking back into that situation."

There you have it. Most working poor people are in the same boat (or car ). Why go buy something that's newer when you aren't paying for something that already works well. Those hybrids aren't cheap and there's still maintenence and insurance. (Back in 2002 when I had a car, I was paying over $200 for both those) It's a lot of money and when you're working poor, you're already stretched too thin. You just have to deal with what you have until it breaks/explodes and you absolutely must get a new one.

Lamplight

Yes, I get that sort of attitude occasionally from one of my coworkers. She can plainly see that I am healthy, happy, and financially comfortable (on a salary that she likely wouldn't last 6 months on), and yet she continues to make jokes and obnoxious remarks about my cycling. All the while she gets poorer, lazier, and though I hate to say it, fatter. My other coworkers have a completely different attitude about what I do. They often mention to me that they think it is very smart and sensible to do, yet they act completely shocked if you mention the idea of them doing the same thing. Most of them live within easy commuting distance from work. So it's smart for me to do it, but completely ridiculous for them to do it. Oh well.

Mark Turner

Gotta figure the life-cycle cost of the vehicle and fixed costs as well as the fuel. I work from home, but travel a lot during the growing season to get to the gardens and wildflowers I photograph. Bicycling just isn't practical for multi-day hundreds of miles trips. I'm definitely looking at more locations closer to home, but am in the middle of a big project that requires travel. My truck is paid for, so I'll continue driving at a moderate pace.

However, at home we've just had a 4.5KW photovoltaic array installed on our roof which I figure will produce about 75% of our annual electric use. More on my blog, including a link to a set of photos of the setup.

It's important to look at the big picture and not focus only on a single part of the energy equation. I do hope that the current price spike will stimulate more public transit use (it has in our community) and less new road building.

WriteABike

"Oh, these cookies are reduced fat so I can eat two of them!"

(In my case, it's "I just rode 35 miles, so I can eat four of them!")

Elkhound

Smug, much?

Cyclaholic

I don't see what the big deal is. All the signs are that gas is still cheap, too cheap in fact. The roads are still congested with large gas guzzlers, often single occupant, still speeding, still driving aggressively.

Your co-workers are laughing because they don't really see the current price of gas as a problem that needs addressing. Let's see how funny it is to them when they face $10 or $20 per gallon.

bragi

I have to agree with you completely. The vast majority of people I know have not changed their behavior at all because of fuel costs; the fraction of their total income devoted to fuel is still low enough that they can continue to drive around as much as they like. (I'm almost the only adult I know without a car.) I know a few people who have figured out ways to lower energy use at home, or who have decided to ride a bike a bit more often, but their overall lifestyle is largely unchanged so far. Being green's a fine thing, as long as it doesn't impinge upon one's consumption too much...

Personally, I'm not changing all that much, either: as before, I walk or ride my bike everywhere, try to buy food produced locally (which is easier said than done), keep energy use at home to a minimum ($15/mo), don't buy anything unless I actually need it and can pay cash for it (except the house), and give time and money to causes I believe in. I should fly less, eat less meat, give up my sailboat, drink less beer, and maybe be less sarcastic around my friends and co-workers, but then I'd have a lot less fun, so I'll just have to do what I can.

lksfirecapt

I work in the San Diego area (63 miles from home.....Temecula). In 2003 when gas hit $2.00 a gallon I moved out of the Ranger truck and into a Toyota Corolla. While the Corolla is an awesome vehicle I just couldn't sleep at night knowing the "kind" of people that were getting my $4.00 per gallon.

Now I make the 3:30 AM bike ride to meet the bus which takes me to Oceanside for the connection to the Coaster (train). From there it's a relaxing ride to San Diego where I pick-up the MTA Trolley to El Cajon. Back on the bike for the final trip to fire station #3...

Mark

bragi

I admire your strength of will, but why do you do this? Why not move closer to work, or get a job closer to home? This is madness.

Roody

I'm curious. You drive for your business of taking photos, right? Do you think you'll have to raise your prices or add a surcharge because of the increased fuel costs? It seems to me that higher gas prices are going to feed into inflation even more than they already have.

Roody

I disagree. I think this latest round of price increases (I think more than 60 cents in two weeks) has really gotten people shook up. At first they'll just make the minor changes, but in a short time I think people will make big modifications in their transit plans. They'll start buying smaller cars, driving less, using public transit, even start thinking about moving closer to work.

Of course, the main reason for prices going up (besides the weak US dollar) is speculation in the oil markets. Eventually the speculative bubble will burst (and the dollar will balance), and prices will go down somewhat in the short term. But the long term trend will be for oil to again become more expensive, and I think ordinary people are starting to realize that now.

lksfirecapt

Bragi,

When I first started in the fire service I lived about 2 miles from work. In 1994 (with a growing family) we made the decision to move to Temecula (bigger homes, less money). Gas at the time was a heart stopping $1.29.

Fire service agencies are not like regional government jobs where you can get transfered to a closer job site, and based on the housing market in California, my options are few.

I don't think I could even sell my home right now as many of the homes in my tract are now "bank owned".

MG

Roody

Yeah, this is one of the major obstacles to being carfree. Archaic zoning laws and land use patterns caused sprawl, which is when housing is long distances from the common destinations of the inhabitants. These same laws and habits also resulted in housing that's segregated by income level. The rich people live in one part of the county, the poor people in another area, and the middle income people somewhere else. It sounds like you're a victim of both sprawl and income segregated housing.

There are strong movements to change these land use patterns, but it obviously takes a long time to change something that's so ingrained. I have the impression that Southern California is one of the worst examples of this pattern anywhere. Other than moving to a totally different region, I don't know if you'll ever find any good solutions.