Has high gas prices slowed you down?

I like others have yet to change my life much when I comes to driving.

I just drove over the weekend about 502 miles just to take (no where near enough pictures) - some pictures, and enjoy the countryside. I drove from Central Maine area, to NH, then to VT, then back Saturday. Sunday I went to the other end of NH and got a few pic's.

I drive a 2007 Camry, and as long as I keep it under 80, it doesn't do bad on gas. I filled up Saturday ($62.00) and I'm at 519 miles with what looks like about 50-75 more miles before the fuel light comes on

I'm lucky (and unlucky) enough to be self employed and deal with these changes as they come about.

I DON'T like paying these prices, and I like it A LOT less seeing the record profits the oil companies are putting in their pockets, but oh well.

I'm sure like some folks, some of the differences come into play, if there are any kids still in the house, is the house paid for and so on.

But right now, it's go where I want, when I want and eal with the money end of it later

Skip

Kaj E wrote:

..The government should have imposed higher taxes on gas also here to steer energy consumption to more reasonable levels and used the money to develop alternative fuels. Gas from oil is not forever. Best to get used to it. Energy has been too cheap...

Amen, I couldn't agree more. The US government has practically encouraged the waste of oil resources.

Only slightly... I do think twice now on how often I travel or even go for a drive on the weekends. For example, we live about 20 miles west of Washington, DC. We now think twice about driving to local zoos such as the National Zoo or Baltimore's zoo. Does the gas price hurt a bit? Sure, but I just cut back in other areas. Ultimately, If we want to go somewhere we will and pay the price for it. What is life if you are stuck at home all the time?

Basing the annual license fee based on CO2 emissions is brilliant! We seriously need something like that in the US to encourage conservation.

Here in the US we really need more options like high speed trains. I for one would love to be able to jump on a train to the largest nearby city. I don't see it happening soon as we have put so much money into super highways. I live in a very rural area and love to ride my bike, but where I live its not really an option as far as my job. I work as a photographer and have to travel a bit and take lots of gear. My wife could ride to work except for the fact that it is not a safe road (4 lane highway) and very steep in several places. Its not like she would ride anyways, but I would if I had her job and the road was not so bad. I have been traveling by motorcycle a lot these days and love it. Taken a picture or two along the way as well!

Brian said:

Basing the annual license fee based on CO2 emissions is brilliant!
We seriously need something like that in the US to encourage
conservation.

Click to expand...

I agree with you entirely - it's a very good idea. The only problem, here in the UK, is how the government is introducing it.

The original plan was to introduce a license fee based on the CO2 emission for NEW cars. This meant that you would have a choice at the time of purchase - a frugal car with low tax or a guzzler with higher tax (I simplify - there are several bands). But what the goverment chose to do, without announcing it openly, is make all vehicles manufacturered since 2001 subject to these rules. This has discredited the whole idea as being just another way to burden unsuspecting people with even more tax bills under the ploy of being a "green" tax. It does not help that the present goverment has a reputation for introducung "stealth" taxes over many years.

-JohnK.

as more Indians and Chinese start living the western lifestyle idealized to them by hollywood. It's also not a bad thing if we drive smaller cars and drive less. LA traffic is already improving according to the LATimes.

I live in pacific heights in san francisco. I dont have to drive anywhere to take photos.
--
Jake

Scooter is a great idea...I do heaps of photography from one now.

Costs me practically nothing.

http://www.thescooterreview.com

That's why they call them "hydrids".
--
Dejan Smaic

http://dejansmaic.smugmug.com

sfnikon said:

I live in pacific heights in san francisco. I dont have to drive
anywhere to take photos.

Click to expand...

I spent a three week vacation in the city, and you certainly don't need a car as long as you stay inside the city! Actually, I would imagine driving a car there would be a real pain...

But San Francisco, like New York, really looked like the exception. The city is almost "European" in the way it is built. You have a public transport system that is both diverse and very dense and not too expensive. Coincidently (or not), most people in NYC or SF looked very fit, not the average (and wrong?) image most of use have about the USA.

And indeed, if you live in SF, you do have plenty of subject nearby, it's a beautiful city!

PhotoArtKC said:

I just sold my motorcycle, I enjoyed getting 40+ mpg but I felt like
a target riding in Phoenix where 1 in 9 people have insurance and at
least 50% of the people on the road might not even have a valid
license. Though I would say, a motorcycle is a good alternative if
you live somewhere that it is practical.

Click to expand...

I agree with the safety issue, there... But it won't stop me from buying one that will give me 50 mpg (US gallon).

However, where I live, a motorcycle is only usable for 7 months a year - max. Not to worry, though, because we have small cars. Take a look at this, for example:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiat_Nuova_500

56 mpg (US gallon) if you take the 1.3l Diesel engine. How's that? : )

provocative rant begins

I can hear the SUV guys setting up in a hedgehog defence... Their faces are turning red... They've probably never felt more silly boosting their manhood... And so on. Such is life.

Whining about too small cars is just that - whining. Getting as big as you really need and paying attention to fuel consumption will take you a long way, whereas whining won't.
provocative rant ends

--
regards
Janne Mankila, Finland

19.5.08
The search for 'wonderfully lovable' things in life
continues. Two of the most charming and beautiful
women in the spotlight, this time. I know you want
to see it and so do you. Cut to the chase at:
http://jannemankila.googlepages.com

Daniel Bliss said:

One big thing that helps is that the fares here are still quite cheap
compared to Europe

Click to expand...

Actually, in Europe, we tend to have several set of prices, with the most expensive being used by tourists only.

In Paris, I pay 50€ ($75 equivalent) for unlimited travels by bus or subway for a full month within Paris. Prices go up if you want to include the suburbs. You also have yearly subscriptions that are a bit cheaper. Or you can buy ten tickets for 12€ (less than $20). Most people just get the unlimited deal.

Moreover, if you have a job, your employer has to cover 50% of the cost of your monthly subscription. If you're retired, you have a 50% reduction too. Likewise, the very poor can have their subscription paid fully by the State. So, few people actually pay the full price.

Other European countries do have similar deals, with various populations getting price cuts.

But the tourists tend to get the 3 or 5 day subscription, which is a complete rip-off. I would advice anyone going to Paris just to get the much cheaper weekly subscription used by regular people.

S Hess said:

Unfortunately our American lifestyle has become dependent on the car
and now we cant function without it. This has attributed to our
sedentary lifestyle and is one of the reasons most of the population
is overweight.

Click to expand...

I think that's the key point people have failed to think about in the past: you have to think global. The way you build your cities and the way you build your transport system has a global influence throughout your society. It has an impact on public health. It has an impact on air pollution. It has an impact on family life and criminality.

S Hess said:

But, people around the world (europe) say 'so what weve had high
prices for years'. There is a huge difference though. Youre country
is not built around the use of an automobile.

Click to expand...

Yes and no. For instance, during the 70s, a lot was done for cars in Paris. Like that ugly highway right along our Unesco classified Seine. But this was done on old cities, and they're quite resilient to changes. On the other hand, many of the new cities build during that era are complete nightwares - that's where most of the criminality ("the suburb problem") is blooming.

Also, in recent years, there has been a very strong move "against" the cars. The mayor of Paris has been accused of being against the car users. His logic was that cars accounted for less than 50% of the daily travels and should not hog 80% of the public space. So, this led to more spaces being opened for buses, trams, bikes...

Mayors in other cities, like London or Roma, have done a similar policy. Many smaller cities have restricted or banned cars from their inner center. Even though it has been quite unpopular among some citizens and led to some of them not having their mandate renewed. So, there was a real political will to make things change, even though it was unpopular (among some people, in Paris, the large majority of people are very happy about this policy).

S Hess said:

You also enjoy a MUCH more robust
public transportation system as well. Have you ever seen a TGV or
other high speed rail system here is the States?

Click to expand...

Well, we did try to sell one in a couple of states...

There are two problems. First, the TGV works because it was pushed by the State, through a State owned company. So, they could make investments that were very long term. Because this was an investment that would benefit the whole country. The USA tend to shy away from this.

Also, most European countries are small. France is 1000km at its widest only, and its one of the largest countries. There, a train able to push to 300 km/h works wonders, you can keep most travel well below 4 hours. It's less than 1 hour from Paris to Lille, less than 3 hours to Lyon. And the train has the advantage of dropping you right inside the inner city, in the middle of public transport. There, it is really competitive with the plane.

In the USA, the country is just too large. It would work some areas, like the whole urban area around New York and Washington, or between some major cities in relatively small areas (maybe SF and LA). But not for the rest of the country.

JohnK04716323 said:

The original plan was to introduce a license fee based on the CO2
emission for NEW cars. This meant that you would have a choice at
the time of purchase - a frugal car with low tax or a guzzler with
higher tax (I simplify - there are several bands).

Click to expand...

We're doing something similar in France, except we moved into "negative" taxes. If you buy a SUV, you're going to pay a sizable tax (2000€ IIRC). But if you buy a Prius or an electric car, the State is going to pay a part of the price (2000€ IIRC). This is a one time fee. The system is supposed to be paying itself, but it has been more successful than expected and the State had to pay compensate for the deficit.

The idea itself is pretty good. It only applies to new car. You do get a "carrot" if you pick the right kind of car. You do get a "stick" for picking the wrong one. And there are several steps between the SUV and the electric car.

However, I think it should have gone much farther. 2000€ on the price of a Hummer is a drop in an ocean of oil - they sell for more than 300k€ here. There should be a whole category for crazy cars like this (really, driving a Hummer in Paris is insane), with a very high tax. Even for the category just below these monsters, 2000€ is too low. And raising these taxes would allow for even higher subsides on "clean" cars.

Likewise, I think we should consider other bonuses for green cars :

• lower or free "taxi tax" for taxis using green cars. We don't have enough taxis in Paris, and this would be a great way to increase their number while encouraging a green alternative.
• cheaper parking in the cities
• reserved lanes on some highways - same with cars that are full instead of the "one person per car" cliché.
• tax cuts

Cars do have a huge cost. And I don't only mean CO2. They also have a health cost due to pollution - asthma and allergies are increasing. They also have a cost in facelifts for buildings - cities that have restricted car traffic in their historical center have been able to delay these facelifts thanks to the reduction of dirts in the air.

It's only natural that people who make an effort to lessen these costs would get a financial incitation for it...

Rome, Havana, Vancouver....and loved it. You can take public transport or taxis. But in the plains of Canada, we need to use vehicles for the most part. We have the 2nd largest land mass of any country, and only 33 million people, most of whom live within 100 mi. of the usa border. But what gets me is seeing the endless stream of 5000 lb. pickup trucks and suv's on the streets, with one person, and no load. It's a lifestyle for so many...and they like to use the mass to intimidate smaller vehicles by tailgating them. Wish they were taxed off the road. My Pontiac Grand Am is already using quite enough gas (35 mpg on last road trip) and my next car will use less, for sure.
--
Have a great and wonderful Day !! Cheers !!

See Death Valley; China; and Cuba --www.jonrp.smugmug.com

rubicon wrote:
[snip]

rubicon said:

Locally gas is $3.79, and drive a Jeep wrangler with big tires, and
a 3inch lift kit, mpg avgs, about 16mpg sooooh- I have to stay closer
to home, I go to our local zoo about 4-5 miles from home, or a
wetlands same distance, and car shows in area.
Now I'm not blaming anyone but ourselves for the prices,we wanted to
drive dinosaures so now the bubble has burst, and we pay.

Click to expand...

I know what you mean. I have a YJ with 37" IROKs and about 6 inches of lift. It has the aerodynamics of two stacked bricks. But I stopped commuting in it about 7 yrs ago. Now I only drive it about 6 times a year for off-roading/camping trips. For commuting, I switched to a diesel Jetta which gets about 55 mpg.

larsbc

Sorry to say it, but it seems to me that the price of gas MUST go up even more if this country is going to innovate new energy efficient cars. Remember the GM EV-1 electric car in the 1990's? Never heard of it? That's because the gas prices came down, people gave up on electric and went back to SUVs. GM scrapped it and we never heard from it again.

Well, if gas prices continue to climb, the US will be forced to innovate new solutions. We will finally see practical electrics and hybrids at resaonable prices (they are still a few thousand $ more than a gas car, so it's hard to justify the extra cost). The beatiful byproducts of that situation are no reliance on Saudi oil and "greener" cars! Innovation brings life to the economy because we will hold patents. Patents can be sold or licensed out for royalties to major foreign companies. Without innovation in the USA, we'll only be putting more money in Japan's and China's pockets (yes, China doesn't make cars for us, but they make many of the parts that go into the car!).

Please don't let the gas prices come down! If gas prices come down, so will America! For me, I'll rely on my bike for now.

-c

Yeah, and about toilet paper, I think we should all go to bidi's (pressurized water). They are everywhere in Japan (airports, subways, hotels) and even have temperature and pressure controls!! They are cleaner than smearing toilet paper all over your bottom and they don't waste paper!

-c

Lictor said:

I spent a three week vacation in the city, and you certainly don't need a car as long as you stay inside the city! Actually, I would imagine driving a car there would be a real pain...

Click to expand...

Lictor said:

But San Francisco, like New York, really looked like the exception. The city is almost "European" in the way it is built. You have a public transport system that is both diverse and very dense and not too expensive. Coincidently (or not), most people in NYC or SF looked very fit, not the average (and wrong?) image most of use have about the USA.

Click to expand...

Lictor said:

And indeed, if you live in SF, you do have plenty of subject nearby, it's a beautiful city!

Click to expand...

Almost every morning I take my dog to the beach with the Golden Gate Bridge as the backdrop. I'm not from here originally and I cant believe I'm lucky enough to live in this setting. I grew up with suburban sprawl and strip malls where a car and significant driving is essential.

It's actually a pleasure driving in SF compared to say NYC if you stay away from the bay bridge. The Golden Gate Bridge is not too bad. Unfortunately it is just as painful parking. If I didnt have kids I would buy a mini cooper or the smart car not so much for gas milage but to be able to park in tight spots.

People in SF are in general very fit with just about everyone I know on some sort of workout program.

There are two Americas. They are separated by geography, money, education, politics, religion and attitude. Just look at the map from the last election - blue states vs red states. This coming November when watching the US election you can marvel at how both coasts will go Democrat and middle America Republican (except for a few scattered exceptions).

Of interesting note George W Bush has never set foot in San Francisco as president. He has refused to visit.

--
Jake

sfnikon said:

There are two Americas. They are separated by geography, money,
education, politics, religion and attitude. Just look at the map
from the last election - blue states vs red states. This coming
November when watching the US election you can marvel at how both
coasts will go Democrat and middle America Republican (except for a
few scattered exceptions).
Of interesting note George W Bush has never set foot in San Francisco
as president. He has refused to visit.

Click to expand...

I agree there are two Americas. That is what happens when there is a country as big as the United States is.
I happen to live in Kansas right in the middle of America.

Yes, I am separated geographically from both coasts where so much more is available. We have to drive quite a distance to get anywhere.

Yes, we are photographically challenged here in middle America. We don't have oceans, beaches, mountains. We have wheat fields, windmills, and oil wells.
Yes, most of middle America is republican, evangelical conservatives.

However, I am not the typical middle American. I am well educated (JD in Law), Catholic, Democrat, and don't have the stereotypical middle American attitude about politics. I drive a small car.

I don't go to far anymore to take photographs. I wanted to take lots of road trips this summer and fall to photograph places I haven't been. Unfortunately, the price of gas and everything in general is keeping me close to home, in middle America.

-Denise
--
Play Like A Champion Today
'Remember the qualities that form the foundation of success:
discipline, self-confidence, determination and perserverance'
Ara Parseghian