Gas tax holiday, shocking pain at the pumps, trucker strikes protests, all time record oil prices. You flip through a newspaper, and despite a presidential election, immigrant rights marches, people getting sent home from American Idol and oh yeah, a war on two fronts, there is little talk of anything but our (possibly) imploding economy and the fact that it costs Mrs. Johnson $120 to fill up the soccer team's Sequoia. One conclusion to be drawn: the media likes scaring people. Remember last week's the oddball reports on a possible American food shortage ('Sam's Club would only let customers purchase four 50-pound bags of gourmet rice at a time')? The other conclusion is that American's don't have a lot of money, $4 a gallon stings and they're driving less. I'm not. In fact, due to my passive aggressive approach to personal finances, I'm driving more. But, I did notice today that traffic on the 5 near downtown Los Angeles was particularly light. Maybe others are driving less? Are you?
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I noticed im driving less but not by much. Those little trips to the store for a Pepsi or joyrides on sunny days are slowly dissapearing.
Nope, just took a job that nearly doubled my commute.
I am taking it easier on the throttle, though, and getting original ’98 EPA sticker highway mileage in mixed driving. Which counts for something, I guess.
And staying away from stations that carry that nasty E10 crap.
I am thinking more about my fuel use more. Not trying to be funny – but the only impact I have had is that I have been thinking more about how my family drives (do we really need 3 trips to target a week).
I think as prices go up – I will look for ways to make fewer trips and such.
So to answer the question, no changes – but I know how I would change if prices went up more.
Yes.
I drive 80 miles a day for work… luckly the bar is enroute to home. I don’t drive less, but I ride my motorcycle when its above 30F rather than my old standard of 45F and i don’t have as much money to buy car parts with so i drive less cause i’m not going to stores
I’m being more mindful of my driving habits, putting the car in cruise wherever possible, checking my tires. Trying to avoid short trips, I’ve ridden my bike to get a newspaper several times lately.
I always go easy on the accelerator, make as few trips as possible (I only drive to work and Martial arts training), I keep the tyres inflated to the correct pressure, I do general maintainence on my car to keep her in good condition and I drive a Yaris to save on petrol.
Officially, I want to do my bit to help the environment and make the air cleaner in the UK.
In reality, I’m a tightwad and I like my money too much….! ;O)
Oh yes. As little as possible.
And driving slower, too. I don’t believe I have ever spent this much time in the far right lane, voluntarily.
This is including the late ’70’s during the oil crisis and the early ’80’s when gas went up to ‘historical’ price levels.
Let me put it to you this way. $80.00 for gasoline yesterday. In two vehicles. The third one is staying home for a while.
My work requires me to be here at odd hours, so carpooling is out of the question. Once school is out, maybe the bus. (uggh.) My wife and her coworkers are working out a schedule, as soon as we get through high school soccer season.
Yes, as little as possible, but as fast as possible so there is probably a net effect of zero!
No. Gas prices haven’t gotten high enough, and I absolutely love driving, so it would take a lot to get me to use my car less.
I do put the car in neutral on long hills (there’s one in particular on one of my major routes) but I’ve been doing that for several years, out of environmentalism rather than to save dough.
I said to my wife “Baby, maybe we should car pool to work?”
She looked at me like I was stupid, shook her head.
“Yeah, carpooling would suck.”
Um, no…I still have to go to the places I always have. I might ride my motorcycle a bit more for little errands, but that is more for pleasure than necessity (not to mention, trading fuel savings for safety). Perhaps, when summer comes, I might temper my enthusiasm for a Sunday drive in the mountains…but gas prices would really have to spike to stop me from doing it. In short, no…I haven’t changed anything.
I drive over 100 mi/day for work so, no, not less. My commute takes me on the 280 autobahn here in NorCal so I am definately not slowing down. Not sure what the ‘peak’ number would be to drive less, etc.. I remember the odd/even gas days in the 70’s and it seemed there were more people on the roads. Traffic daily here is same old, same old at 4.00/gal.
Not fewer miles, but we’re putting the family of 5 in the Mazda5 instead of the Sienna for trips that don’t require the luggage space. Good for at least a 5mpg savings.
Not a bit.
Yes we are taking fewer trips to grandmas house, hopefully the grandparents (our parents) will come see us occasionally since they can much better afford it.
We are also not running around town as much. Our town is really small so I’m saying we have eliminated some of the 10 min trips. Doesn’t save much gas.
Don’t go driving around as much on the weekends anymore either.
This is purely anecdotal but I-40 (mid-TN) seems quieter several nights a week when I walk the dog around 11PM. Used to be Wed nights were quiet. Now 2-3 nights a week are quiet or quieter. Maybe the big trucks are just going slower. Nah, not likely.
Were going to sell the VW Cabrio this spring and bring out one of our old VWs for local duty but found that there is nearly a $500 a year savings between the 25 mpg CR-V and the 34 mpg VW Cabrio so we’ll keep it another year. I have gone into “forever mode” on it’s maintenance.
It may be my imagination but I think the big pickups and SUVs may be leaving the traffic lights a little slower. I know I am and I don’t have to work the engine as hard to keep up.
Yes but summer is getting close so riding my (pedal) bike
I’m not sure if it’s just me but people seem to be more complacent than they were when I was younger. Maybe it’s because I grew up in the sixties. I remember the draft (first hand)and I remember the huge protest marches. People seemed to be more vocal.I’m not an advocate of social unrest by any means since I’ve spent enough time on the riot control lines also but somewhere along the line Americans have to decide that enough is enough and make a conscious effort to cut back. Go through all of the “scenarios” telling me why prices are so high but the bottom line is that we are where we are because we will pay!
Not at all, which is to say I barely drive anyway, on account of walking to work.
My truck accumulates around 5,000 km or 3,000 mi a year.
I do drive a little on weekends when I need to restore my sanity and not be a total shut-in.
A little less, but not by a great deal. I live close to work and walk occasionally, more for my physical well-being than monetarily. I would say that most of my driving cuts are in the form of fairly spontaneous cross-country trips.
Nope. Probably a reason for me to drive more – less congestion.
Although, I do find myself having a double-take about certain things. For example, I wouldn’t drive to a store to get a $3 price adjustment if it’s more than 10 miles away. (20 miles round trip is a gallon is $4 here.)
I am driving a little less. I think before getting in my car. Is this a trip I can skip or combine with another trip? If I’m going to buy something, can I order it online? And I no longer head out on a drive just for fun.
car gets about 21mpg, $3.50 gas here, and it has no effect on me. If we had to we could make up for the cost increase by skipping mcdonalds or a 12 pack of bottled water once a week. I dont care enough to do even that much though.
No more than usual…but I try to plan errands for the afternoon after work. I usually bike when I head downtown or for little items (hardware store, grocery store, etc…). Boise is an easy town to get around in, since it’s so compact.
Also with the weather warming up, I’m busy with yardwork and company softball games, plus hiking and biking in the mtns. This usually means I’m driving around…one of the few outlets I have in tthe winter. But still will take summer trips (hate flying less than 500 miles).
I did notice two side effects to recent decisions:
I decided to eat out less at lunch, for a few reasons: not as healthy due to portions and menu, a bit spendy over time, and I feel sluggish in the afternoon at work. I also noticed that those little trips save a bit of fuel too, and less wear and tear on the vehicle.
The Mazda dealer pissed me off quite a bit, so I’ll start visiting my local Ford dealer… 1/2 mile from work and they open at 7AM. Saves me about 20 minutes going out of my way if needed.
am not driving less, though when your weekly total between you and the wife is under 40 miles, gas could go to 8$/gallon and I would probably still drive the same…
though, i have been applying some hypermiling techniques a little more that i used to. that’s mostly just for fun…
i would cut fuel consumption for the environmental impact before i cut it for my pocketbook… – I’m not rich, just blessed to have low expenses…
I don’t keep a record of fuel use, so I can’t say for certain. I do know that the three drivers in our family are thinking more about errand type trips and trying to combine them without other things in the same area. We also prioritize the use of our vehicles by fuel economy when there is an option to do so. I’m also more conscious of the cost of getting somewhere and thus do more shopping at the local hardware store for small purchases instead of burning the extra gallon of fuel to get to the big box store and back. That has turned out to be a quality of life improvement. The people are nicer and more helpful at the local store and I don’t burn as much time running back and forth. I have some DIY home improvement projects under way, so I make too many trips to such places!
Although I don’t track miles, I do track how much we spend on fuel and I’m surprised to report that while fuel costs are double what they were five years ago our monthly spending on fuel is only up about 50%. So I think that yes, we are driving less, driving our vehicles more conservatively, and we ditched a minivan from the daily driver fleet while replacing it with an Acura TSX.
Yes. I’m calculating that I’m driving the new Prius about 17,000 miles a year whereas the 2005 Prius had the equivalent of 22,000 miles a year on it when I traded it off for the ’08 eight months ago.
My wife and I carpool – her mileage has dropped from 20,000 miles per year to about 10,000. It would have been 7500 for the year except that we drove the Sonata “home” to the plant in Alabama so I could finally see cars being built (doesn’t every “car guy” want to see cars being built at least once in his life?)
We’re also combining trips and doing shopping on the way home instead of making extra trips.
Not really. I drive the car once a week as it is since I walk/train to work. Helps to lose weight as well.
I also have the motorcycle out, and the last “long” (~ 95 miles RT) trip I avg’d 43mpg mixed as opposed to 19 in the car.
we drove the Sonata “home” to the plant in Alabama so I could finally see cars being built (doesn’t every “car guy” want to see cars being built at least once in his life?)
I haven’t seen cars being built, but I’ve seen the building that used to house the Edsel factory in Somerville, MA. Does that count?
the media likes scaring people
And people are mostly concerned by what goes on right around them. Few can place Iraq on a map, but could go to the nearest gas station with their eyes closed. It’s the “proximity effect” in news media.
As for driving less, no we don’t, but we don’t drive much to start with. I just drive 70mph instead of 80 to save a little fuel.
No change here. We had cut back on the miles quite a bit before the gas prices went up. Mrs. Rad stays home with the little Rads and only runs errands that I can’t take care of on the way home from work, which isn’t many. The fact that Mrs. Rad hates to go shopping also helps immensely.
Yes, substantially less. About 60 miles per week less. I’ve started riding my bike to work. To go 6 miles requires neither an IC engine, nor an electric motor. I’m only saving about $25 a week (but the saving will go up as gas prices go up) but I’m loosing some weight too.
My wife and I carpool – her mileage has dropped from 20,000 miles per year to about 10,000. It would have been 7500 for the year except that we drove the Sonata “home” to the plant in Alabama so I could finally see cars being built (doesn’t every “car guy” want to see cars being built at least once in his life?)
Everyone who grew up around here (Lansing, MI) can remember field trips to the Olds plant. They used to give free tours. You’d sit it a little train – kinda like a roller coster – and it would pull you around and you’d see engines dropping into frames, and men below the floor welding things, and more parts being added, and then the body drop, and so on. It was great. They don’t do it anymore.
I also drive >100 mi per day on my commute. I am not driving any less, but I have noticed the average highway speeds dropping from just under 75 MPH to around 70 MPH.
No change here, and there never will be. My wife works midnights and I work during the day and we have two kids (one almost 5 currently in T-ball, one 18 months). There’s not much we could do without one of us quitting our job.
I do put the car in neutral on long hills (there’s one in particular on one of my major routes) but I’ve been doing that for several years, out of environmentalism rather than to save dough.
That’s not a bad idea except that, at least in Texas, coasting in neutral is against the law. I have seen the statute, so this is no internet BS.
>…driving less?
As little as we can get away with. I have a 20 mile round-trip commute, and my wife’s a Stay-at-home-mom. I’m carpooling with another guy (cuts 50% out right there) and she’s trying to combine trips in town.
Each of our cars is a $50->$60 fill-up. Yay.
I have a short commute (7 miles a day, round-trip), so I only drive 50 to 60 miles in an average week. I’ve thought about buying a bicycle, which would cut out almost all local driving and leave me just the monthly 200- to 300-mile road trip, but my route has extremely heavy truck traffic, so for safety reasons the bike is out. I’ve also thought about using the bus, but it’s not cost-effective for such a short commute.
My commute is going to get a lot longer here in a couple weeks, so I’ll re-evaluate mass transit options at that point. Of course, I’ll be making a lot more too. Tradeoffs.
Fuel prices have only effected my driving a bit. I won’t drive 5-10 miles for a single errand unless I have to, I try to wait until I have 2-3+ errands in the same area before I make a trip.
Frustratingly with my Liberty CRD I get about the same 22-25mpg no matter how I drive. I’ve tried all the hypermileing tricks and they don’t seem to really work.
Cut back on joyriding. Oh yeah, and I’m not mowing the grass as much, like I needed an excuse anyway.
John
@ Robstar
I take the bus to work and bike to go out to eat / to drink, and also only drive once or twice per week (or maybe about 400-500 miles per month). I could not imagine having to commute by car everyday. (I like cars, but i don’t like to drive, weird).
Yes. Keeping it around 70 mph instead of 85 also saves me about 3 mpg on my highway commute.
I still go joyriding every now and then — it’s my outlet, and I reason that it’s healthier and cheaper than drinking, gambling, womanizing, or gorging myself on ice cream.
View From the Bay:
I’m able to work one day from home each week. I’d previously used that privilege occasionally, now it’s becoming a weekly habit, cutting 56 miles each week. Yield = 20% gas savings, so I feel less guilty about slinging the Miata about on the weekends. Must go to the beach Sunday.
I am also trying to wrap my head around driving slower, starting with keeping it under 80 mph. Usually, 85 mph yields about 27 mpg, 70 mph yields 30 mpg. Changed plugs last weekend to help. Keeping an eye on tire inflation, too.
I also ride BART into Oakland every time I need to be there, saving on gas and on parking. Still dreaming of being able to use it from San Jose, some day, every day.
I am also noticing the speed of work pickups and SUVs slowing closer to the speed limit (but I wish they’d get out of the fast lane). And, some days commutes are lighter, indeed. Mondays have become unusually light lately.
I’m noticing more Corolla-S drivers speeding around (maybe these are econo-car newbies?). I have the highest hopes they’ll convince vanilla Corolla drivers to find their go-pedals.
$3.91/gallon in the ‘hood and still climbing.
Nope
Yes, driving less.
And having fun with maximizing mpg’s. Early upshifts, a 65 mph max (unless on a long road trip), off throttle or coasting every foreseeable chance. I can coast for 17 continuous miles on one stretch of nearby road, eastbound anyway;) .
This yields 44-47 mpgs in my ’00 corolla.
@detroit 1701:
“(I like cars, but i don’t like to drive, weird)”
Weird? Not really.
20+ years of commuting in a couple of major cities and I was done with driving, too.
I live in a mid-sized Midwestern city now (GR, MI), where driving is not so stressful as it was, so I was starting to like it again.
But now all of this bullshit with fuel prices starts up again, so I’m losing the joy again…
BTW Joe Chiaramonte
On long road trips my vanilla Corolla is doing 80-90, is that better? p.s. mpg’s drop to 34-37 doing that.
You people are thre reason Exxon-Mobil disappointed The Street today by earning only $10.9B last quarter.
Yes, Billion.
No. I am driving the same amount, and I am still driving the same style, moderately aggressive.
However, I am carpooling more, using the better mileage vehicle more often, and routing my trips better more efficiently.
I like driving, and have chosen a car that is rewarding to me. When I made my choice, I accepted gasoline prices would be over $4 and budgeted accordingly. However, I have cut back in other areas. We definitely eat out less, and spend less on other items or entertainment choices. But when I had to make decisions as to what would be cut from my personal costs, gasoline was pretty safe.
I am not driving any more or less than I used to, which is to say not very much at all. I bristle at the us versus them attitude of many of my fellow pistonheads. I assure you folks, it is possible to both love the automobile, love breathing clean air, love exercise and being outdoors, and love your bank account. You don’t have to be a staunch defender of the drive more, spend more, burn more suburban lifestyle to preserve your love affair with internal combustion. Just because you stop driving 15000+ miles a year, doesn’t mean you have to stop driving, or turn over your license and keys.
You couldn’t pay me enough to return to those days when I would commute to work. I live within walking distance of the office, have for the past 7 years and I walk to work each and every day, rain or shine, cold or warm. And you know what, folks? I’m a far happier, healthier person for it. Nothing lifts the spirits (or the body’s Vitamin D levels) like a full dose of sunshine twice a day. I promise you, you too can live close to work. Ask yourself: what would happen if I moved closer? You might be surprised to realize that it’s not the impossibility you thought it was.
And the best part about all of this? I can afford to keep and cherish my very own fantasy garage. I have a ’74 Beetle and ’72 Porsche and I’m working on acquisition of a Z car right now. I take what I’m saving on that annual gas bill and put it into acquiring and maintaining the kinds of cars I love to own and drive. And drive them I do, but in a way that allows me to enjoy them. On the weekend, on the backroads, in quiet places without traffic or smog or honking horns.
Ask yourself, does all that driving around really make you any happier? That’s the truth about cars and I often wish we’d talk more about it here.
Ditch the commute and save the money on the gas, the insurance, the mandatory new car payments (can’t break down when you drive 100 miles a day), the shrink, the zoloft or xanax, and buy yourself that dream car you’ve been yammering on about never being able to afford.
Yep, I sure am. 4 weeks ago I decided to drive with economy in mind, and I hate every minute of it. Why pay for 300 horses if only 80 or so ever get out for exercise.
No change. Personal mobility is a far higher priority for me than many other variable costs I can drop from my life if fuel gets expensive enough to compete for funds. Plus, where I had to go months ago before this run-up in gasoline prices, I still have to drive to today. No foreseeable gasoline price will affect my driving patterns.
Phil
drive less, I can’t imagine that. I’m a full-time college student working full-time. Work is about 75 miles roundtrip, because I live by myself I have to drive to different places to do errand and etc….I wish I could drive less but with current situation, my driving stays unchanged.
Drove from Seattle to Savannah last week. Noooo traffic (except I hit Taladega just when it was emptying out).
Got about 32-36out of the MT 6cy Accord. Long downhills were in nuetral, stayed at 62 mph on 70mph speed zones and stayed at 65 mph on 75mph speed zones (look ma, no tickets).
Searched out cheap gas stations using web browser on mobile phone. Kept tire pressure perfect.
Other things that helped;
Booking ahead the inn, so no gas used in searching for room.
Eating near the freeway.
Cruise control
Change plugs before trip
Using only 87 octane gas
Making wife walk
No changes for me or my wife.
Hell yes, I’m driving less. I cut back a couple of years ago, when prices starting going nuts.
I just started doing “stay at home weekends,” wherein I pulled the car into the garage Friday evening, and didn’t start it up again until Monday morning. I had spent the previous decade pretty much running around like crazy every weekend, so I really enjoyed just staying home and getting stuff done, for a change.
I’ve been doing this for at least two weekends per month, and sometimes three. Then I really “make it count” when I do go out on the other weekends.
Again, I’ve been doing this for a couple of years — I got used to the “quality home time,” so I’ve continued doing it.
I also started really cutting back “after work” shopping trips, and combining them with “eating out” trips — usually just once a week, and the other days, it’s straight home from work.
I’d say that I’ve cut back my miles by at least 25%, just by “planning my car usage,” unlike I’ve ever done before. It’s not like I don’t enjoy driving my car, and not like I’m not going on trips and such like I normally would — it’s more like I’m cutting out “needless” driving, because I’ve planned my need for driving out, for a change.
I think the main reason that gas prices are so high is because we have a virtually limitless demand for the stuff. So long as we keep on lining up to buy it, every day, the oil companies are going to suck every dime out of us that they can. If we all collectively cut back, any way we can, and let them stand there wondering “where did all the cars go,” then they’ll lower their prices and try to get us back.
And if we don’t do that, then we’ll have four-dollar gas by Memorial Day, and maybe five-dollar gas by Labor Day. “The oil market” has already proven that it’s more than willing to destroy the entire US economy, if it can suck even more money out of us.
I drive the speed limit now when I can (65 mph and I’m still passed by 90% of the vehicles on the freeway commuting home in the evening), but the morning commute is gridlock most of the way.
At home, I’m walking to the store more often, but overall, not a huge difference.
I have noticed that corollas seem to be the fastest moving vehicles on the road in Ontario atm. It’s ironic, but somehow fitting, because they are still more efficient than a vast majority of the traffic they are outpacing.
So what about a law that permits fuel efficient vehicles to drive at a higher rate of speed, say a 15mph benefit for cars capable of 40+ mpg, and 7mph for ones capable of 33mpg? And conversely requiring that vehicles with sub cafe mileage be required to move 10mph slower than posted limits (on multi-lane freeways of course).
I thought I was, but I’m not. I’m commuting into town a bit more and because I’ve been a bit bored lately, the guys and I have been back and forth to SF a couple of times and that won’t stop for a while.
Definitely using the car less.
’98 Subaru Impreza L : ~24mpg. HOV-, pretty much fun
’01 BMW F650GS : ~62mpg. HOV+, definitely fun
pretty simple
I have a long drive to work. By changing my cruising speed from 80 to 70, my MPG went from 27 to 32. I would love to carpool or vanpool, but every source I have registered with has turned up no similar commuters, so I continue to drive alone.
eh_political:
And conversely requiring that vehicles with sub cafe mileage be required to move 10mph slower than posted limits (on multi-lane freeways of course).
I’m already starting to see it, people in large SUV’s are driving at or below the speed limit.
A laudable practice, except that it’s happening on two-lane suburban roads, and I’m stuck behind them in my Elantra, trying to keep it in a gear that won’t lug the engine!
Yeah, a bit. My commuter car was sold because of engine problems and hasn’t been replaced yet. This leaves us with a Windstar and my ’85 F-150. We drive a little less and combine trips more often. After the first couple of weeks commuting to work in the pickup, I drive the minivan to work. As much as I like driving the old tank $3.70 a gallon gas and 15mpg were a little much for the wallet.
Nope. Just started driving more. And in a week, I’ll be driving even more than that.
But I am trying to reduce the amount of short trips to the store and stuff like that. But my total driving will be increasing.
eh_political > This is a great idea.
I think for every > 10mpg you are rated over 30 at 55mph you should be able to drive 10mph faster on top of the speed limit without getting ticketed.
Example>
My STi: 45mph in 55 (never make it into 6th gear I guess)
Neon: 65mph
Motorcycle: 75mph+
I’m combining trips as much as possible, and trying to drive close to the speed limit on highways. Luckily we live close to all the major stores so it’s not a huge problem to get groceries, etc. I only drive about 4 miles to work one way, so that helps out a lot too. I used to do 55 miles each direction. Doing that now would suck very badly.
In my opinion, fuel prices are still not high enough. We went to visit a relative last weekend, and I had the cruise set to about 68 on the Maine Turnpike. (speed limit 65). People were flying past me, so it’s obviously not hurting people enough yet. After Katrina hit and fuel prices jumped up, I did the same thing. People actually followed behind me at that time, which was really strange. I think people have come to accept the high fuel prices and just continue to drive like they used to. Either that, or people are dumber than they were in 2005 and think that going faster doesn’t affect economy.
I’m driving the same which isn’t a lot since I work from home mostly. I was a bit shocked at the $3.99 I paid for the last fill-up up from $3.79 a week ago. Premium only for my car.
I’m not “driving” any less, just using my scooter more often than using the car. I get a kick out of topping off the scooter for about $4.50, while my car is around $75
eh_political:
Interesting idea. But, man, that would be a pain to police and provide for the infrastructure required (more lanes, etc). At the rate Virginia builds roads, it would be ten years before this plan goes from signed law to effect. But cool idea. I guess I’m stuck in the slow lane, though (my ’98 Grand Prix gets around 23 mpg)
I don’t get why people should change driving style. To my mind, either it makes sense to save money and time by using my car more efficiently or it doesn’t. Driving was never cheap.
Anyways, since so many people seem to be driving differently now, does that mean that the EPA will have to re-revise it’s fuel economy ratings to try and match the new reality? They seem to want their results to match people’s experiences on the road, as if it ever really mattered.
I’ve definitely slowed down on the freeway, and I certainly see other folks doing the same. SOME of them. I still see plenty of other people, and plenty of them in enormous pickups and SUV’s, flying past me at 80+ MPH. And presumably 10 MPG or so. Crazy!
I drive less even though I work from home. I am walking more to the corner Starbucks instead of driving. Biking more too. Gas is at $1.31 litre up here in Vancouver. I’m thinking of getting another form of transportation like a scooter or learn how to ride a motorcycle. Maybe not be cleaner, but you can’t have everything.
Thanks to my lying, cheating, soon to be ex-wife, I am driving about 15 miles/day farther one-way to work until I can get back on my feet. Fortunately I can hide my Miata (30mpg) in a garage and left her the 2003 Pilot (16-18mpg).
Revenge truly is sweet!
Yes, definitely. The “don’t need to drive, but it’s more convenient” trips haven’t completely disappeared, but they’ve become notably less frequent, and I weigh the pros and cons more. If I’m going to Santa Monica to go to the beach, for instance, I’m more apt to take the bus — $1.50 round trip is cheaper than the combined cost of 1/3 gallon of gas and parking.
I’m taking the motorcycle everywhere and combining trips.
Jonny,
Part of it yesterday may have been the May Day work stoppage by the ILWU at ALL the ports on the West Coast to protest the war.
As for me, I still drive to work, drive home. I still get passed by people driving large, thirsty vehicles, so here in ATL I guess people aren’t feeling the pain or just don’t care.
I go to work in the middle of thenight and now I drive at a slower speed….and I`ve noticed that I am getting passed less and less as the fuel prices go up.
I also used to get home..put the kayak on top and make a 20 min drive to a nice little lake down the road.Now I use the crappy little lake thats on my way home from work.
but I guess water is water…and i still get the exercise value…just not the scenery…
oldyak:
last year i bought a bic yakka. it folds in half and has an inflatable perimiter above the waterline that makes it a bit more versatile than a traditional sit on top. its about 40lbs and less than 5 feet long when folded, so you can tuck it inside practically any vehicle, and create more opportunities to paddle. check it out.