High gas prices finally changing North American vehicle attitudes

by Simon 60 Replies latest social current

  • shamus100
    shamus100

    Simon,

    I know what you mean - you would be suprised to see how much those guys make on they're truck allowances. They don't pay for a thing, although after about five years they're trucks are basically worn out. I just destroy our company pickup, not my own on those roads.

    The back roads in Alberta are very vast - there is oil and gas everywhere.

  • BurnTheShips
    BurnTheShips

    Scooters? You wouldn't want to get caught in a South Florida rainstorm in one. And with the accidents I have seen with people in two-wheeled vehicles, I'll stick with an enclosed four-wheeler thank you. Besides, how can I transport a toddler in one of those?

    BTS

  • mrsjones5
    mrsjones5

    It's about time. I'm hoping it will also affect public transportation to increase. I see a little bit of it happening here, commuter buses are now going from my area (suburban NE Indianapolis) to downtown Indianapolis. But we need more options. Makes me kinda miss the San Francisco Bay Area.

  • hillbilly
    hillbilly

    thats kinda the problem Mrs Jones.

    In the Midwest, drive 20 minutes from most city centers and you may well be out in the boonies. In SF or NYC the cost of realestate is high. Living out of town is really spendy... urban life and mass transit are a must in those places.

    We could buy "out in the country" drive to town and still make out for a long time. I dont think we will get all the folks who live in places like Fort Wayne, Lansing, Peoria etc to move into town before these gas prices break the country.

    Hill

  • kwintestal
    kwintestal
    Scooters? You wouldn't want to get caught in a South Florida rainstorm in one. And with the accidents I have seen with people in two-wheeled vehicles, I'll stick with an enclosed four-wheeler thank you. Besides, how can I transport a toddler in one of those?

    Haha Obviously you've never been to the carribian ... I've seen families of 4 on those things!

    Kwin

  • BurnTheShips
    BurnTheShips

    A lot of people with pickups only use the bed occasionally, like during a trip to the local nursery or maybe picking up a piece of furniture. You can get an 5x10 flatbed trailer for about $600, and a hitch for under $300--I think. I have one.

    BTS

  • mrsjones5
    mrsjones5

    I here ya Hill, but in the area I live in it has grown so rapidly (my town alone has grown from 9,000 in 1992 to about 70,000 now) that the need for public transportation is great. My town is just above the Indianapolis/Marion County line but a lot of people work in Indianapolis or go there for concerts, museums, the zoo, etc. If we had something that could get us down to Indy instead of our cars and van that would be great for the enviroment and our pockets. We don't even have a train we could catch, the line was shutdown and is only used when the State Fair is open.

  • BurnTheShips
    BurnTheShips
    Haha Obviously you've never been to the carribian ... I've seen families of 4 on those things!

    Yah, I have, but I live in a popular retirement town. A lot of bikers get run over in this wrinkle ranch!

    BTS

  • SirNose586
    SirNose586

    I see a lot of these guys who need a truck just compromising. They'll have two cars...their truck for work, and then the little sipper like a Civic or Corolla for everything else!

  • Sparkplug
    Sparkplug

    HEy Simon. there is this guy outside of Austin TX that is converting car, motercycle, and adding on moters to bicycles into ones that are able to run off of used Vegetable oil. The oil is cleaned out I believe by the same system that is used when the fast food chains clean out the fry vats. It was pretty amazing. When I was down there last to look over and see a bike fly by your car with this eetie moter attached to the main body part of it and some college student just cruising along. (Next one a business executive.) It appears pretty neat.

    I have not researched into it yet, but I do wonder how it will change the price of used oil that is bought up from the fast food chains. But I know that already the chains have been putting a lock on thier dump vats for many a years. They sell it to different products, now I guess they will be selling it for fuel in some areas. I also wonder what that will do on grain prices for those in a rush and do not want to go buy thier used product. But my guess is anyone that is that environmentally concerned and want to recycle will not be using straight up oil to propell thier vehicles.

    Anyhow, I have been thinking it might be the way to go. The man converting the vehicles is making a fortune right now.

    Does anyone know the ups and downs of this?

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