At 5$ a gallon for gas, will you modify your driving habits? (page 5)

jeeprube

A simple fact is that most Americans who drive V-8's don't need them. The only reason to own a truck or SUV with a V-8 is tow something. But we love our big rigs. Around my area, more than half the cars on the road are big trucks or SUV's, and people are just driving around town, buying groceries, and shopping. I can't wait for gas to go to $5 a gallon. I easily live within bike range of anything I need to live. That's another problem in America, everyone wants to work in the city, and live in the country. Good luck commuting when it costs $150 to fill up. A whole lot of people are getting ready to spend their entire paychecks on getting to work.

That's America, too much greed, not enough conservation.

mrsjones5

That's another problem in America, everyone wants to work in the city, and live in the country.

Oh I dont know it that is totally true. When I lived in California, I commuted to my job in San Francisco from Oakland. I liked living in Oakland because the weather was nicer and it was cheaper to lived there in Oakland. I would have lived in San Francisco if I could have afforded, it would have made going to work so much easier.

Once we had kids we wanted a house but found that even though both of us was working we were totally priced out of the market in the San Francisco Bay Area proper. So we looked in Antioch, Brentwood, Stockton, Modesto, Tracy, even Sacramento. Yeah the commute would have been worst but we thought that was the best we could do. We would have moved out to Stockton but my husband got transfered to Indiana - and am I thankful that he did.

My husband's commute to his job is now 15 minutes and we were finally able to afford a home.

Josie

jeeprube

Sorry, MrsJones I was speaking from the perspective of a Midwesterner. Around here it's very common for people to live 60-100 miles from the city they actually work in. The city I live in has a population of around 250,000 yet it anchors an area of more than a million. The majority living at least 40 miles from the town they work in. Having lived in or known others from such cities as Kansas City, St. Louis, and Minneapolis, this is also common there. I know people who drive a total of 2.5 hours (round trip) EVERY DAY just to go to work. Well over 100 miles a day. If gas prices top 5 dollars a gallon, those people will have to re-evaluate whether they can afford the gas to go to work. If you make 400 dollars a week, and spend 150 of it on gas.....is it worth it?

(For someone from the west coast, 400 dollars a week will seem like a joke.....but that is the median wage in my area)

Cygnus

It is absolutely retarded that by the year 2005 we haven't found a decent way to keep the economists happy and manufacture decent hybrid or fully electric or even hydrogen-based fueled cars. I love a 1972 Monte Carlo big block as much as the next motorhead, but - It's scary, but I'm becoming a lot more liberal in my advanced age. Edited to add: Whenever our family business buys a new truck, it always has a V-8. Not much choice. We'd drive a V-6 into the ground in less than 2 years. Our normal gasoline/fuel bill is about $1300.00 a month, much of it taxes thanks to good old New York State.

Cygnus

: Around here it's very common for people to live 60-100 miles from the city they actually work in. The city I live in has a population of around 250,000 yet it anchors an area of more than a million. The majority living at least 40 miles from the town they work in.

Not too dissimilar to the metro Buffalo-Niagara region where I live. Public transportation or carpooling is suggested here all the time just because of pollution. I've cut down on my driving a lot, one 'cause it's tough to drive with hands that don't work, and two, 'cause I have a 1976 Buick Skylark with 58,000 miles on it. Runs great but I just know I'm killing a baby seal every time I turn the ignition key.

jeeprube

Buying a V-8 truck for a work is a different story. It's all the soccor moms driving Hummers, Suburbans, and the like. That's the problem.

FlyingHighNow

I have an Eagle Talon. I get 29 to the gallon on the road. I bought the car a year and half ago to help out my son. I got it for $1000. I drive five miles to work right now. While I'm in Connecticut, I'll have to drive 35 miles or so to work because I'm tranferring temporarily to that store. It's the closest one and it's in Rhode Island. Otherwise I'll lose my seniority, built up vacation weeks per year and my company discount, etc and other benefits.

Doubtfully Yours

I'll seek a job as close to home as possible.

DY

upside/down

I say we go back to horses...

u/d

Utopian Reformist

I am already purchasing my monthly MBTA commuter rail pass again because I will literally asve $14.00 USD per day in parking and probably at least $10.00 USD per day in gasoline.

I have had it. All of this war for oil and who is getting the benefit while young people die?

At 5$ a gallon for gas, will you modify your driving habits?

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