NBC and AAA reporting $4.00 per gallon gas

Our 2nd vehicle is a Suburban. We are a family of 5 and my DH has 4grandchildren. Every summer we spend numerous weekends at our cabin and to get all of us in one vehicle we needed the Suburban! It gets driven once a week for about 3-5miles during the rest of the year. And any trip we make with 5 or less people we drive the Prii. I love the Prii, I also love the Suburban, each have their assets to us and we try to use them each to the best for us!
To me the $4 gas or higher isn't an issue with SUV owners it should be with the car/gas companies.

 

At $4.00/Gal in the U.S. it's still only half as expensive as in Europe where they pay $8.00/Gal. We are a Democracy where individuals are allowed to make their own decisions, whether good or bad. We need less goverment in our lives, not more.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Sliderule @ Nov 7 2007, 05:04 PM) [snapback]536334[/snapback]</div>

If people would not be so self-centered that would work well, but as it is I believe a bit of encouragement would be beneficial-- higher gas prices to discourage driving and lower mass transit cost to encourage its use.

PA P

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Sliderule @ Nov 7 2007, 01:04 PM) [snapback]536334[/snapback]</div>

If the public was educated on these subjects I would agree with you. Assuming that people will make the best choices while uneducated is a recipe for disaster. It had been observed in this forum that even relatively educated people have poor ideas regarding the planning for a sustainable nation, when they do not understand systemic thinking and how its multidisciplinary appoah. IE; you cannot focus on only th economy or only the environment. Decisions MUST be based on all of these aspects as well as the human component.

Someday people will wake up and learn that capitalism is not the end all of soctietal systems and that the degredation it has created is like a ticking time bomb. When this little 200 year experiment blows up in our faces the other nations will be slinging the same critical comments we lavished on socialism.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(F8L @ Nov 7 2007, 06:44 PM) [snapback]536382[/snapback]</div>

Right, the F8L flaw of our system is that it is based around the need to consume more, eg. "be patriotic, go shopping."

PA P

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(kcoruol @ Nov 7 2007, 09:42 AM) [snapback]536208[/snapback]</div>

(Although I'll say that mass transit is awful down where I live in south San Jose, CA and not great in the Bay Area.)

Have you actually been to a city w/EXCELLENT public transportation? Try going to Tokyo. I've been to Japan 3x (went to Tokyo and other places each time). The public transportation is VERY extensive, comes very often and is very convenient. If you try taking it during rush hour, you'll be absolutely jammed in it w/everyone jammed against you. On my 1st trip there, for about a week, I took a taxi 0 times.

Here's the JR train map for Tokyo http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/info/map_a4ol.pdf. Here's the subway map http://www.tokyometro.jp/rosen/rosenzu/pdf/rosen_eng.pdf. In addition, there are a bunch of private lines not represented here nor is the bus (I took the bus 0 times in Tokyo).

 

Paris has an excelent metropolitan rail system, I found getting around Paris by train very easy. I didn't catch 1 bus and we only once got a taxi, to go to the airport because we had a very early flight. This was in a country where I could speak 3 words!

A good public transport system will meet the needs of a big percentage of the population of cities but it has to be good. A half arsed approach will fail.

 

already feeling it here... for first time ever, my CPM (cents per mile) is over 5...

reason i now use CPM as an inidicator is that i will shortly be (TODAY!!! AS A MATTER OF FACT!!) be driving a car that doesnt use gas... so need a comparison that works for both and i guess money is as good an indicator as any... you can track my progress in my signature as i will finally permanently retire my 2004 MY stats

 

Interestingly Sacramento just released a draft report (MTP2035)which includes spending $41.7 billion on transportation. I really like the idea but I wonder how they will accomplish this goal with everyone so spread out in this area. We are urban sprawl maniacs around here.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(zenMachine @ Nov 7 2007, 12:28 AM) [snapback]535971[/snapback]</div>

I know. I always shake my head when I park my Prius between several rows of brand new trucks, suvs, and crew cab dullies...all which come to work with ONE driver. Then I have to listen to the same idiots complain about the cost of diesel. Go figure.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(apriusfan @ Nov 6 2007, 10:46 AM) [snapback]535581[/snapback]</div>

Truly amazing. I cannot believe (well actually I can since you live in SF) that you bring in the president into this discussion. I imagine that you think it is his fault gas prices are on the rise. I bet you also think that Iraq is a damn conspiracy so US oil companies can get rich. You are such a LEFT Wing nut that blames everything on a person, the president, when he really has such little power. If you are so unhappy you should move to a county where the gas is twice the price and even more socialist that America. You surely will not be missed.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(patsparks @ Nov 8 2007, 05:26 AM) [snapback]536670[/snapback]</div>

On July 15, the day after Bastille Day, Parisians will wake up to discover thousands of low-cost rental bikes at hundreds of high-tech bicycle stations scattered throughout the city, an ambitious program to cut traffic, reduce pollution, improve parking and enhance the city's image as a greener, quieter, more relaxed place.

By the end of the year, organizers and city officials say, there should be 20,600 bikes at 1,450 stations -- or about one station every 250 yards across the entire city. Based on experience elsewhere -- particularly in Lyon, France's third-largest city, which launched a similar system two years ago -- regular users of the bikes will ride them almost for free.

"It has completely transformed the landscape of Lyon -- everywhere you see people on the bikes," said Jean-Louis Touraine, the city's deputy mayor. The program was meant "not just to modify the equilibrium between the modes of transportation and reduce air pollution, but also to modify the image of the city and to have a city where humans occupy a larger space."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...7032301753.html


<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ServoScanMan @ Nov 8 2007, 09:39 AM) [snapback]536700[/snapback]</div>

Pretty soon the GM plant in Arlington (TX) will start churning out big shiny hybrid SUVs too...

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dw...n1.3633594.html

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(mootsman @ Nov 6 2007, 02:12 PM) [snapback]535752[/snapback]</div>

I agree. My best friend is a carpenter and needs a larg truck (or van, but he has a truck) for his work in order to transport all his HEAVY and LARGE equipment etc around. A similar truck with a smaller engine would not be able to do the job. At 15MPG he really feels the almost $4PG gas price, but he can't stuff all his gear etc into a PRIUS, CHC etc, eventhough he would love too. His family is very enviro-aware. So remember that not all big truck/SUV drivers have there car just because they like big cars. Some really need them, and those get hurt the most. Like it or not.

By the way, gasprices in the netherlands are currently 1.51 euro per liter, which is: 1.51euro/L * 3.76L/Gl * 1.4676dollar/euro = 8.33 dollar/Gl. YES $8.33 per gallon of gas. If those prices (mainly due to 80% in taxes) would hit the U.S. market nobody would ever drive anything larger than a V6, ever!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Adam K @ Nov 8 2007, 08:37 AM) [snapback]536737[/snapback]</div>

You mean another country that supplies an infrastructure condusive to a healthy life? One that ranks higher than the U.S. in nearly every health indicator? Guess that means most of the EU and about 10 other nations. Being more socialist isn't necessarily a bad thing.

Nice #6 post lol

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(MarinJohn @ Nov 6 2007, 09:16 AM) [snapback]535555[/snapback]</div>

Next time ask such a person if he would like the air his children breath, the water they drink, and the food they eat to be clean and healthy. Everybody will answer yes. Next ask why then drive a car that adds deliberately and unnecessarily ~50% extra airpollution to the atmosphere, that could all have been avoided with a smaller car.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(freke70 @ Nov 7 2007, 07:57 AM) [snapback]536077[/snapback]</div>

The only thing I am concerned about is going up a rather steep gravel driveway leading to the cabin that we're going to be staying at. Any thoughts or advice about how to manage that?

 

As far as the "need" for a giant crew cab dually 4x4 as a "work" truck, it's mostly about image. Around here at least, most of the up-and-coming home builders, contractors, etc, will buy such a giant truck, and within 2-3 years it's sitting at an auction place, along with all the tools the guy used to have. No sympathy from me

If a person really "needs" a work vehicle, the Mercedes Sprinter van is hard to beat. It's 5 cylinder turbodiesel gets remarkable fuel economy for such a large vehicle. I also know of a family with 2 adopted handicap kids, and they got rid of a Ford Econoline 350 to get the Sprinter.

The raised roof makes wheelchair loading much easier, and the Sprinter is getting an average of TWICE the fuel economy the Econoline used to

As far as "poor" people who can't "afford" an economy car, has anybodody priced a used Civic, Corolla, etc compared to a used pickup or SUV? For a typical 2 parent plus 1 kid family, the used Civic or Corolla is a decent enough family car, and will return 2-3 times the average fuel economy of a used SUV

The big issue to me is the lack of true public transit in North America. I fly to the EU often enough on business, and only have to shake my head why I never need to rent a car and rarely have to take a taxi.