This morning I was awakened by my alarm clock radio to hear "and meanwhile, crude oil continues to rise over $100 per barrel". This "wake up call" became one of multiple definitions. The days of us Americans paying dollars less per gallon than other countries is coming to an end. I hear many complain, yet so few realize that we have been dodging this bullet for decades.
It's true, other countries around the world from England to China, have been paying 2-3 times as much as us for years. So how did we get away with $2 gas? Well first off, it takes me as long to get to the Vegas house as it does for someone in England to motor over and watch a Cardiff rugby match in Whales! Simply put, our country is huge! This has justified us doing whatever it took to keep our gas prices down.
Let's take a look at what other countries are paying per gallon, on average:
Nation/City/Price in USD (Regular/Gallon)
Netherlands Amsterdam $6.48
Norway Oslo $6.27
Italy Milan $5.96
Denmark Copenhagen $5.93
Belgium Brussels $5.91
Sweden Stockholm $5.80
United Kingdom London $5.79
Germany Frankfurt $5.57
France Paris $5.54
Portugal Lisbon $5.35
Hungary Budapest $4.94
Luxembourg $4.82
Croatia Zagreb $4.81
Ireland Dublin $4.78
Switzerland Geneva $4.74
Spain Madrid $4.55
Japan Tokyo $4.24
Czech Republic Prague $4.19
Romania Bucharest $4.09
Brazil Brasilia $3.12
Cuba Havana $3.03
Some prices amaze me, even more so they make me realize that $3.50 isn't so bad after all. The wake up call that higher fuel prices are here for good is setting in for many of us. Is it a bad thing? No, I think this will help us realize that mass transit and car pooling are not overrated and should actually be practiced. It's time we wake up and realize that each of us are leaving a footprint of waist and pollution that directly effects the future generations.
So what am I doing to make a difference? I actually decided to to turn two cars into one. I've sold "the precious", my 2005 GTO and it's 400 horses of American muscle. My little pick up is also pending sale as I write this. Currently I am considering a 4-door truck with a fuel efficient engine (no more V8 for me). Another gas saver in my future is a bike (by bike I mean motorcycle). It has been well over a year since selling my last motorcycle, so I'm past due for a new toy. This would make my 14th street bike in the past 18 years.
I feel owning a new truck that gets on average 25mpg, or better, and a motorcycle that boasts 50mpg will help the environment and my billfold. I also practice carpooling with coworkers on a more regular basis. Every person can make a difference, just like voting and recycling.
I will now step off my soapbox! What do you think? How can you make a difference? How are you stretching your transportation dollar? E-mail me or comment below.
Sincerely,
Lance
Yikes! You sold the Goat? Dude that must have hurt to see it drive away w/o you in it... :( I've bought & sold a few nice cars, some I later regret selling.
It's hard to compare the US prices to those in Europe. Their transportation system is far more advanced and I'd bet there's less corporate influence on government spending. Driving in Europe is more of a luxury and not a necessity as it is here. Also, there's more selection of economical cars and rarely do you see citizens driving trucks or utility vehicles.
On the way to work I was wondering just how much we can reduce demand by just getting folks to leave their suv's at home and use more economical transportation! I still fail to see the allure of driving an suv?!. I'm guessing gas would have to get up to $5-6/gal before we see a reduction of suv's and other gas guzzlers.
Like you I'm also considering purchasing a motorcycle and perhaps even moving closer to where I work...
Awesome. Glad to see you might be getting a new bike, sad to see the Goat go :(
This "downsizing" and economizing is the trend, and for good reason. It takes over $100 to fill my wife's Avalanche and it actually does pretty well for something that size (16-17 mpg). My new commuter (an HHR SS) gives me awesome performance and great economy as well. Our first long trip of 1750 miles, some of it with my "foot in it", netted 27 mpg.You can have GTO performance and decent economy at the same time.
I doubt if I'll ever go back to a motorcycle again although it is tempting. At 60 years old I know my reflexes are a little slower than required to stay safe on two wheels. (I rode for 30 years)
I live in England and I wish I could buy petrol for the price you quote, locally I am paing £1.10p per litre which works out to approximately $9 per gallon
To make the comparison fair, you should see what kind of taxes other countries pay in the price of their fuel. And without a truck/SUV, how am I suppose to go skiing in winter, boating in the summer, and camping in the spring and fall?