Living Car Free - NY Times: "At $100 for Tank of Gas, Some Choke on ‘Fill It’"

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/06/business/06tank.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Laughed at the Chevy Avalanche fan club member in Arizona quoted saying about nobody showing up for off-roading events: “Everybody’s trying to save money on gas, so now we mostly chat online instead of driving.”

Reminds me of those audiophiles who spend thousands on amplifiers and own three records. Having a SUV that doesn't move must sting a little more, though... I guess browsing Bikeforums is not any better, should be riding instead.

I liked this too:

Ric Hines of the Omaha Hummer Owner Group — known as Omahog — stopped doing off-road trips this summer and started riding his recumbent bicycle instead.

“I get to camp either way, and biking pushes me to save a few hundred dollars on gas,” Mr. Hines said.

“ so now we mostly chat online instead of driving.”

sounds just like this forum.

Kudos to Mr. Hines

"Hummer clubs are hurting, too. In Nebraska, Ric Hines of the Omaha Hummer Owner Group — known as Omahog — stopped doing off-road trips this summer and started riding his recumbent bicycle instead.

“I get to camp either way, and biking pushes me to save a few hundred dollars on gas,” Mr. Hines said."

It's funny last week on the way back from the grocery store some bubbas were luaghing at me from thier dually at a stop light because I was on a bike, I told them I bet it's real funny when you fill up, they just peeled off.

Hey, why don't we start the "bikeforums monster offroad H1 club". We'll ride our bikes to our designated meeting point and then talk about all the gas we just saved by not having driven our H1's there at 8MPG!! :eek: :D

All events are down this summer, not just automobile related events.

I volunteer for several statewide amature sporting events that usually bring in nearly a thousand people per event. This summer, we had maybe 250 people show up.

Our local smaller event's attendance numbers are up this year, since more people have decided to stay closer to home due to the higher cost of traveling out of the area for larger events.

My town and the town next to me each have small fairs in the summer. Normally, attendance is OK, but both were jammed up this year. Folks can walk/bike to them, and even if they have to drive, it is shorter than going to 6 Flags, or somesuch Amusement park.

On the gas note, my wife and I have gotten our minivan usage down to the point where we only need to fill it once per month, down from once per week or more. This was done through a combination of her using my car to commute now that I bike, planning our car-based trips with a bit more intelligence, and eliminating the 'oh why don't we just go out for a bit' types of drives in favor of gardening, or something productive.

On the gas note, my wife and I have gotten our minivan usage down to the point where we only need to fill it once per month, down from once per week or more. This was done through a combination of her using my car to commute now that I bike, planning our car-based trips with a bit more intelligence, and eliminating the 'oh why don't we just go out for a bit' types of drives in favor of gardening, or something productive.

You know what? Those "'oh why don't we just go out for a bit' types of drives" are a heck of a lot of fun on a bike. Its much easier to stop at places of interest and change course than being stuck in a car. For example, in the summer there are wild berries growing alongside the road. In a car you just woosh past, on a bike you can stop and taste and maybe do some serious harvesting if they taste good at a particular spot.

You know what? Those "'oh why don't we just go out for a bit' types of drives" are a heck of a lot of fun on a bike. Its much easier to stop at places of interest and change course than being stuck in a car. For example, in the summer there are wild berries growing alongside the road. In a car you just woosh past, on a bike you can stop and taste and maybe do some serious harvesting if they taste good at a particular spot.

Agreed-actually we only need to go 1/2 way down our road to harvest berries! Our neighbor gets inundated with black and red raspberries every year. My wife vac packs them for smoothies through the winter, and I use them to brew a nice raspberry ale that I like.

For example, in the summer there are wild berries growing alongside the road. In a car you just woosh past, on a bike you can stop and taste and maybe do some serious harvesting if they taste good at a particular spot.

We got all the berries we can handle right in our yard, but yeah, finding berries where you stop for any other reason is always a treat.

However.

Seeing a not-hard-on-the-eyes female bicyclist bent over double, picking berries by the side of the road got me a smack on the ass from my wife as we were riding along this past weekend... I didn't think I was thinking quite so loud at the time...

Our local smaller event's attendance numbers are up this year, since more people have decided to stay closer to home due to the higher cost of traveling out of the area for larger events.
That's fantastic. This shows that people are coming to their senses (at least in your community). Our lives will surely be more localized in coming years, so why not start living it today, as opposed to being shocked when all of a sudden you've got to choose between eating or driving.

Stupidity. Why is traveling bad but staring at the wall at home fantastic. I enjoy traveling to various events and locations. Obviously driving is evil and bad but would it please be okay if I visited my parents three states away or traveled to various locals other than my boring front yard? I'm all for non gasoline vehicles. Splendid idea. Polution sucks. I can't figure out how locking everyone down in their homes is so cool.

Some people have it backwards. They cut back on everything (including recreation) so they can commute by car, and then spend time at home for 'vacation'. I commute by bike or motorcyle so I can get a heck out for my vacation. :innocent:

I live in San Francisco so I am already at - or within 1-2 days bike ride of places people spend thousands of dollars to vacation at. Of course I have to spend that savings to live here. Math left as an exercise for the reader.

Lots of people come to Pennsylvania for vacation, so I figure it must not be so bad if I do it too... even if I live in Pennsylvania. Your mileage may vary. (ouch, bad pun.)

Stupidity. Why is traveling bad but staring at the wall at home fantastic. I enjoy traveling to various events and locations. Obviously driving is evil and bad but would it please be okay if I visited my parents three states away or traveled to various locals other than my boring front yard? I'm all for non gasoline vehicles. Splendid idea. Polution sucks. I can't figure out how locking everyone down in their homes is so cool.

Half the reason you have a boring yard is because of the automobile. It was so cheap to drive that people could build clusters of boring yards and just drive to their entertainment. Look at any area built before the car and you will see that all the entertainment such as parks, movie theaters and concert venues are within walking distance (or a short train ride).

I live in center city Philadelphia. I make it a point not to live in boring areas. I don't own a car and I can't tell you the last time I was bored.

Reminds me of those audiophiles who spend thousands on amplifiers and own three records.

That's maybe not the best analogy.

Unlike SUV owners who have no money for gas, the expensive stereo owner may just really like listening to those few records. The stereo is used regularly...just used regularly with the same small collection of top-quality music material.

Guess how I know?:innocent:

Half the reason you have a boring yard is because of the automobile. It was so cheap to drive that people could build clusters of boring yards and just drive to their entertainment. Look at any area built before the car and you will see that all the entertainment such as parks, movie theaters and concert venues are within walking distance (or a short train ride).

I live in center city Philadelphia. I make it a point not to live in boring areas. I don't own a car and I can't tell you the last time I was bored.

Good point.

However, I still see a lot of traffic and in my opinion, there are very few people who are locked into their homes. The highways are still gridlocked during rush hour so people are still driving. In fact, only 1% this past 4th of July decided to stay home. It's only the begining but we are still far away from the day when motoring is no longer affordable.

I said before, driving will become too expensive when it costs $100.00 dollars a day to drive.

If gas prices stabilize, wages will adjust somewhat and the roads will remain full. Right now, there is a short term increase in people selecting alternatives to cars/trucks, but it remains to be seen if those doing so will stick with it if gas stays at the same price or goes down and there are wage adjustments. Some will, but don't bet on a large percentage doing so.

Hey, why don't we start the "bikeforums monster offroad H1 club". We'll ride our bikes to our designated meeting point and then talk about all the gas we just saved by not having driven our H1's there at 8MPG!! :eek: :D

:roflmao2:

That's maybe not the best analogy.

Unlike SUV owners who have no money for gas, the expensive stereo owner may just really like listening to those few records.

Actually the analogy is worse than that: the SUV drivers may actually be interested in and enjoy driving, but just cannot afford it. The kind of audiophile I had in mind is interested in gawking at equipment, not listening to music.

But hey, on the IRC channel they can have a car-free car fan club. Oh how the intertubes make everything so much easier!


The stereo is used regularly...just used regularly with the same small collection of top-quality music material.

Guess how I know?:innocent:

And I thought I listened to the same records (maybe 200) over and over and over... you seriously need to get some new music. There are some nice sites on the net, if you find the top 40 depressing. Oh how the intertubes make everything so much easier!

My town and the town next to me each have small fairs in the summer. Normally, attendance is OK, but both were jammed up this year. Folks can walk/bike to them, and even if they have to drive, it is shorter than going to 6 Flags, or somesuch Amusement park.

On the gas note, my wife and I have gotten our minivan usage down to the point where we only need to fill it once per month, down from once per week or more. This was done through a combination of her using my car to commute now that I bike, planning our car-based trips with a bit more intelligence, and eliminating the 'oh why don't we just go out for a bit' types of drives in favor of gardening, or something productive.

Wow. Just like the good old days when people were more likely to go to their local county fair rather than to the State Fair. Further proof that the world is indeed round.

County fairs are great and I always bicycle to ours too. You don't have to fight traffic and you don't have to pay for parking. Yeehaw!

http://lcweb2.loc.gov/natlib/afc2001001/afc-legacies/KY/200003038/i0001.jpg http://www.silvercityspotlight.com/shared_content/images/events/grant_county_fair.jpg
http://www.diangy.com/filemanager/files/Pictures/GARTNER%20-%20LA%20County%20fair/GARTNER%20-%20LA%20County%20Fair%20PIe.jpg

Those are some nice looking pies.

Kudos to Mr. Hines

"Hummer clubs are hurting, too. In Nebraska, Ric Hines of the Omaha Hummer Owner Group — known as Omahog — stopped doing off-road trips this summer and started riding his recumbent bicycle instead.

“I get to camp either way, and biking pushes me to save a few hundred dollars on gas,” Mr. Hines said."



:roflmao::roflmao::roflmao:

The funniest part is that they didn't see this coming. Like the housing crash, peak oil was predicted for years.

Everyone laughed at us (yep, I was one of those guys five years ago saying this would happen).


But I own a Honda Civic, a Trek 7100, and live 2.5 miles from work. It was all planned out because I KNEW the housing crises was coming (I knew it in June of 2004 when the Fed raised short-term interest rates, and sold my California home for a BIG profit and moved east). I bought the car because I knew Peak Oil was coming (even though everyone mocked me).

Now I fill my gas tank once per two months for about 40 dollars (yep, that's 20 bucks per month) and have lost weight due to riding my 07 Trek.


Gas prices?

I don't even pay attention. I know they're high, because I hear all the whining, but I hardly ever look at the price when I fill my car. In fact, I hardly ever fill it. I just pump gas for a couple minutes and then hang it up. Two weeks or a month later when the light comes on I do it again.


Watching Fox News and CNN and believing it will mess you up.


Thinking for yourself will help tremendously.

[QUOTE=Fairmont;7105764]The funniest part is that they didn't see this coming. Like the housing crash, peak oil was predicted for years.

Everyone laughed at us (yep, I was one of those guys five years ago saying this would happen).

But I own a Honda Civic, a Trek 7100, and live 2.5 miles from work. It was all planned out because I KNEW the housing crises was coming (I knew it in June of 2004 when the Fed raised short-term interest rates, and sold my California home for a BIG profit and moved east). I bought the car because I knew Peak Oil was coming (even though everyone mocked me).Now I fill my gas tank once per two months for about 40 dollars (yep, that's 20 bucks per month) and have lost weight due to riding my 07 Trek.

Gas prices?

I don't even pay attention. I know they're high, because I hear all the whining, but I hardly ever look at the price when I fill my car. In fact, I hardly ever fill it. I just pump gas for a couple minutes and then hang it up. Two weeks or a month later when the light comes on I do it again.
[QUOTE]

Right on, brother.

When the SUV fashion hit, I couldn't get it out of my head that gas was going to eventually get painfully expensive, so I never bought into it and never made one of those gas guzzlers part of the family.

It just didn't make sense that we went from having massive gas shortages in the '70's to having cheap gas in the 90's. You just knew the problem was being buried and that it would come back to haunt us. It was just a matter of when.

When I saw all those forty-something soccer moms driving SUV's and mini-vans, I wondered, "what are you thinking? You must have been around when gasoline prices doubled in one year. Did you forget so fast?"

This whole experience is like a tornado. We had the thunderstorms in the '70's warning of impending danger. Then, the surreal calm of the '90's. Now, I think the real oil storm is going to hit. $4.00 gas? Hah! Three years from now, we will look back at today's prices as "the good old days when even a teenager could buy two gallons of gas for an hour's wages".