lyeinyoureye

Damn, Chicago is a good 50 cents/gal higher than CA. A strong hurricane could absolutely screw the midwest's market, and there's no El Nino on the horizon to suppress 'em. I wonder if we'll see more than $10/gal this year?

Oh, and as for the cost of goods going up, it won't be by more than a few percent. Diesels $2.65-85 in the west. By the time fuel prices go up enough to significantly impact the cost of goods, consumers won't be able to pay for gas to get to the store.

Bakemono

I live out in the country. The bus doesnt make it out to where I live, so that shoots down the theory of riding the bus.
Sorry, no pedal bike could ever compare to a car. The level of performance just isnt the same. My love of cars has nothing to do with what movie stars are driving.
Dont be so quick to push cars to the museum. Electric cars are a real possibility, as is hydrogen. Look how far automotive technology has come in the past 100 years. If you think the end of oil will be the end of the automotive industry you are living in la-la land.
Sorry, but car-free living isnt for everyone.

Platy

Sure. Can you meet us half way and recognize the validity of the goals of the few people who would like to live car free, or do you want to take the fully opposing position that no one should live car free?

Alekhine

I'm pretty sure we all know that. It's pretty obvious, you know, since the whole country is full of cars and people who love them, and advertisements hawking them all over the place, and absolute glorification of the things 24-7 from movies to print media to TV to spoken word. Where I live, the sound of autos driving by is present absolutely 100% of the time. So I think it's safe to say that car-free living isn't for everyone, yea. I would say that it's not for, ohhhh, about 99.9% of the people in the US, if I had to pull a figure out of nowhere like I just did. Not too much of a stretch there to say that we are a total minority, with the exception of perhaps the destitute and kids, most of whom want cars but can't have them.

But why bother even coming in here to say that you can't be car-free? Guilt that you can't? Need/desire for argument? Validation and understanding?

Your point is certainly not new. We've seen plenty of people coming in here for no ostensible reason than to say "I can't be car-free under any circumstances, and here are the reasons why and no matter how you might suggest solutions I'll always come up with a counter, etcetera..." Seriously, we've seen masses of you, and I can't help but wonder if it's perhaps because a good chunk of these people (and I'm not referring to you specifically) feel kind of guilty about it deep down and need to rationalize it loud and clear.

Although I've been using first person plural so far, I'll switch to first person singular since I can't speak for everyone on this, but I personally don't hold it against you. The choice is yours and you've made it, and I understand it. Cars are an awesome invention indeed. Go love your cars til the day is long if that's what you intend to do. You need no seal of approval from anyone here. I personally think we should preserve petroleum for use by future generations for all manner of even non-automotive uses, and that both noise and air pollution and the 40,000 dead in the US per year by automotive manslaughter is tragic and lame, but in the me-centered world of today, it's unlikely that anything will change until it has to, and I'm not going around griping at anyone about it because that would both make me a hypocrite and be the least constructive way to advocate my lifestyle choices. I am, however, commiserating with like-minded individuals in this forum, and I'm glad that there are so many of us and that we can discuss these things with relative impunity.


Anyway, "I love cars and I can't live without them" means very little as a syllogistic statement, no matter how you rationalize it. Somewhere in the past, someone said, "Get rid of my slaves? No way! I love owning slaves, and I can't pick all the cotton I have to and still make the same profits I currently do without them!" It's the same type of argument as "I can't visit my relatives 200 miles away and my job is 100 miles away." It comes to this: You pick the circumstances in which you choose to live and operate, and it's not a matter of can't, but of won't or don't want to. You could choose to live closer to your relatives. You could get a job closer to them. You could choose to dislike cars. You don't. You're absolutely like just about everyone else. Congratulations. You're normal. We know that most people feel the same way as you do about cars.

To say that you can't do this period no matter what is intellectually dishonest in the end though. There may come a day when you have to do without cars, and guess what? You will figure out how if that day ever comes. People have been doing fine without them for the bulk of human history and pre-history, kings and beggars alike.

Anyway, enjoy your cars, I guess, but don't feel like you have to explain yourself to anyone here. Rest easy. Nobody here is qualified to be your judge and jury, even if we act like it sometimes when you come in here challenging us to do just that.

Platy

Well, I can come across with the validation and understanding part, hoping it goes both ways.

gwd

It is so odd, I sometimes wonder about this too.

Bikepacker67

So why are you here?
It seems you like to hang out in LCF just to be a PITA.

Not that I can't understand the appeal of being a PITA from time to time...

Roody

Anybody know what bike sales are doing?

Gas prices have gone up 20 cents and more here in Michigan.
Literally overnight! I've never seen anything like it, not even in the 1970s.

Meijer's in Lansing is text messaging customers 2 hours before they raise their prices.

Platy

Inventory report hot off the presses. Midwest down to what some people think are near minimum operating levels for gasoline. You guys are in the crosshairs. Stop driving so much.

Alekhine

Oh, me too. That's why I included it in that group. I wasn't trying to be prickly. I'm curious about what is behind the desire to go into a car-free forum and start in about how great cars are and why one can't be car-free no matter what, etcetera...

Roody

Driving?! I'm taking a 200 mile bus trip in a few minutes and feeling guilty about that!

OOps--gotta run!

kc9eog

Define "midwest" please.

Platy

Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Wisconsin.

See map.

https://www.energy.ca.gov/gasoline/map_eia_padds.html

Gojohnnygo.

Even in the rural places like I live in the northern Adirondacks of New York state. We have a public transportation system small but it does work for some family's. It only runs the rural routes 3 times a day and they provide bike racks on the bus. I have used them when snow storms have been not safe for riding in. Maybe you should check out to see if your state or county offer this Just trying to help.

scottyk

Stopped for gas today, $3.45 a gallon!!!! Went to the small guy near work, and they were out of everything but Regular Unleaded.

Wogster

Well here in Toronto, ON prices have come down a little, average is down to $1.053 ($4.05/US Gallon), so it's typical, last weekend prices skyrocketed because it was long weekend price gouging (Victoria Day) when they jack the prices up, so that people who decide to go to the cottage, get to pay extra. Happens every long weekend, thing is, I don't think it's going to drop back below a buck a Litre until November.

dynodonn 

Looking at Gas Buddy's gas temperature map, it appears that Michigan is carrying the torch for being the leader in highest US gas prices as of now.

Redrom

Often our lifestyles need to be modified to become car-lite or car-free, but the first step to getting there is wanting to be car-free. With such a professed love for automobiles I'd agree that it's not realistic to think you will change.

acroy

Yet another article on the gasoline supply
Happy reading

https://www.marketwatch.com/news/stor...D004038C27E%7D

Roody

3.65 at many stations. Up from3.00 in a couple weeks.

Go Michigan! If cars are so great how come we have the highest unemployment rate AND the highest gas prices?

Andreas

Just want to inform you that the current average gasoline price in Sweden is ( when checking currencies e.t.c.) 6.89$ a gallon (=3.87 litres). So really you shouldn´t complain about 3-4 $ a gallon

Alekhine

Yea, well...our (US) taxes pay for the most ridiculously over-giant, steroidal military in the world that does us no good, so we can complain a little.

cyclezealot

heck. here summer gas prices go up to 1.34/L. You get used to it. Europeans are frugal with the use of their car. The French government was generous. Finally cut through the paper work and gave me a license. Sort of disappointed in ways, I was curious how I'd handle not being allowed to drive. I still do all I can to minimize car useage. So far this week, car has not started up once. Guess, we will break down and use it this Sunday to meet up with some friends in a city 20 Km distance. I do every errand possible on the bike.

Alekhine

Take me on as a lodger? Please? I don't eat much and I try to be clean and unassuming.

cyclezealot

you'll welcome. bring your bikes. You do do plumbing too?