Originally Posted by
mavimao
I understand your point, but you have to understand that it is completely different here in the states. In Europe, I agree that there are a lot of automobiles being driven around despite the really high gas/diesel prices. In Hungary, where people on average make half of what an average American makes, and pay the same amount for gas/diesel, they absolutely love their cars. However, there is also better social structuring that allow people to walk/take a bus/ride a bike/a train to schools, stores, movie theatres, bars, their friend's apartments/houses.
In the states, people of all social classes are pretty much reliant on automobiles to get anywhere. Children are able to drive by themselves at 16 because it is a necessity for them to drive to school. Supermarkets, movie theaters, bars and homes are all stretched far apart from each other, and unless you're super dedicated to tackling traffic, bad weather and multiple mile bike rides like many of us are here, you need an automobile that can get you somewhere far quickly. If you want to visit your girlfriend who lives an hour away, there are no trains to take that can get you there. Nope, you have to pony up the cash for gasoline (which is less efficient than diesel and fuels over 90% of American cars) and get going. Even in a lot of big cities, public transportation is a joke. I live in Columbus, where it takes forever for a bus to come and reach a destination. It would take me one hour by bus to get to work instead of the 15 it takes me by car or 40 by bike.
So yes, $7 gas would hurt America a lot more than it does Sweden.
I'm not sure that it would hurt America in the long term, but it would certainly change it.
I agree that the US seems to be somewhat lacking in the public transport department, but outside of the more densly populated areas we have pretty much the same situation here. My parents have 20 miles to the store, and there are no alternatives to driving. There are a few old people back in my home village that has stopped going to the doctor from fear of losing their drivers license. That's probably not good desicion when you are over eighty years old.
On the other hand, here in the city public transport works just fine. Despite that, I have colleagues that drive -- alone in their car -- 3-5 miles to work, complain when they have to walk more than 50 meters from the parking lot, and think that there must be something wrong with me or my economic situation because I ride my bike to work. Taking the bus would probably kill them, and it would be quite amusing to see their reaction the day when they finally have to restrict their driving to strictly necessary trips :-)
/s-o