When gas goes to $4 what will you do?

[liberal hypnotist]

Are we all resigned to just paying more or are there any creative ideas.

[taterguy]

1. Ride my bicycle past gas stations and laugh my ass off

Except for the fact that almost all consumer goods are transported by truck and therefore the price of the stuff I buy will go up.

Seriously: Using a bike for transportation is one of the best decisions I ever made. I started doing it during the first Gulf War when I felt squeamish chanting "No blood for oil" while voraciously consuming it.

Will be glad to offer tips and advice about this lifestyle if there's any interest.

[coffee_strong]

2. it is

scary how quick the prices have gone up. It' around $3.30 here.

I really feel for the underclass. I used to hear stories how they'd have to pawn stuff, just to pay for the high gas prices.

Gosh, I remember when it was .99 a gallon....and that was early mid 90's:(

[Marrah_G]

30. I'm glad you can bike everywhere you have to go.

But please remember that there are alot of us poor working folks who are hurting because of those prices and really need to have a car.

[taterguy]

55. Please remember that automobile usage is heavily subsidized

It's not that I lack compassion.

It's just that I have a difficult time mustering up much sympathy for for folks complaining about the price of an activity that's
a) Socially irresponsible
and
b) Paid for by taxpayers, including millions who are too poor to afford a car even if they wanted to drive.

OTOH, it is Friday and I should probably be nice.

Sorry for the rant.

[EstimatedProphet]

80. Please remember that not everyone lives in a city

You wouldn't bicycle to work if it were a 2 hour trip each way either.

[taterguy]

81. Drive all you want, just don't complain about how much it costs

Why is that simple concept controversial?

[EstimatedProphet]

83. Because some of us don't have a fucking choice!

Why is that so hard to understand? Privileged people like you have choices. I don't have the choice to bike to work, or take mass transportation.

[taterguy]

87. At the risk of causing your head to explode . . .

Why exactly are you forced to live in the country?

What am I missing?

I understand that there are pros and cons of living anywhere.

I'd love to live in the country. It's much more pleasant cycling out there than it is in the city :)

ps: Just for the record, I was earning 13K when I adopted a mostly carless lifestyle. You have a very interesting definition of "privilege."

[EstimatedProphet]

89. Because my job happens to be in the country

And if you don't think it's a privilege to have choices as to how to get around, then you're sadly mistaken. I would love to be able to take public transportation. Not everyone gets to have a pick of where they can live and work, and there happens to be jobs in the country that need to be done, regardless.

If you don't want to be called privileged, then quit acting like a spoiled brat. It's very arrogant of you to assume that everyone has the same access to whatever lifestyle they want as you do, and it's very callous of you to dismiss their real concerns about how they are going to get by in an economy that is designed to cripple them. Cars may very well not be economically stable, but it isn't the fault of people who need them now that the system is set up so that they need them.

[ronnykmarshall]

90. and I live in a city and I have no alternate ways.

I hear what you're talking about.

There are no buses to my office, unless I got up at 3am and took about four or five transfers.

If there was public transit to my office, I'd be happy to take regardless of the price of gas.

But some people can't realise that, doncha think?

[Tektonik]

3. Keep walking and taking the bus

and sponging rides off of other people :P

I may break down and get a bike w/ the holiday money I'll be getting.

[RebelOne]

4. Nothing different.

I live too far from my job to ride a bike and public transportation is nonexistent where I live.

[taterguy]

5. What distances are we talking about?

I'm not trying to be obnoxious, just curious. I'm also curious about the distances of non-work related trips that people think require a car.

Personally my range on a bike is about 10 miles, depending of course on how much cargo I have to carry.

[Tektonik]

7. If one is walking

I believe anything under two miles, a person should walk instead of drive. Talk on a cell phone or listen to an mp3 player and the time flies by.

I'm about to go walk three and a half miles to get to work. Sometimes when I'm tired I hitch a ride or take a bus, but out of the 5 days I work, I generally walk to work 4 out of the 5 times, and I'll usually take the bus back home (but the bus isn't completely direct so a quarter of the distance I'm traveling I walk that anyhow).

[MissMillie]

10. I don't even have a grocery store in my town

I don't think there's anything I can do w/i 10 miles of my house, except maybe fill up my gas tank so that I can do my other errands.

[RebelOne]

21. Round trip to my job is 30 miles through very busy streets.

Not bike safe and too far.

[MissMillie]

8. ditto

there is SOME public transportation NEAR where I live, but honestly, I already spent about 2 hours a day commuting. Making use of this public transportation would be more than just a little inconvenient. I wouldn't make my morning gym schedule, and it would likely add 1.5 hours to my already long commute.

[RubyDuby in GA]

47. As another GA resident, I'm sad to say that I too will not do anything different

I think it might be time to get serious about looking into other states for me and the family.

[Left Is Write]

62. Ditto.

[liberal hypnotist]

6. would it be possible?

..to create a no gas day. I understand, if consumers had a floating unannounced "no buy" day the gas surplus would screw everything up and drop process. Is it possible to get 1 million gas consumers to work together?

[madinmaryland]

14. That only works if you actually stop using.

Generally what the no buy day does is push out by a day when you would end up buying the gas. Better to do is actually find a way to conserve.

[mainegreen]

9. Drive. It still works out cheaper for me than public transport.

That, and as a consultant I can not be without my car, as at any moment a client can call and out the door I go to who knows where.

:shrug:

[AllegroRondo]

11. my commute is 40 miles each way,

so theres really no other option than driving it.

What we have been doing, is make a list of all shopping we need to do on Saturday / Sunday and get it done in one trip. Anything we need right away, like milk or bread, I pick up at the local Walgreens when Im out for my evening run. Its just under 2 miles away, so I can run there, grab whatever, and run back for a nice little workout.

[Patiod]

12. Keep taking the train to work

We already changed gyms to save gas. It's times like these that it's nice to live in a small town within train distance of a major city (with lots of employers)

But my S.O., who is picking up extra money (he's an actor) delivering food, is going to have to either 1) get more money for gas from the restaurant or 2) find another job that doesn't require him to put mileage on the car

We're going on vacation to Arizona, and we rented an Escape -- not surprised to see that full-size SUVs like the Explorer are often renting for LESS than the compact SUVs like the Escape. On previous vacation, we refused the Explorer that they tried to give us and wouldn't get out of the rental car line until they sent us to another agency that would give us the Escape we had been promised (I had all the documentation). When you've driving out West and racking up the miles, the vehicle size makes a huge difference

[Burma Jones]

13. I already did something - I bought a hybrid Camry

I went from 16 mpg to 37 mpg........

I also work from home 4 days a week, and that helps immensely

[bigwillq]

15. Try to drive less

but it's tough with my job. I go all over the state to cover games.

[DS1]

16. I already drive so little it will be hardly an effect

[Inchworm]

17. Blame my hermit-like behavior on The Man.

x(

[huskerlaw]

18. Same thing I do now...ride the subway

To and from work. That saves me 30 miles/day.

As for the rest of my car trips, they'll likely remain the same. Los Angeles is NOT a pedestrian/bike/public transportation friendly city. At all.

[LynneSin]

19. In January we're moving back to Wilmington for work

I'll be 2 miles from work and their is a bus stop right by my house that'll take me straight downtown to where I work

:woohoo:

[raccoon]

20. Complain. nt

[flvegan]

22. Buy a motorcycle.

Granted, the worry and anxiety I cause my loved ones will be costly, but only to them.

The question is, do I go Harley or crotch rocket? The Harley is far cooler, but I can do wheelies on a Katana.

[cobalt1999]

24. Get a Buell and you'll have a Harley crotch rocket.

[flvegan]

26. But can I still get away with wearing chaps?

I don't want to look silly.

[Marrah_G]

31. The cops would frown on have 3 kids piled on the back......

[flvegan]

33. That's what roller blades and ski tow ropes are for.

[doc03]

72. Ride my Suzuki Burgman 400 more

get 65 MPG around town and have done 77 MPG on the highway.

[Susang]

91. If you buy a Harley

I hope you have plenty of money. I work HD and most of the people I work with (myself included) couldn't afford a Harley, even if we wanted one. Not only is the initial cost significantly higher than Hondas and other non-Harleys, but replacement parts are out of this world. I oughta know, I sell them.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

23. I'd sing the "I'm about to whip somebody's ass" song

http://www.zefrank.com/theshow/whipass/

[malta blue]

25. I have no choice but to pay it and continue on.

I live too far from work. There is no public transportation for me to use.

I will consolidate shopping trips more than I already do - and I do a pretty good job of it now :(

[Deep13]

27. Pay it.

We drive small cars.

[NewWaveChick1981]

28. Fortunately, my commute is about to shorten considerably.

:) In a week, I'll have a five-mile commute each way instead of 20. On days when the weather cooperates, I want to be able to ride a bike there. :D Also, one of my new coworkers lives near me, and carpooling is a great option for both of us.

[Marrah_G]

29. I'll have to find other places to cut back on, I have to get to work.

[cobalt1999]

32. It's already at $4/gal at the marinas

It costs me almost $200 to fill the boats tank. I prefer sailing anyway, but we've been using the sailboat more and more lately.

[flvegan]

35. You have 2 boats? I thought this was a progressive site.

Go back to Beverly Hills.

Just kidding. I'm jealous.

[cobalt1999]

37. LOL, well I actually have a small fleet

Besides the powerboat and the sailboat, there is the hobiecat, waverunner, canoes, and kayaks.

All of which means I'm pouring all my disposable income into West Marine outlets and I'm basically poor.

[graywarrior]

34. I'll wonder where Mr. Gray will get the money to pay for it. *snort*

But seriously, that is one of our major complaints about living in Florida. Everything is so far from everything else unless you're "retired" and then everything is peachy keen coz you can afford your bigass Cadillac.

[CatholicEdHead]

36. Well, I may or may not be in central AK if it happens

But out the bike will come, even in -40 weather.

[av8rdave]

38. Ride my motorcycle a lot more

And a bicycle for short trips.

[momophile]

39. I found a job that I can take the bus to

I'm so happy to be on the bus. and when it starts snowing, I'll be even happier.

[Omphaloskepsis]

40. I don't drive..

It will affect the price of things I buy but that should be marginal.

[KG]

41. wet my pants

:(

[KamaAina]

42. Ride the bus

like I've been doing since college (quite a while ago).

[TommyO]

43. I have a 45 mile commute to work, so I'll grimace and bear it.

However I will cut out other driving as much as possible, including frequent trips out to lunch. I'll start bringing my own (which, given the fact that I'm changing eating habits, would be a good thing anyway).

[Connonym]

44. continue to work from home

make my kids ride together to and from school even though there's a 45 minute difference in start/end times. I will also say a lot of really, really awful words to describe my feelings for the morans who thought a better response to 911 was bombs rather than harnessing the american spirit ending our dependence on oil.

[Capn Sunshine]

45. Already got a new vehicle for running around

27+ MPG . Leave the big car for formal events.
I'm looking at a GEM car or one of those locals who can make anything biodiesel; I love old Mercedes anyway.

[Mojambo]

46. Same thing I do now. Visualize Dick Cheney being strangled to death while I pump. n/t

[greendog]

48. I've averaged .282 gallons per day since mid June.

If the price at the pump doubled from what it is now it wouldn't be a problem for me.....except for it's effect on the price of everything else I need.

[alarimer]

49. Cry. But probably start bringing my lunch instead of driving home for lunch most days

I work about 6-7 miles from where I live. Now I know that is doable for biking, except that the assholes who drive around here (Corpus Christi, TX- that should tell you all you need to know) do not "share the road" well at all. Also it is about 100 fucking degrees in the summer and I work outside much of the time so there is no way in hell that I am biking or walking to work. I am just too damn tired at the end of the day. And sweaty enough. I can't ride public transportation because it takes something like TWO HOURS to get to my work and I also work weird hours sometimes when buses are not available.

[BreweryYardRat]

50. Be really thoroughly fucked, since I have a 1988 Volvo which gets 10-12 mpg in the city.

Anybody know if these things are convertable to biodiesel?

[fizzgig]

75. what kind of volvo is it?

is it a turbo?

i have an 81 volvo and get 23-25 in town

[BreweryYardRat]

92. No. '88 240 station wagon.

No turbo.

[catmandu57]

51. We live too far out to do much of anything

other than to suck it up and keep going. My wife works in the next town down, about twelve miles away from here, doing home health care for the elderly and disabled. She has to drive all over the place to get to her people then has to run errands for them, grocery shopping and pharmacy and such.
About the only thing we can do is tighten our belt even tighter, I'll probably have to lose some of the little luxuries I give myself, maybe go back to dial up instead of dsl. If it gets too outrageous we'll cut the satellite too save money there.
There really isn't too much wiggle room, I've already cut way back on groceries, and limit myself to a bowl of cold cereal for breakfast, saving my main meal for evening. It's going to suck.

[Call Me Wesley]

52. Fill all the tanks up full and rejoice!

Well, I'm Swiss. It's around $7 here ... ;)

[Javaman]

53. I will start driving my car everyday instead of taking the bus like I do now.

:rofl:

[guitar man]

54. probably quit my job

hey, I can do nothing and be broke or go to work and be broke....I think I'll just do nothing, what's the point?:shrug:

[Left Is Write]

65. In all seriousness...

With my job, when gas gets to be $4+ a gallon, it might make more financial sense for us if I quit my job and we sold one of the cars. We're within walking distance of the kids' school and a grocery store.

After the first of the year, my husband and a few of his colleagues are switching to home-based offices. This will be cheaper for the company, even after reimbursing these guys for their operating costs, and it will be cheaper in terms of gas and wear and tear on the car. My husband will still have to drive to client locations, but he will eliminate his daily commute to downtown Boise.

Personally, I think this arrangement would allow us to get by with one car, but I'd have to demonstrate that to Mr. LIW before he'd be willing to sell one of the cars.

[Q3JR4]

56. I don't have a car.

I bike everywhere and live close enough to the supermarket and work to walk wherever else I need to, so I anticipate no changes in my routine.

Well I suppose the cab I take from the supermarket in lew of walking home with arm loads of grocery bags is going to cost a little more (since I only do it once a month at most it really shouldn't matter), and the groceries which rely on gas transportation could cost a little more, but I think I'll live. :)

With my fancy new job on campus I can afford to spend a little more for the necessary things. :D

[liberal hypnotist]

57. My 1995 Camry LE will cost $52 to fill up.

Is there a point where we should expect our congressional representatives to step in and put some force into curbing the oil companies? Or, has the "Oil Industry" finally taken over the world? They are heavily invested in desalination of water. Will water be $4 dollars a gallon in the near future.

[taterguy]

58. The oil industry hasn't taken over my world

And if you expect Congress to step in then you haven't been paying much attention to how things work.

[liberal hypnotist]

59. I believe we have let congress of the hook.

Idealistically, congress represents the voters of their districts. They have learned to hook wink us . As a nation, we have become passive. I admire Code Pink.

I'd like to think I could be free of the Oil Industry but everything we buy and do is increasing in cost to balance the cost of transportation.

[ileus]

60. pay 4 bucks a gallon...

[SammyWinstonJack]

61. Keep driving and eating. Like I have a choice with either.

:shrug: The price at the pump doesn't just effect (if this is the wrong usage, please don't kill me!) commuters. It will hit us all.

[taterguy]

63. You have plenty of choices

Walk
Bike
Move to a more convenient location
Or sit on your ass and feel sorry for yourself
Whatever floats your boat

[redqueen]

64. Oh come on!

Yeah, I'll just move so that I have to drive twice as far to go pick up my kids when I have them.

That'd be rad!

:eyes:

Fucksake.

[SammyWinstonJack]

66. First, who said I was feeling sorry for myself? How dare you!

Second, not everyone can pick up and move to a more convenient location.

Again, how dare you!

How do you know what choices I have? How arrogant!

Some peoples' boats may have holes.

Did you ever consider that?

Must be nice to be so smug.

Is it any wonder more DUers don't come to the Lounge?

[taterguy]

76. How dare you provoke me into making a rude post?

I feel like Billy Jack in that ice cream parlor scene.

I try to be a nice guy. I really try. But sometimes people say things so ridiculous that it makes me go berserk.

Eating is nothing like buying gasoline. If you don't eat you wither away and die. People rarely die from not buying gasoline.

I don't know your choices. I just know that the overwhelming majority of people live within walking or cycling distance of at least some of the places that they need to go.

The problem is defining what that distance is. I happen to have a very liberal definition. I believe that people have a lot of untapped potential. They're capable of doing amazing things if they would just try.

If that makes me a bad person, well, sorry.

[midlife_mo_Jo]

82. Most people don't have real choices!

Maybe you're single. I don't know. But when you have a family, your choices are much more limited.

Even though I'm within walking distance of a supermarket, when it's 101 degrees outside, even if "I" can make it, the milk, meat, cheese, etc., won't.

We could move to a closer, more convenient location for my husband's work - I suppose - since I work inside the home. Well, that won't work out, since my kids would be going to crappy schools. NOT AN OPTION. It's far cheaper to for him to commute to work paying TEN DOLLARS a gallon than to put our younger kids in private school.

[PVnRT]

97. Sounds like the old right-winger argument

"If you can't find a job where you live, move somewhere else or quit whining!"

Would that we could all be independently wealthy like yourself, we could just up and move at the drop of the hat.

[martymar64]

67. Shorten my commute - work at home

I'm going to be working from home fulltime in the near future, so I won't have to drive unless its for errands only. My little honda does quite well, I could probably make it up to 5/gal before it would seriously hurt me in the wallet. I sure hope it doesn't.

[lligrd]

68. Laugh Even Harder At Those Hummer Owners nt

[CornField]

69. Pray.

Seriously, Mr. CornField has a 40-mile commute. We did trade-in his vehicle for one that has a much better MPG and we've paid off our house. Both of those two things were in preparation of what we could feel coming down the pipe.

If it gets really bad, I'll walk to the children to school and home each day... although doing so will take roughly an hour each day from my own work hours.

Other than that, I'll be doing what everyone else does -- making sure I complete all necessary errands in one trip, etc.

[femmocrat]

70. Shop a whole lot less.

I'll only go out for "necessities"!

[Digit]

71. Apply post-it notes on pumps at the station saying "you can thank * for this"

Last April, I found a job closer to home and instead of driving 21 miles each way, I now drive only 6.
The grocery store is across the street from me.

Even with having this short commute, it will still hurt as food will skyrocket in price, people will have even LESS disposable income, and then my job in sales could be in peril.

Time to make that trip across the street and get some post-it notes....

[liberal hypnotist]

88. I like this idea.

Posit Notes on gas pumps is real simple and it's fun any good ideas on design and copy?

"You Can thank a limp congress for this unnecessary price increase".

"Voter Viagra empower the working class."

[fortyfeetunder]

73. telecommute a day or two a week

When it's possible to stay at home....

[The Inquisitive]

74. continue to get ram rodded, but more so.

NT

[carly denise pt deux]

77. I absolutely refuse to buy a new vehicle

mine is falling apart, but I don't want to take on car payments with the price of gas and insurance, at one time I wanted an SUV, noooo more, thanks. A friend has one of those Ford Expeditions, and I can't help but think, high insurance, 500.00 mo payments, gas over 3.00 gallon, man it sucks to be him
Carly

[kedrys]

78. Try to talk my boss into letting me telecommute

I can't stand that office anyway - but since I'm renting myself cheap to an evil energy-sector company :blush:, I may be screwn on that one. :(

[Fox Mulder]

79. Absolutely nothing.

I live a 1/2 mile from work and 3/4 mile from the grocery store.

[Maestro]

84. No creative ideas other than to bombard

my repuke congress asswipes with mail asking them to detach themsevles from their overlords, "Big Oil." I am also looking into a some sort of electric car or hybird. I have already switched my electric company to one that uses only electriciy produced by wind, solar or hydro means, Green Mountain Energy.

[graywarrior]

85. Soon gas will be a luxury that only the upper class can afford

causing the middle and lower classes to become isolated. We'll all end up living in poverty camps tryig to grow our own food and sending smoke signals.

[SPKrazy]

86. Pay $4 prolly

and plan my trips more carefully so as not to waste gas

especially since everything else will be jacked way up in price too as the transportation costs will be higher

:hi:

[SoCalDem]

93. suck it up and complain..

I only fill MY car once a month, but my husband has to get to work, so we will just save a little less and donate a little more to the oil-hogs..:grr:

[BluePatriot]

94. *shrug*

I already get 2 weeks to a 12 gal tank so I probably won't feel it as much as most people. I really hate driving so I set up my life around short distances to places a few years back. Now it may be a real blessing.

20 mile round trip commute

Within 1/2 mile walking distance:
a Target, Best Buy, Gamestop, liquor store, dry cleaner, nail place, Subway, Jack in the Box, Walgreens, Sonic, Burger King, Chinese and Mexican food places, our bank, and within 1 mile - a Wal Mart and associated strip center, and our auto dealership. There's even a gym and Home Depot and movie theater within 3/4 mile. I'm set to walk around alright.

[Va Lefty]

95. "Take the gas pipe"

[electron_blue]

96. I bought 5 yrs worth of gas futures and still have 4 yrs left.

I bought it when gas was $2.15/gal so I'm good on the gas. But.... when gas goes up, so does the price of everything else, I've noticed, esp food. So I'm cutting back on other things to plan ahead.