HOME | POLITICS | SPORTS | LIFE | SCI/TECH | OPEDS | HELPFUL TIPS
|
Oct. 10, 2005 Alright, so we don’t agree on everything here on Useless Knowledge, but I’m willing to bet we’ll all agree on this—gasoline prices are too high! To fill up my car this morning with regular, 87-octane unleaded, before running a couple errands, cost me $33.15, at $3.19 per gallon. This time last year, the same amount of gas would’ve only cost me just over $19. The scary thing is that I don’t drive a big honking SUV, but a normally sensible midsize vehicle, a Ford Taurus. And I live in a city that has some of the highest gas prices in the country, which makes sense when you understand that Charlotte doesn’t have a great deal of public transportation beyond its buses. Many of those SUV drivers are now finding those buses pretty good alternatives, especially those who have to drive into Charlotte from Concord, Gastonia, Rock Hill and Statesville. We’re not going to get any relief from high gas prices any time soon. In fact, things will probably get worse. Without additional refining capability, it won’t be too far fetched to think that gasoline prices will ultimately top $5 per gallon here, even during the winter, when people drive less. And if that happens, it could be over $6 per gallon by next Memorial Day. Unfortunately, riding the bus for me isn’t an option. I live fifteen minutes from my job, but the bus routes are such that no bus runs directly to my job. I’d have to ride downtown and catch another bus, over an hour’s journey all told. Carpooling isn’t an option either. I go to work too early for that, and none of my teammates lives close to me. Telecommuting would be a good idea, particularly for those projects that require a lot of attention to detail. But here again, I only live fifteen minutes from my job. I have teammates as far away as Colorado and Connecticut who need that access more than I do. The higher gas prices have curtailed my travels just a bit, but it hasn’t forced me to make some of the tough decisions families with children are making now. On CNN.com recently, people weighed in on how the gas prices have affected them. One family indicated that they cut out fresh fruit and vegetables for their children to help pay their gas bill. Another family sold their dream home and moved to within ten miles of their jobs, because they were each driving 120 miles roundtrip, and their children had to relocate to schools in another state. Even if more refining capacity comes on line in the next few years, I don’t see gas prices dropping significantly until more hybrids hit the road and more alternative fuels become available. High gas prices are here for a long while, I’m afraid. Better get used to it. ------------ About the author: Claxton Graham has written a number of articles for Useless Knowledge. He works as a business systems analyst. Email: scifiwriter8502@email.com Tell a friend about this site! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com and are not allowed to be posted on other websites. ARTICLE THIEVES WILL BE PROSECUTED! |
||||||
|
|
|||||||
|
