# Don't buy gas!



## lilyka (Nov 20, 2001)

Got this in the mail today and thought I would pass it on. i am all about not buying gas. This also coicides with rife your bike to work week (so in theory you have no need for gass anyway brcause you will be riding your bikes everywhere. ) Sorry about the caps. that is the way it came to me.

LET'S DO IT! IT HAS BEEN CALCULATED THAT IF EVERYONE IN THE UNITED STATES DID NOT PURCHASE A DROP OF GASOLINE FOR ONE DAY AND ALL AT THE SAME TIME, THEOIL COMPANIES WOULD CHOKE ON THEIR STOCKPILES.

AT THE SAME TIME IT WOULD HIT THE ENTIRE INDUSTRY WITH A NET LOSS OFOVER 4.6 BILLION DOLLARS WHICH AFFECTS THE BOTTOM LINES OF THE OIL COMPANIES.

THEREFORE MAY 19TH HAS BEEN FORMALLY DECLARED "STICK IT TO THEM" DAY ANDTHE PEOPLE OF THIS NATION SHOULD NOT BUY A SINGLE DROP OF GASOLINE THATv DAY.

THE ONLY WAY THIS CAN BE DONE IS IF YOU FORWARD THIS E-MAIL TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS YOU CAN AND AS QUICKLY AS YOU CAN TO GET THE WORD OUT. WAITING ON THIS ADMIINSTRATION TO STEP IN AND CONTROL THE PRICES IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. WHAT HAPPENED TO THE REDUCTION AND CONTROL IN PRICES THAT was PROMISED TWO WEEKS AGO?

REMEMBER ONE THING, NOT ONLY IS THE PRICE OF GASOLINE GOING UP BUT AT THE SAME TIME AIRLINES ARE FORCED TO RAISE THEIR PRICES, TRUCKING
COMPANIES ARE FORCED TO RAISE THEIR PRICES WHICH EFFECTS PRICES ON
EVERYTHING THAT IS SHIPPED. THINGS LIKE FOOD, CLOTHING, BUILDING
MATERIALS, MEDICAL SUPPLIES ETC. WHO PAYS IN THE END? WE DO!
WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. IF THEY DON'T GET THE MESSAGE AFTER ONE DAY, WE WILL DO IT AGAIN AND AGAIN.

SO DO YOUR PART AND SPREAD THE WORD. FORWARD THIS EMAIL TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW. MARK YOUR CALENDARS AND MAKE MAY 19TH A DAY THAT THE CITIZENS OF THE UNITED STATES SAY "ENOUGH IS ENOUGH"


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## TiredX2 (Jan 7, 2002)

Look for long lines at the pump the 18th and 20th, then.

What is needed is a change in consumption, not just a change in buying pattern (which is really all this will accomplish). Much like my FIL records his shows for National Turn off the TV week and watches them (along w/his regular shows) the next week.

I'm not trying to be negative, it just gets depressing. In addition, I am disgusted w/myself for how much gas we have been using lately!


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## moss (Feb 7, 2004)

maybe it should be "park your car day" instead of dont buy gas day.

dh commutes an hour to work each way every day. we tried to find a place to rent closer to his job, but our rent would have more than doubled.







we use a LOT more gas than i'd like to.


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## EFmom (Mar 16, 2002)

I have no problem with higher gas prices, instead of the artificially low ones we are used to. The only thing that will make people conserve is to hit them in the pocketbook. If the prices stay high, more people will look for fuel efficiency when they make their vehicle purchases.


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## CAmomto1 (Sep 14, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *EFmom*
I have no problem with higher gas prices, instead of the artificially low ones we are used to. The only thing that will make people conserve is to hit them in the pocketbook. If the prices stay high, more people will look for fuel efficiency when they make their vehicle purchases.

I agree.


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## momto l&a (Jul 31, 2002)

Quote:

If the prices stay high, more people will look for fuel efficiency when they make their vehicle purchases.
Unfortunately, the cars that are efficient don't meet the needs of some people. Take for instance those of us who live out in country we NEED 4WD to make it around come winter. The efficient cars are also very small and we would have to make many trips in a small rig to make the one trip we make in a larger rig. Big people also don't fit well in small vehicles; take my dh and some other people I know.

Somebody needs to find out why the automobile manufactures don't use the knowledge they ALREADY HAVE to make efficient vehicles. Somebody needs to find out if the oil companies and car manufactures are in bed together. I'm sure they are, why else would there be gas guzzlers?


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## AmyB (Nov 21, 2001)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *momto l&a*
Unfortunately, the cars that are efficient don't meet the needs of some people. Take for instance those of us who live out in country we NEED 4WD to make it around come winter.


Given that the alternative seems to be perpetual wars for oil, I think that it would be a worthwhile exercise for all of us to pretend that gas has already gone up to $4.00/gallon and see if we can figure out how to get by.

--AmyB


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## EFmom (Mar 16, 2002)

SUVs, pick-ups and minivans are not subject to the CAFE requirements. There is no incentive for automakers to make these vehicles more efficient. If you chose to buy one, the message you send to automakers is that fuel efficiency is not a priority.


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## Cranberry (Mar 18, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *TiredX2*
Look for long lines at the pump the 18th and 20th, then.

This is probably true, there would be lines around the block...

Quote:


Originally Posted by *TiredX2*
Much like my FIL records his shows for National Turn off the TV week and watches them (along w/his regular shows) the next week.

:LOL :LOL Too funny! Kind of defeats the whole purpose of no TV week!


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## Shonahsmom (Mar 23, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *momto l&a*
Unfortunately, the cars that are efficient don't meet the needs of some people. Take for instance those of us who live out in country we NEED 4WD to make it around come winter. The efficient cars are also very small and we would have to make many trips in a small rig to make the one trip we make in a larger rig. Big people also don't fit well in small vehicles; take my dh and some other people I know.


You are right, however, I live in a major city and every other car is a honking SUV. It really just grosses me out.

I have not owned a car in years. For the longest time it was because I couldn't afford one. Now that I can, I've decided to continue to make do without. We walk and take public transportation. That's my own personal activism.

Quote:

I have no problem with higher gas prices, instead of the artificially low ones we are used to. The only thing that will make people conserve is to hit them in the pocketbook. If the prices stay high, more people will look for fuel efficiency when they make their vehicle purchases.
ITA!


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## stafl (Jul 1, 2002)

Like has been said already, not buying gas on one particular day won't make any difference if people insist upon being so wasteful.

My DH has been riding his motorcycle to work, instead of driving his truck. Last week, he only needed to put $5 worth of gas in the tank!


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## Boobs (Apr 17, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *EFmom*
I have no problem with higher gas prices, instead of the artificially low ones we are used to. The only thing that will make people conserve is to hit them in the pocketbook. If the prices stay high, more people will look for fuel efficiency when they make their vehicle purchases.


I agree too!
I can't wait til dh wakes up to it! We bought an SUV 2 years ago and I feel so guilty driving it. I hate it. I am so anxious to trade it for a hybrid or Honda. I'm hoping paying $2 a gallon will get him on board with me.

Tracie (who worked for an oil company 2 years ago)


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## CAmomto1 (Sep 14, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Shonahsmom*
You are right, however, I live in a major city and every other car is a honking SUV. It really just grosses me out.

Same here. It's one thing to have a genuine need for a large vehicle, or 4WD, or whatnot. But around here it is purely status, and the bigger-is-better mentality. I have a friend who drives a newer suburban, and it's just her and her DD most of the time. I can't see any 'need' for them to own that huge thing.

DH bikes to work now, and we haven't put gas in our second car in over two months.







We fill up my car about once a month.


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## Arduinna (May 30, 2002)

I buy gas at most once a week and usually less than that. So no problem not buying gas for one day. Not really buying how it will make a difference since everyone will just fill up the day before or the day after.

And I really don't have a problem with the gas prices either.


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## grisandole (Jan 11, 2002)

I agree that the prices should wake people up! We live in the mts, and do need 4wd during the winter- but not everyday. So, we have dh's motorcycle, which he rides to work because it gets 40mpg; an old 4wd truck that we use on occasion to haul stuff and for winter- but not a daily driver. I drive either our old minivan or old volvo wagon, each get about 22mpg.

I think if you have a big car/suv/truck, it is a choice, and you should pay a "premium" on it.

Kristi


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## Knittin' in the Shade (Feb 14, 2003)

Quote:

Somebody needs to find out why the automobile manufactures don't use the knowledge they ALREADY HAVE to make efficient vehicles. Somebody needs to find out if the oil companies and car manufactures are in bed together. I'm sure they are, why else would there be gas guzzlers?
the auto manifacturers don't use the knowledge because there isn't a demand for it. Guaranteed if people stopped buying the gas guzzling suburbans/navigators/yukons, then the auto guys would come up with fuel efficient SUVs in a jiffy. Money talks, and that's the only language those manufacturers understand.


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## TiredX2 (Jan 7, 2002)

I have heard rumors that Toyota actually has plans to introduce basically their entire line in hybrid form within the next several years. The 2005 Highlander is suppose to be available as a hybrid (getting in the high 30s so I hear for a 7 passenger SUV). The technology is there, I am just excited to see it coming about.

I feel we drive waaaay too much, but I really don't know what to do about it. Today we: went to post office, Target, craft store, story time, park & a friend's house. I hate how much we drove (and we actually ate lunch out to save the gas/drive less miles, so we woulnd't have to tack on an extra 12 miles to get home and back) but I don't really see how to lessen it, either! Its very frustrating and causing me a small amt of stress.

I am not ticked about gas prices because I find them unreasonable, but because instead of the prices being $4 a gallon due to taxes to subsidize environmental clean ups, mass transit, alternative energy & the like, it is close to $2.50 so some CEO can line their pockets a bit more. uke

I honestly wish that everything actually cost what is costs to make, including living wage for everyone involved (plus minimum bennies), cost of environmental fixes, etc... Instead, costs go up up up and the money stays at the top.


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## TiredX2 (Jan 7, 2002)

If you really want to do something for the environment, trade your car in for an environmentally friendly Ebike.

Hey, coincidentally, I have one for sale on the TP http://www.mothering.com/discussions...99#post1443799

:LOL


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## Rainbow (Nov 19, 2001)

For those who need a 4WD you should explore the Subaru 4WD wagon- as far as I know the 4 Cyl engine version got the best emission ratings of any 4WD.
http://www.epa.gov/greenvehicle/allwgn-04.htm

I wish we lived somewhere with public transpertation. We don't... but we are making arrangements to sell our home in the pseudo-country and move back right by where DH works so we can be a 1 car family again. I'll be in walking distance of the farmers market and DH will be close to work. I'll feel much better about my contribution to this problem then.

I feel a change in usage is a must for us. Americans take up 5% of the world population and we use 40% of the worlds fuels. We, nearly alone, are consuming our home and planet. My daughter has a book speaking of earth that says "When she is sad, I am sad" and that is all I can think of when I look around at how so many of us are just destroying the only home we have







For what purpose? Are any of us happier or more fulfilled than when life was simpler?

egads... I'm sorry... got off on a tangent :LOL


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## Meiri (Aug 31, 2002)

Quote:

Take for instance those of us who live out in country we NEED 4WD to make it around come winter.
Riiight! the pavement ends one mile out from the downtowns.







:

We live in the borderland where suburb becomes country, or vice versa.
DH drives a good 50 minutes to work in a Saturn, hasn't gotten stuck yet.

I think the "NEED" for these honking big gas guzzlers is overstated, overrated. Someone wrote a whole article defending her SUV use in our paper last year. Frankly it was a crock: Gas-guzzler Apologetics. Unless you're hauling every day, or nearly so, it's cheaper and more gas efficient to have the stuff delivered. How many decks need to be built onto one SUV owner's house? How many kids are you schlepping around on a daily basis? _{Hauling building supplies was one of her justifications, hauling kids another.}_

I generally buy gas every other week. Plan to keep to that too. I think it's pathetic that my 8 year old Saturn gets better mileage than most new SUVs. Pathetic.


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## crazy_eights (Nov 22, 2001)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Meiri*
How many kids are you schlepping around on a daily basis? _{Hauling building supplies was one of her justifications, hauling kids another.}_.

Um, I'm hauling usually 6 or more, depending on the carpool. I wish there more gas efficient options out there, but there aren't once you get out of the minivan range. For some of us larger cars are a real need. I have kids in a school with no bus transportation and multiple carpools everyday. So who are you to sit as judge and jury on who "really" needs a larger car and who doesn't?


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## TiredX2 (Jan 7, 2002)

Mom2Six---

I don't know who would think that you don't *need* a large vehicle.

Many, many, many people, though suddenly *need* a large vehicle after one child. My DH was the first of his co-workers to have kids. We recently got a second car (now we have a Ford Escort & a Mini Cooper) but until then our family of four had one compact car. Meanwhile, his friends who have had children (one each) have upgraded to SUVs and mini-vans because now that they have the child, stroller, junk they "need" the space!?!? Really? Hmmmm. Sure you can want it, but do you really need it? It seems to be accepted around here that once you have a child---- you get a mini-van or SUV, a sedan just won't do it. And, I don't know anyone at his work that camps! LOL, other than us. In effect, people who drive small fuel efficient cars (which ours aren't, really) are subsidizing those w/gas guzzlers and that just doesn't seem fair to me.


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## grisandole (Jan 11, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Meiri*
Riiight! the pavement ends one mile out from the downtowns.







:

We live in the borderland where suburb becomes country, or vice versa.
DH drives a good 50 minutes to work in a Saturn, hasn't gotten stuck yet.

I think the "NEED" for these honking big gas guzzlers is overstated, overrated. Someone wrote a whole article defending her SUV use in our paper last year. Frankly it was a crock: Gas-guzzler Apologetics. Unless you're hauling every day, or nearly so, it's cheaper and more gas efficient to have the stuff delivered. How many decks need to be built onto one SUV owner's house? How many kids are you schlepping around on a daily basis? _{Hauling building supplies was one of her justifications, hauling kids another.}_

I generally buy gas every other week. Plan to keep to that too. I think it's pathetic that my 8 year old Saturn gets better mileage than most new SUVs. Pathetic.

Rainbow, we love the Subarus, and around here LOTS of folks have them. We just can't afford a new car right now.

Meri, like I said, I do live in the mtns, and there are places out here where you *can* get stuck a few days out of the winter if you don't have 4wd or at a minimum a vehicle with front wheel drive. But, I do agree with what you say, that just becuase you live in the country/mountains doesn't make 4wd a necessity.

We have a lot of dirt roads that aren't plowed here. The main roads are, but that's it. The street I live on doesn't get plowed. That being said, we didn't get stuck at all, I was even able to drive the RWD Volvo in the snow without spinning out







However, our dirt road is only 1/4 mile from the paved road. There are tons of places really far out, where the dirt roads are a minimum of 8miles from anything paved. 4wd is a good thing to have if you need to get to work everyday. Notice I said "good thing" not "necessity".

There is also a difference between having a 4wd vehicle and using it when necessary, and using one as a daily driver.

Mom2six, you obviously need a large van/truck. I don't think there's anything wrong with that.

Kristi


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## Rainbow (Nov 19, 2001)

Quote:

Rainbow, we love the Subarus, and around here LOTS of folks have them. We just can't afford a new car right now.
I hear you! I was just thinking that because alot of those who feel they need 4WD are buying brand new SUV's- so I thought I'd put it out there.


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## momto l&a (Jul 31, 2002)

We looked at Subarus but the insurance was sky high. More than we pay for 2 rigs with full coverage.


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## momto l&a (Jul 31, 2002)

Quote:

Riiight! the pavement ends one mile out from the downtowns.
Umm no that pavement ends in front of our house but many people where we live on this little side road have to walk home come winter time because the road hasnt been plowed and it quite steep.

My dh last winter when we lived 5 miles from where we do now took the Geo to work but because of the deep unplowed snow had to come home and get the 4WD.

We dont buy new, we let some else loose money on the rig first









We haul trailers.

We choose to live out where we can grow our own food and have a safe place for our children to grow. Thues we need some type of a rig that will work for us out in the country.

We drive the Geo when its just one or 2 of us going to town or whatever but when more of us go we take the larger rig.

Till you have driven and lived in my shoes let me make the descion as to what rig is best for our family.


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## GruppieGirl (Feb 19, 2002)

Boycotting gas stations for a day will not affect the large oil companies. It WILL affect the small gas station owners and the families who depend on them.

My dad owned a gas station for 30+ years. While there is not a lot of profit to be made by station owners on a tank of gas, the profits are still important to their livelihoods.

Boycotting gas stations is a cruel gesture towards your local gas station owners. I urge you to find more responsible ways to make your voice heard.


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## Ilaria (Jan 14, 2002)

The Toyota Highlander SUV Hybrid will be available in early 2005









Quote:

Tree huggers of the world unite! Environmental do-gooders, worrywarts about our imbalanced reliance on foreign oil, and grumblers about rising gas prices in general have a new reason to rejoice. The 2005 Toyota Highlander Hybrid will be the world's first seven-passenger hybrid SUV, offering a gas-sipping combined fuel economy rating of 27.6 miles to the gallon. What's more, the powerplant will output an impressive 270 peak horsepower, better than most fuel-quaffing mid-size SUVs.
http://www.autosite.com/Previews/200...der-hybrid.asp

http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2004/Jan/1022598.htm


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## MamaChel (Mar 28, 2003)

I really wish it was as simple as not buying gas or gettinga smaller vehicle. DH uses our vehicle as his office- he installs satellite equipment so we need the hauling capacity in order to survive. He carries a 32 ft ladder, a 6 ft ladder, all his tools and equipment on the truck on a daily basis. Unfortunately that also means that he's driving every day- as unappealing as that is to us, starving isn't an option either. Neither is buying a new truck, most newer fuel efficient vehicles that can do what we need would cost more than our house is worth.

So we do what we can- we severely limit our driving as a family - cramming all of our errands, entertainment, etc into one day per week. This leaves my DS and myself stranded for the other 6 days as we live in a very unsafe neighborhood where playing outside is not safe and public transportation is a joke- we're talking 2-4 hours to go 20 minutes from the house.

The current gas prices are killing us- we have had to forgo groceries for the last 2 weeks so DH could work. Finding another job is not exactly an option- there aren't many where we are and it took him over 2 years to get this one. I've never lived anywhere but the US so I can't compare my experiences with anywhere else but it's so hard to look at your kids and know that there may not be food tomorrow b/c Papa has to go to work. Given a choice, I'd rather have a smaller vehicle but we really don't have that option.


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## root*children (Mar 22, 2004)

A couple thoughts:
My husband as well just bought a new (to him) street dirt bike. Those get awesome gas mileage. He works as a subcontractor and kayaks nearly everyday after work. We live 45 min. from town on a 4WD mountain. Seems as if there's always a way to work it out, though. He leaves tools at the job site, locked up and his boating gear in a friend's shed who lives a few blocks from the river.

There are also plenty of small 4WD cars. No need to get a gas gussler and use the excuse that you live in the country (unless hauling things - inc. many kids - is in the daily picture).

Also, I'm surprised noone has brought up the Greasil yet! What a cool new concept. 4WD burly trucks and such... running off McDonalds french fry grease. About everyone out in these parts lives in the country and they are starting to show up around here!

Oh yay, MamaChel, I couldn't tell by your post if you live in the city or suburbs. Sounds though since public transportation is an option, that you may live in the city. We used to live in a city and got around (almost) everywhere with the bike towing the Burley Trailer. That baby's got a "trunk" that we hauled ALL our groceries in (yes, even dog food!), and can also hold 2 kiddos. If I needed to go somewhere far away, I just waited til the weekend or til DH came home at night to use the car.

ohoh! wait... one more thing (I promise I'm almost done!). We drive a All-Trac (4WD) Toyota Previa '93. Gets really good gas mileage for a 4WD car and rocks out on the 4WD roads!


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## grisandole (Jan 11, 2002)

Also, here, a LOT of suv's and trucks, particularly ones owned by businesses, use alternative fuel sources; I think most of them use propane, and some use biodiesel! They give you a cool license plate, too









Kristi


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## wende (Oct 4, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *EFmom*
SUVs, pick-ups and minivans are not subject to the CAFE requirements. There is no incentive for automakers to make these vehicles more efficient. If you chose to buy one, the message you send to automakers is that fuel efficiency is not a priority.


Or if you choose to buy one it's because you don't have much of a choice. I have 4 kids. In order to fit us all into one vehicle I need at least 6 seats. I don't see any compact, fuel efficient cars that will fit us all and public transportation is just not something that I'm willing to deal with on a regular basis.


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## MamaChel (Mar 28, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *dready*mama*

Oh yay, MamaChel, I couldn't tell by your post if you live in the city or suburbs. Sounds though since public transportation is an option, that you may live in the city. We used to live in a city and got around (almost) everywhere with the bike towing the Burley Trailer. That baby's got a "trunk" that we hauled ALL our groceries in (yes, even dog food!), and can also hold 2 kiddos. If I needed to go somewhere far away, I just waited til the weekend or til DH came home at night to use the car.


I live in the city but we rarely leave the house unless DH is with us. My life has been threatened more than once walking up to the post box 2 blocks away. Even the police stay away from my neighborhood if there's anything going on. Or as our news showed yesterday- if nobody is dead they don't even bother to respond. We will be moving within the month and a huge consideration for us is walking distance to groceries, etc. Ilived in a large safe city for 3 years and hauled everything in a cart, walked everywhere, etc. Where we are now it's just not feasable, nor is leaving tools, equipment, etc. at a job site as DH has 3-6 job sites per day. We specifically need the larger vehicle for DH to work. I don't even drive, I prefer to walk. I really wish we lived in an area where I could walk without being in fear of mine and my children's lives. I hate being so dependent on cars.


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## root*children (Mar 22, 2004)

I totally understand your position on DH needing a car, I was just explaining my dh's job situation... That being said, wow! what city do you live in? it sounds awful... I hope you get to move soon!


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## thistle (Aug 10, 2002)

I hate how much we drive too. We bought pretty much the only house we could afford but now we are 7 miles from the nearest grocery store and it is so skanky that I won't go there unless absolutely necessary. And there is no public transport to speak of out here. There is one service that you can reserve 24 hrs in advance, but it costs $3.50 each way. A regular bus ride in town is 50 cents. We only live 11 mi from the center of town, but in a newly developing area, so we don't have many services. WE just have 1 car.

I try to combine trips and only do the out and back once. D can get a ride home sometimes, but getting a ride in makes him too late.


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## Piglet68 (Apr 5, 2002)

I think trying to decide who "deserves" a big rig and who doesn't is pointless. Take the focus away from the individuals and move it to the bigger picture. MOST people don't need the size and power of SUV's and big hauling trucks. MOST people don't HAVE to live in the suburbs where they must drive to everything. If we changed the way we designed our cities, and focussed more efforts on good public transportation, bike friendly roads, etc. then things might change. I agree that making it more expensive to drive is a good way to do this. My heart goes out to families who depend on that, but you are the minority in a vast wasteland of squandering gasoline resources and automobiles.

I do find it awfully hard to sympathize with all the Americans whining about gas prices these days. Even at $2/gallon it's a joke filling up my tank compared to back home, where prices are 95 cents a litre (that's about $4 a gallon).

When people ask me if I get "sticker shock" at the pumps, I say "yeah! I can't believe how cheap the gas is here!".









By the way: Toyota is apparently coming out with a hybrid version of the Sienna soon. I'm more of a station wagon type myself, and am thinking of a Subaru outback or legacy for our next vehicle. Right now we drive a very fuel-efficient Mazda Protege. We sold DH's BMW shortly after we got married b/c we prefer urban living and really didn't need (or want) two vehicles.


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## MamaChel (Mar 28, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *dready*mama*
That being said, wow! what city do you live in? it sounds awful... I hope you get to move soon!

Detroit. We're leaving at the end of the month. I hate it here.

Piglet68- ITA about most people. I really wish we had decent public transportation as that is my preferred method of travel, unless I can walk and my walking distance is about 2 miles one way- which make most people gasp. I miss good public transportation.

It is hard getting used to a change when you have had something else your whole life. We get sticker shock because we're not used to high gas prices. It does make an impact on our choices which isn't necessarily a bad thing.

DH thinks we should have lower gas prices. Personally I think we should have a better public transportation system. We live in the Motor City so I really don't see that happening.


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## beanma (Jan 6, 2002)

can i say BIODIESEL BIODIESEL BIODIESEL!

with B100 biodiesel 100% of the fuel is derived from either virgin soy or other veggie oils or from _used_ oil (aka french fry grease) that is filtered and processed into fuel. B100 biodiesel could completely eliminate our dependence on middle eastern petroleum based fuels. you can have your patriotism and environmentalism both -- 100% renewable fuel made in the USA. plus, it will run in any newer diesel vehicle without modification to the vehicle. just fill 'er up and go.

we have a 2000 vw jetta tdi we run on biodiesel. the only drawback to it is it slightly increases NOx emissions, but all other emisions are reduced if i am remembering correctly. (mommy brain, but i'm pretty sure that's right.) dh is the one who got us into it and is getting hooked up with an outfit near us that's going to produce it commercially.

if anybody is interested in learning more, www.biodiesel.org is a great starting point.

on the point of the boycott, i received this a few weeks ago:

Quote:

I hear we are going to hit close to $3.00 a gallon by the summer.* Want gasoline prices to come down?* We need to take some intelligent, united action.* Philip Hollsworth, offered this good idea: This makes MUCH MORE SENSE than the "don't buy gas on a certain day" campaign that was going around last April or May!* The oil companies just laughed at that because they knew we wouldn't continue to "hurt" ourselves by refusing to buy gas.

It was more of an inconvenience to us than it was a problem for them.* BUT, whoever thought of this idea, has come up with a plan that can really work.

Please read it and join with us!

By now you're probably thinking gasoline priced at about $1.50 is super cheap.* Me too!* It is currently $1.97 for regular unleaded in my town.* Now that the oil companies and the OPEC nations have conditioned us to think that the cost of a gallon of gas is CHEAP at $1.50- $1.75, we need to take aggressive action to teach them that BUYERS control the marketplace....not sellers.* With the price of gasoline going up more each day, we consumers need to take action.* The only way we are going to see the price of gas come down is if we hit someone in the pocketbook by not purchasing their gas!

And, we can do that WITHOUT hurting ourselves.* How?* Since we all rely on our cars, we can't just stop buying gas.* But we CAN have an impact on gas prices if we all act together to force a price war.

Here!* 's the idea: For the rest of this year, DON'T purchase ANY gasoline from the two biggest companies (which now are one), EXXON and MOBIL.* If they are not selling any gas, they will be inclined to reduce their prices.* If they reduce their prices, the other companies will have to follow suit.* But to have an impact, we need to reach literally millions of Exxon and Mobil gas buyers.

It's really simple to do!!* Now, don't whimp out on me at this point...keep reading and I'll explain how simple it is to reach millions of people!!

I am sending this note to about thirty people.* If each of you send it to, at least, ten more (30 x 10 = 300) .* And those 300 send it to at least ten more (300 x 10 = 3,000)...and so on, by the time the message reaches the sixth generation of people, we will have reached over THREE MILLION consumers!* If those three million get excited and pass this on to ten friends each, then
30 million people will have been contacted!* If it goes one level further, you guessed it.....* THREE HUNDRED MILLION PEOPLE!!!

Again, all You have to do is send this to 10 people.* That's all.* (If you don't understand how we can reach 300 million and all you have to do is send this to 10 people....* Well, let's face it, you just aren't a mathematician.

But I am ..* so trust me on this one.)

How long would all that take?* If each of us sends this email out to ten more people within one day of receipt, all 300 MILLION people could conceivably be contacted within the next 8 days!!!* I'll bet you I didn't think you and I had that much potential, did you!* Acting together we can make a difference.

If this makes sense to you, please pass this message on.* PLEASE HOLD OUT UNTIL THEY LOWER THEIR PRICES TO THE $1.30 RANGE AND KEEP THEM DOWN.*

THIS CAN REALLY WORK.
check out the biodiesel, though!


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## shantimama (Mar 11, 2002)

Ummmm.......... living on the borderland where suburb meets country isn't quite the same as living in the country. Some of us live two or three hours from a large city (here that would be defined as a city of over 30 000 people.) There are unpaved roads, many steep hills, minimum 4 feet of snow in the winter - which drifts over the roads because of winds off of the lake. In the winter months storms can come up where all of the roads are closed - which means that on many of the days they are open we are only a few flakes away from road closures.

I agree that most owners of large vehicles don't need them (I don't have one, by the way) but please don't assume that no-one does. There may not be many people who live in remote areas (that's why they are called remote, right?







) but they are out there.


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## dfoy (Nov 20, 2001)

I have a 5 year old Honda CRV that I fill up once every 2 weeks; more often if we make a trip to MILs which is about 60 miles away.

We live within 3 miles of where I work and we are lucky enough to have a Target within 2 miles, a Wild Oats within 1 mile and a Hen House within 2 miles. Dd's preschool is also within 2 miles of home. Any trips to the above stores for an item forgotten on our weekly trips are made by walking.

I would bike to work if it weren't for having to drop off the little one to pre-school - oh, and the fact that I already have to get up at 5:30 to get to work on time....I really don't want to add another 1/2 hour to my morning routine.

My next car, which I don't plan to buy for another 5 years, will be either a hybrid or, if marketed and easy to maintain in my part of the world, a hydrogen fuel cell car.

I would use public transportation more, as would my dh (he has a 30 mille commute one way to work) if it were available. It is very, very limited in the greater Kansas City area.

I agree that gas prices have been artificially low for way too long and that the only way for change to occur (people buying more fuel efficient cars; car makers manufacturing more fuel efficient cars) is for it to hurt the pocketbook.

I also agree that there is no sense in debating who is "worthy" of a gas guzzler and who is not....it comes down to taking ownership; of taking responsibility for the environment. If you need an SUV for some reason, then find other ways to conserve.


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## beanma (Jan 6, 2002)

sierra magazine had a write up this month about hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. it might bear more investigation. they don't make it sound so great...

Quote:

http://sierraclub.org/sierra/200405/lol.asp

There's also the small matter of producing the hydrogen, which doesn't occur in its pure form on Earth. One option is to split hydrogen from water using electricity, but unless the electricity comes from a renewable source like wind or solar, this method could end up increasing greenhouse-gas emissions. The Bush administration, ever eager to prop up the coal, oil, and nuclear industries, advocates extracting hydrogen from fossil fuels and splitting it from water using nuclear power. Daniel Becker, director of the Sierra Club's Global Warming and Energy Program, characterizes this approach as "a nicotine patch that causes cancer."

The Department of Energy estimates that Bush's hydrogen fuel-cell initiatives could reduce demand for petroleum by 11 million barrels per day by 2040. But making gas-powered cars even slightly more efficient would achieve huge savings a whole lot sooner. If U.S. cars averaged a very achievable 40 miles a gallon, we could cut oil consumption by 4 million barrels per day right now-nearly as much as the United States imports from OPEC.


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## Icequeen_in_ak (Mar 6, 2004)

I struggle with my daily guilt associated with my vehicle, but I feel stuck.

I have a HUGE 4 door (king cab) pickup with a V-10 gas guzzler! The engine was selected for it's ability to tow heavy loads (which hubby does frequently) up the very steep hill to our house.

The enormasity (is that a word??) was chosen by me.... and this is why... I live in a community where I would venture to guess that a good 80% of the vehicles on the road are large pickups/suvs. I wanted something just as big, if not bigger to protect my child in the event of a collision. It may be "weak" reasoning, but it is the honest truth. I never want to imagine what she would go through if we were hit by an Excursion while we were in a Honda.

However, my DD and I only leave the house a couple of times a week, so we don't spend a whole lot of time driving it or polluting the environment (and we drive even less during the winter when air quality is even worse). My DH drives a Honda accord to work and back every day.

Now.... as a previous oil company employee of 12 years... I know that there has been technology for YEARS that completely eliminated the need for fuel powered cars. The oil companies purchased those patents to ensure they would never make it to the production lines. I take my hats off to the companies that are now producing the hybrids!!!!

During my years at the oil companies, I discovered they are truly evil. They care about nothing more than money.... people mean nothing to them, so I can say anything we can do to put a big old dent in their pockets works for me!!! (hoping all of my friends that still work in oil don't hunt me down and kill me for that statement!)


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## Meiri (Aug 31, 2002)

I wasn't saying that there aren't people who don't need larger vehicles. Obviously with 4 kids, 6 kids, etc, there's need. Obviously if you live on a mountain with unpaved roads...There's a need.

But in this area, suburbs of Pittsburgh, the area in which the woman writing the SUV Apologetics article lives, those conditions do not exist to match the numbers of SUVs on the roads, in the parking lots, in the driveways.....

If these vehicles were only being purchased based on NEED, then there wouldn't be remotely so many. That was my point. Not that I should judge who does or does not need, just that their prevelance is so not NEED driven, at least not around here.

BTW I'm the oldest of six kids. For a long time my family had a 12 passenger van and a Volkswagen Bug. This was before carseats were mandatory, and when my youngest brother was a baby, we all fit into that bug and went to church in it: baby in Mom's arms, 3 oldest kids in backseat, twins in the back-back(behind that backseat). I still laugh at how people looked as we all piled out: the neverending stream of kids.:LOL


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## applejuice (Oct 8, 2002)

The oil companies know that you will be in on Tuesday, May 18, or Thursday, May 20, so don't hold your breath.

They know that you are coming in sooner or later anyway.


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## etoilech (Mar 25, 2004)

We are getting a diesel Volvo V50 with a particle filter (the catch all the yuck/dangerous particulate matter that made diesel so unattractive to me). I am so glad Volvo will finally offers a diesel car with a particle filter. Mercedes, BMW, VW, and many others are following suit next year. We get the benefit of an extremely fuel efficent car (diesel) without the nasty crap that makes diesel so gross and unattractive to so many. Particulate matter is DIRTY and this makes it a non-issue. I am a very happy camper.

We live in Europe and gas is oh about $4 USD a gallon so when my mum complains about gas prices at home, I have to tell her to stop before I get angry.

I'd LOVE to have an SUV, but everytime I look at one I think:

A) how am I ever going to park this in Switzerland (think teeny tiny roads and parking spaces), it's bad enough with a wagon.

B) we REALLY do NOT need an SUV, I would feel guilty driving it.

Now when Lexus/Toyota comes out with their hybrid SUV... I might have to reconsider. lol BUt, for now it is just an unjustified want not a NEED (we live 10 minutes from town, no mountain in sight, little snow, and have one kid).

I'll have to read more about biodiesel, because it sounds rather interesting.

Olivia


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## HoneymoonBaby (Mar 31, 2004)

For everyone who is considering purchasing an SUV for 4-wheel-drive (winter driving) or collision safety reasons:

I drive an Audi A6. It gets decent (not stellar at 20-25 mpg, but better than an SUV) gas mileage, and is equipped with a full-time all-wheel-drive system that makes winter driving easy. It is rated very well in crash tests. The thing weighs nearly 4,000 pounds and is rock solid -- I'm no longer afraid of being hit by an SUV because lots of them look flimsy in comparison to my Audi "Tank." It feels so safe to me. It's also fun to drive!

I recommend any of you considering an SUV for winter driving or safety reasons to check out German and Swedish sedans and wagons. I know BMW and Volvo (in addition to Audi) make excellent, safe all-wheel-drive cars that are well-designed for winter driving -- after all, it's snowy in Northern Europe during the winter! Volkswagen also has an all-wheel-drive system available on their Passat. Yes, these cars are pricey, but when you compare them with an American SUV, they're only a couple of thousand more, and many times you can find them slightly used for much, much less than an SUV (that's what I did). European cars also generally last a lot longer than American cars. My Audi is 6 years old and still looks (and usually drives) showroom new. My DH's Ford Explorer is the same age and is literally falling apart.


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## Mrs. Edwards (Nov 14, 2003)

I hate to rain on the parade here but apparently this email is false. http://www.snopes.com/politics/business/nogas.asp


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## Brisen (Apr 5, 2004)

German cars!

Dh's parents had all VWs; he and his bro got their vanagon when they were away at the same uni, and then their parents traded back for a Jetta after we were married. Loved that car (except I couldn't drive a stick and didn't want to risk ruining it!). IIRC it had more than 600K kms when dh crashed it, and was running well. I would love a volvo. It was such a shock to start putting gas in to our Mazda weekly (it's a small tank, but still) after filling up *monthly* on the Jetta. I'm doing my math right, we're paying about $2.50 US a gallon. I didn't realize it was so bad in Europe.

We found a great mechanic who specialized in vws and used quality used parts. While they don't tend to need as much maintenande afaik, foreign car parts are usually $$$.


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## AmyB (Nov 21, 2001)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Icequeen_in_ak*
I struggle with my daily guilt associated with my vehicle, but I feel stuck.

I have a HUGE 4 door (king cab) pickup with a V-10 gas guzzler! The engine was selected for it's ability to tow heavy loads (which hubby does frequently) up the very steep hill to our house.

The enormasity (is that a word??) was chosen by me.... and this is why... I live in a community where I would venture to guess that a good 80% of the vehicles on the road are large pickups/suvs. I wanted something just as big, if not bigger to protect my child in the event of a collision. It may be "weak" reasoning, but it is the honest truth.

If safety is your primary concern then a pick-up truck is absolutely the worst choice you could make. It might make you feel "safe" but in reality it is more dangerous to people both inside and outside of the vehicle than driving a Honda Civic. Take a look at the chart on page 4 of this report on traffic deaths by vehicle type and model: http://www.aceee.org/pubs/t021full.pdf

You'll see that your pickup truck is actually far more likely to kill someone else's child than it is to save your own. If you really want to drive the safest car, the chart clearly shows that your best choice is a minivan.

--AmyB


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## flitters (Sep 18, 2003)

The same report also showed (p. 10) that in a car-truck accident, people in the car die much more often than in a car-car accident and people in the truck die somewhat less often. If my biggest vehicle safety concern was the potential of being in an accident with someone else driving a truck, I'd rather be in a truck than a car myself.

Sorry if this is continuing to veer off topic.


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## Brisen (Apr 5, 2004)

But then, when does it stop? If everyone gets a pickup/SUV to protect their family, what do you do? Buy a hummer?

My dad has always refused to buy or even rent (for vacations) a van because he's concerned about roll overs. (I think he's info is a little old, lol.) He would drive us in his big diesel work truck (it has two rows of full-size bench seats) on our trips, he even built a locking box in the back for our stuff, since there obviously was no trunk. I loved that truck.


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## flitters (Sep 18, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Brisen*
But then, when does it stop? If everyone gets a pickup/SUV to protect their family, what do you do? Buy a hummer?

It is not a good situation. I'm hoping the hybrid minivans and SUVs find their way into the market sooner rather than later.


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## MamaMonica (Sep 22, 2002)

The problem with hybrid minivans/SUVs is the gas mileage is going to be 30-70 percent improved-- perhaps getting the mileage of a large sedan since they are still big vehicles. I'm wondering if when people see the actual gas mileage they get if that won't be a problem with sales.

A small hybrid, being lighter gets more gas mileage since it's starting from a higher mpg- being a compact car or small sedan. To get the 50-55 mpg in a hybrid, the car needs to be small.

I have no fear driving a small car. I drove a Geo Metro (54 mpg city- it was manual transmission) with no problems for 8 years and now we have a Prius and a Saturn.


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## Leatherette (Mar 4, 2003)

I buy gas maybe once a month (love Hondas), so it was easy not to buy today.

L.


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## Plady (Nov 20, 2001)

I will respond as I always do to this email (which comes around every year it seems). When the price of a renewable resource, milk, costs less per gallon than a gallon of a non-renewable resource, gas, I will begin to take notice.

Until the time that we pay the true price of non-renewable resources instead of squandering them away for convenience's sake, I will not freak about gas prices. I'd much rather a stink be made about how we have allowed society to become so dependent on resources like oil that we have no control over instead of bucking up and putting our money, energy and time into finding ways to become independent of other nations' riches. We should also be outraged not only at ourselves for becoming so dependent but we should be outraged that we are leading virtually every developing nation on the planet down the same garden path. What will become of us all when the oil runs out? Do we really think we'll stay calm and figure it out without countless people getting hurt or killed in the process? I highly doubt it.
Okay. Rant over.


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## Brisen (Apr 5, 2004)

I have been wondering what the solution is. Someone mentioned that gas is subsidized by the gov't (I think) -- at the pumps, consumers pay an artificially low price, in any case. If I'm not mistaken, we have the same situation with hydro -- the gov't has been subsidizing it, and is in huge debt, but no one wants prices to go up. Well, it's got to be paid for, and hey, maybe people will take energy conservation more seriously if they pay the real price. Of course, that hits the poor the hardest, so it's a tricky situation with which to deal. We pay artificially low prices for all sorts of things, and it can't go on forever -- I just wonder what the transition will look like.

I could be completely wrong about everything I just wrote above -- I'm just working from the impressions I've gotten from reading stuff here and there. Please, anyone, point out any mistakes I've made.







I want to learn more.


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## beanma (Jan 6, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Plady*
When the price of a renewable resource, milk, costs less per gallon than a gallon of a non-renewable resource, gas, I will begin to take notice.

good point.

can i just say BIODIESEL again. it's a completely renewable resource. think about it. our fuel can be farmed instead of having oil rigs cluttering up the planets oceans and land, too. no need to open up the artic wildlife refuge to drilling when some tobacco farmers could just grow soybeans instead...


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## fourgrtkidos (Jan 6, 2004)

Beanma..... where do we find out about BIODIESEL and what car can use it?


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## beanma (Jan 6, 2002)

http://www.biodiesel.org is a good place to start for more info on biodiesel. you can run it in any diesel vehicle with little or no modifications. we run it in our 2000 vw jetta tdi with no modifications. on some really old diesels you might need to swap out some hoses. there's a local outfit near me trying to get started refining it from used veggie oil (aka french fry grease). they're hoping the local school system will use it in their buses.

it's really cool, i tell ya!









p.s. here's another, maybe better, link -- http://www.biodieselnow.com/default.asp


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## pamamidwife (May 7, 2003)

I believe Europeans pay far more for gas than we do here in the states. Sure, it sucks from what we're used to, but geez, if it could change one person's driving habits each day, that would be an improvement.

I think all the complaining about gas prices is pretty silly. Really, we have it quite good.


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