Gas rant

I have blogged in detail about the "wonders" of the CTA. While I had been dubious of buses in my previous travels, I have developed a certain appreciation. You never have to walk far for a bus. You are going to wait for any kind of transit. However, I would never take a bus in a place I didn't know.

Also, I have noticed that during commuting hours, the proportion of women to men is huge. However, during off-hours, I do see more guys on the bus. All the guys I know use the train, even though construction makes the train pretty inefficient.

However, I am still a big fan of public transit. Especially in the face of rising gas prices, greenhouse gases and global temperatures. My inner hippie comes out. I try to walk whenever possible, but if I need to get somewhere, I try to take public transit.

Besides being better for the planet, I can't afford gas. In Chicago, the price is around $3.69 in LP, $3.49 elsewhere. That's ridiculous! And the trick is that people still pay it! Oh, there is more bitching and moaning, but the reason prices continue to rise, ahead of schedule, is because the market allows it. The email boycotts won't work, because it doesn't reduce consumption, just reschedules it. After Hurricane Katrina, people panicked at the thought of $3 gas. They began driving more mindfully. SUV sales plummeted; carpooling increased; and people just fought the spike in price. Shortly after, prices fell again. (this article seems to notice the same things I do)

Relatively speaking, the US doesn't pay very much. Britain pays crazy money. Then again, they also use those taxes to fund socialized medicine. And maybe if we refused to pay this much for oil-based fuel, we would actually pursue viable alternatives, as was all the talk after Katrina.

If you don't put up with high gas prices, you won't have to. Because prices will fall. Stop falling for it. Stop sponsoring corporate greed and technological laziness.