Noticing a difference in driving habits

[davidjones1]

they've slowed here a lot and a lot more bikes on the road. we are just getting to the $4.00 mark and you can tell by the driving.
ride safe.

[Top Cat]

I wish they would put our Governor on a truck ;)
Oh, you are talking about a speed control device ;)

I thought I noticed Arnold riding shotgun on a big rig recently in Cali!



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I paid $5.20 for Premium in Baker, Ca. and Premium here is $4.88. It's been way over $4 all year.

Maybe letting gas get to $5 a gallon is the government's secret plan to deal with crumbling infrastructure. People tend to burn up cars like Bic lighters, but they also slowly burn up roads and bridges, and one real way to combat that is by reducing traffic and making everyone drive slower.

I'm no traffic engineer, but the effect is probably logarithmic in nature. If everybody slows down 1% they save maybe 1% on wear, but if we slow down 5% they save 10% and if we slow down 20% they save 50%. Please don't quote me on those figures, but I'll bet it works something like that. Each small reduction in speed conveys increasing benefits.

[formikec]

Call me an idiot (I've been called worse), and I can't believe I'm going to say this, but I kind of hope gas stays around $4 for a while...maybe more people will turn to mass transit, learn to combine trips, get rid of big trucks and SUV's unless they REALLY need them, etc. And, maybe there will continue to be an increase in bikes...more bikes means people have no choice but learn to look for them.

[dantama]

Originally Posted by formikec

Call me an idiot (I've been called worse), and I can't believe I'm going to say this, but I kind of hope gas stays around $4 for a while...maybe more people will turn to mass transit, learn to combine trips, get rid of big trucks and SUV's unless they REALLY need them, etc. And, maybe there will continue to be an increase in bikes...more bikes means people have no choice but learn to look for them.

I'm looking forward to the day when sports cars become status symbols instead of SUV's again.

[seeker]

If there has been a change in driving habits around the Houston area, I sure can't tell it. I ride a good bit on I45, Beltway 8, and Hwy 59. Haven't noticed traffic going any slower, hell, it may have gotten a little faster.

[buckeye]

Town folk here seem to be driving less. A lot more scooters on the road. Farmers (this is a big farm area) don't seem to care much. We have a new Ethanol plant here. You can figure a medium size 1000 acre farm will yield about 200 bussels of corn per acre this year. At $7 to $8 a bushel he will sell his crop for $1,500,000.00 and thats not chicken feed!!

[davidjones1]

I think that is one of the best things that has come from this, that our farmers are finally starting to make money they have been hurting for along time, (the ones I know) I don't like the high fuel cost but it is what it is. I only drive the truck when I have too and cut back on the trips too town as much as we can and ride the nomad ever where and time I can witch is plus in my book!!
ride safe.

[beezer]

Gas prices are bad so I go like hell and really enjoy every penny's worth ;)

[coacha]

I have seen some drop off in speed around here, namely me. I play a game in my wife's Focus to see how well I can do on my MPG when I drive it. Two weeks ago I had to drive to Orlando and got 38 with it by dropping my speed, not braking hard, etc. I have been parking the F150 more and riding more.

[aj]

The fuel problem is effecting people over here as well. You cant sell a big car to anyone. With everyone going to little rice burners. My wife has a Mazda 3, its great on fuel and not bad to drive. I have a 2 tonne 4WD Mitsubishi that runs on diesel - using my math with my shoes and sox off!! I pay $7.23 US per US gall, at least thats what the company I work for pays. ($300 per week). :-[ ??? :(" title="" border="0"/>

formikc, I gotta tell you that is a "FANTASTIC" colour scheme on your ride!!!!!

Since I don't drive a car much I'm actually thinking about getting something bigger, just because the price would be attractive. Besides we already have the bike and a Toyauto. If I only have to drive it 2000 miles a year the price of gas is practiaclly a non-issue. The rest of the time I ride the bike anyway.

[formikec]

formikc, I gotta tell you that is a "FANTASTIC" colour scheme on your ride!!!!!

Thanks. It's just stock. My stock blondie. ;)

[rksaw]

One of the main excuses I used to get my Nomad was that my truck only gets 11 mpg, and even though the 'mad isn't the most miserly regarding gas, I'll get at least 3 times the mpg as I would from the F150. Living on the coast means I have to deal with quite a bit of rain, so one of the things I will do is to decide now that I will be riding in the rain as long as I can still be safe. One of the things I hate worse than riding in the rain, is riding in the fog!
Rich