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Many people do buy smaller cars with smaller engines and manual transmissions to save gas and money there though. That might take a long time to catch on in America with the "I NEED a huge vehicle" culture.
We drive a big ol' Land Rover, as do all our neighbours (or similar big SUVs, anyhow) because our roads are crap and you have to be able to drive into and out of ditches on either side...while hauling trailers of livestock.
It's true we have a 'trade-off' as mentioned before, of high taxes for services like a national healthcare system...but hospitals here are few and far between. My closest's over an hour away.
Lots of driving...lots of money...and everything in the supermarket (also an hour away!) is getting more and more expensive because of it.
Even things like those minivan offerings are probably more fuel efficient with smaller gasoline engine options and diesel options.
Exactly... California Diesel emission Standard is so strict that most of the European Diesels can't meet it and still be reliable...
Before an engine type can be sold in this country it has to be certified by the EPA... this is costly and time consuming... so the US model European cars only certify a fraction of the engine options for state side buyers...
Yes,petrol is crazy expensive in Europe but when I lived there I spent very little time in the car.
So do I, but that is only because gas is so expensive that one cannot afford driving. I live on the countryside, with about 10 kilometers to the closest bus stop and 30 kilometers to the closest city... I don't go to town very often
Want to gasp over the gas price? It's over 9 USD/gallon right now in my area, and we're expecting a 1-2 USD rise during the summer...
Heck my Sisters and Family who still in germany , my dad and one sister still have no Car or Truck and say there not planning on getting one either.
They can get where they want to go with Bus, Strassenbahn or Train, Taxi.....
I think most of Europe is in a better position to absorb the impacts of high oil prices, given the way their cities are laid out and their highly developed public trans systems.
The reason Americans drive so many miles per day is because we want our cities organized into purely residential, commercial, and industrial districts - all based on the idea of transport via automobile. Want to cut our oil consumption, start with the zoning boards.
I think it is crazy to say "Oh we don't have it bad here look at europe". In europe you can walk,bike, take the bus, or the train to where ever. We do not have that luxury unless you move some where like portland or nyc. And not everyone can afford to live in those cities.
I think it is crazy to say "Oh we don't have it bad here look at europe". In europe you can walk,bike, take the bus, or the train to where ever. We do not have that luxury unless you move some where like portland or nyc. And not everyone can afford to live in those cities.
City Dwellers here have the same options... San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose and Sacramento... to name a few.
The allure of City Living isn't enough for many when given the choice to live a less urban life...
With the price of fuel rising... it might not be too long before not everyone can afford to live in the suburbs and rural areas...
City Dwellers here have the same options... San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose and Sacramento... to name a few.
I know like I said the cost of living in those types of areas is very high. So sure even if gas goes up to $5+ for regular people still would rather live in the areas with no public transportation because housing is cheaper.
I think it is crazy to say "Oh we don't have it bad here look at europe". In europe you can walk,bike, take the bus, or the train to where ever.
I'm in Europe, and I have no bus or train within an hour's drive, and the nearest village is a two-hour walk--I don't mind the walk down, but walking two hours uphill with enough to feed a family of five is a sad thing, especially in a country that never stops raining on you. In European CITIES perhaps your generalisation is true. But most Europeans don't live in cities. My nearest hospital is over an hour's drive away.
High fuel prices hit us as hard as anyone, and not just for travel expenses. The price of everything that's been transported to the shops (and that's everything) is going up. Running the farm machinery is more expensive than ever. Heating our houses is becoming a nightmare. And who's hurt the most? The elderly, the sick, the poor. As usual.
I would LOVE to be paying only four dollars per gallon to fill my fuel tank. The OP is right: we should all count our blessings, and look for blessings in surprising places!
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Not crazy
