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With gas at $4-plus, some catch the bus and others miss the point entirely



  3. AndreaKnoll
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With pump prices acting as strong a deterrent, Americans are putting the breaks on their driving habits. DOT Federal Highway Administration mileage figures released earlier this month show, "the sharpest yearly drop for any month in FHWA history."

Estimated vehicle miles on public roads in March 2008 fell 4.3% when compared to the same month last year, with Americans driving 11 billion fewer miles in total. It was the first time that March driving figure had declined since 1979.

With gas prices like daylight robbery, commuters are choosing to skip the pump and run –– to the nearest bus stop. The American Public Transportation Association reports that last year ridership reached levels not seen in 50 years, with 10.3 billion bus, trolley and train trips taken in 2007. Furthermore, they report that a staggering 35% of summer travelers say they are likely to use public transit to save on driving costs when visiting other cities.

All this is good news for the environment, but extremely bad news for car makers. New car sales dropped by 7 % in April; the seasonally adjusted sales total of 14.4 million vehicles was the worst in 13 years.

With car sales plummeting, car dealers are resorting to desperate measures to move vehicles. One Butler, MO dealer is offering a choice of $250 in gas or a free semi-automatic handgun with purchase. We're not sure why the handgun needs to be semi-automatic (how many people do Missouri drivers need to shoot in one go?), but so far it's by far the preferred option, with 80% of customers opting for a coupon which they can exchange for a gun once they've passed the require background check.

"It's a choice –– protection or gas," said Walter Moore of Max Motors. "We got high gas prices, theft, carjackings, innocent people getting hurt."

We could be wrong, but it seems like Walter’s customers aren’t the Prius-buying type. It's attitudes like these that make Walter's namesake Michael Moore so proud –– of Canadians. We're figuring Walter skipped Michael's anti-firearm flick Bowling for Columbine when it came out in theaters, but would like to think he might catch up with it on DVD since it notoriously features a bank which offered a similar bonus for new customers. Ultimately, the film showed that guns are about as bad for people as fossil fuels are for the planet. Again, we could be wrong, but we thought the end-game was to get rid of both.

http://www.dailymantra.com
AndreaKnoll

17 responses // With gas at $4-plus, some catch the bus and others miss the point entirely

  • With gas prices on the rise I have made efforts to curb my driving by biking to work, it saves me a lot of money.
    sail4life8
  • My family has a 2003 Prius, so we don't have to pollute or spend as much.
    current89
  • That means it is good for all of us. Less pollution overall. What it is sad it is that many people will do it only when they are forced to do it!
    Maybe now they all can pay more attention to the Public Transportation problem. What I see actually is more and more people walking in which it is good for their physical health. Just raise it to $5 a gallon.
    stopnoise
  • You can't forget about the percentage of Americans who don't live in major cities but in rural areas. The availability of public transportation isn't there. We only have the high priced gas to get to work because walking and biking are out of the question; it's too far. More and more of our paychecks are being used to pay for gas which takes away from paying the bills and buying food.
    SmlKttn
  • How much is a mile worth now....

    Ride a bike!
    1percent
  • Offering shot guns? hahah.
    dkl165
  • I'd love to ride a bike. I did all the time when I lived in London, but it's way to dangerous here in LA.
    AndreaKnoll
  • you think you have it bad. The prices right now is $9.45 for unleaded and $9.90 for super.
    ross123540
  • the end game is to get rid of both and KUDO to you for posting this article !!!
    Here is the question. What do we do with all of the cars, once they are no longer running on gas ??
    Peace
    heidilittle
  • Watch as fed up people will soon fill their tanks and drive away without paying.... oil executives responsible for false claims of gas or oil shortages in order to raise the price of oil should be arrested for fraud.
    Enjoy_Cannabis
  • 11 billion fewer miles in March - that's cool.
    jwhitcom
  • I bike to work because I can. People that commute from another town/city don't have the luxury.

    Give the first oil company a 5 year tax holiday if they develop a 100% clean fuel. Then watch the magic.
    kDrew_Productions
  • The price of fuel is not going up. The value of the dollar is going down. This is why the cost of food and other consumer goods are also on the rise. You can thank the US Federal Reserve for that.
    YourMothersMilk
  • Vespas for everyone!!!!
    75thDeadMan
  • did everyone forget that there were 100% electric vehicles available 10 years ago?

    seems like there's some sort of elaborate scheme going on between the car & oil companies that no one with any power is willing to speak on.

    hybrids that use gas are not the answer.
    blackdaylight
  • What we need is more de-regulashion of oil co's as well as tax breaks on the suppliers of oil and to icrese our presance in the middleeast. John McCain is the only cannidate that will fufill our presidents war on immorality. What we need in these endtimes is a good strong coneretive anti-libaral, non-hippie who holds true to the word of our lord. I really hope WHEN McCain becomes president he lives up to the republican platform and ends abortion, criminalizes gay sex and marrage and stops de-regulasion. We need to invade andor nuke iran and all these terriorists before its too late. This is exacly what the bible pridected would happen if the world fell away from his word. Armegeddon is close at hand we must stop them as a global force and unite christians and live as the word would tell us. and wage war against the non-beilevers and democarats and libarals. "The righteous shall rejoice when he sees the vengeance. He shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked." (Psalms 58:10)
    theholylord
  • in response to Nuking people.
    I suggest that one who thinks that more mutilation tyranny and murder should sit quitly, look inside their heart, feel the love that is their, and then respond again.
    "God" does not need man to do anything but help bring heaven to earth via love, and compassion for our brothers and sisters. We are ONE human family. And like all family's some people have a harder time grasping the beauty of things, and life. They just need to be believed in. The change for the good just needs to be believed in.

    Peace
    heidilittle

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