[thechat] Re: Gasoline/Petrol prices

[Luther, Ron]

Little javier velasco pegged the trollometer by asking:

>>do you really need that V8 for commuting?
... And drank rapidly a glass of water. [1]

Hi Javier!

We do!

Because it is our most holy and precious right as the chosen people 
of the one true goddess! <sotto voce /> Long may her talons grow!

Oooops ... sorry ... my bad ... cut and pasted the above from an 
eta-mail to a homeworld string on 'Why Earthlings wear thongs".


Lemme see ... Horsepower .... Hmmmmm ... Mmmmmmm! ... 

A couple of reasons spring to mind:

(1) It's FUN! ... there are few things in an otherwise unoccupied vehicle 
that will put a bigger smile on your face than horsing an overpowered 
sports car down a twisty little maze of passages [2] at socially unacceptable 
rates of velocity. (With allowances granted primarily to Mr. Chapman ... 
that often requires more than four cylinders.)

(2) The Boyz Gots to Have It! What the heck else we gonna use to tow our 
gas-guzzling toys around with? Can't pull no boats, jet skis, dirt bikes, 
four-wheelers, 5th wheels, cattle trailers (this *is* Texas after all), 
farm toys, campers, nor Harleys 'round with no ricy 4-banger!  Well, I 
suppose we could use a V-10, Powerstroke, or Cummings diesel ... and stay 
away from them nasty gas V-8s ... thems for littler cars anyways!

(3) Safety.  (Yes I realize this is a double-edged sword ... high 
horsepower vehicles [actually high torque vehicles] don't mix well with 
ice and snow.  Which is one of several reasons for storing that old 
Vette for the winter.  That's not something you want to drive in the 
snow with! Yuck!)

However, I was thinking more of things like the "best remembered image 
of the 'merican west". The Grand Canyon?  Heck no -- the (infamously 
underpowered) Volkswagon Vanagons parked on the side of the road ... 
in flames ... after trying to cross the Rockies under load.  I think 
everyone has seen a few of those ... a bit sad really ... kinda like 
lemmings on their way to the sea, they know they aren't going to make 
it - but they gotta try anyway.

Sometimes; merging into freeway traffic, passing on a two-lane road, 
(or those racken-sacken three-lane roads in rural Pennsylvania), 
climbing a hill, getting away from bored transcontinental truckers 
wanting to play 'footsie' at 4 in the morning ... sometimes it's just 
better (and safer) to have the power to get the heck out of there, 
pronto!


Tangentially Yours,

RonL.
(Who was a lot more help {with his v8 pick-em-up truck} to friends 
moving last weekend than he would have been with his old 4 cylinder 
Celica!)

[1] Oblique e.e. cummings reference:
http://www.americanpoems.com/poets/eecummings/313

[2] PLUGH!   ;-)