[thechat] Re: Gasoline/Petrol prices

[Luther, Ron]

Sabrina Dent chastised: 

>>I'm sure you've got your tongue planted firmly in your cheek, Ron,
>>but...

Pretty much ... but as you have perceptively ascertained ... there 
probably *is* a germ of my version of the truth buried in there 
somewhere.

>>Unless you commute ON A RANCH, or live in mountain range, no you do not.

Ever been 'trapped' at the end of a freeway on-ramp in heavy rush hour 
traffic because, while _you_ planned for your opening and matched speed 
to safely merge with traffic, that a**hole in the V8 Cadillac in front 
of you came to a full and complete stop at the end of the ramp?  I know 
I have.  That socially irresponsible jackass has the horses under their 
right foot to stand on that sucker and fill a small opening in traffic. 
In my little manual tranny 4-banger I didn't. I had to thrash the hell 
out of that poor little thing, close my eyes, and rely on 'the kindness 
of others' to prevent _causing_ an accident ... not to mention 
inconveniencing and aggravating the folks on the ramp behind me. Was that 
safe for me? Was that safe for the other drivers? Was it respectful of 
their rights? Aren't those things also important?

Did that kindhearted soul who braked to let me in cause a six-car 
accident behind them? A mysterious 'accordian effect' where traffic 
slows for no apparent reason in a particular area. Don't those folks 
have rights?

It's dangerous to be the 'rock in the stream' ... for everybody.

Yeah - okay - if EVERYBODY was a truely responsible global citizen ... 
polite and respectful ... called their mother every week ... didn't kick 
cats ... we wouldn't have to worry about it.

But today -- the playing field just isn't that level.

<generalized traffic carping>
That driver who's been sitting at the edge of the parking lot for a whole 
22 seconds may think you are pretty cool for letting them into the curb 
lane ahead of you ... do you think the drivers of the 6th, 7th, and 8th 
cars behind you - who will have to sit through an extra red light because 
of your act of 'considerateness' ... are also big fans of yours?
<gen />

> 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!

>>Less funny than you probably think it is. Americans *are* raised to
>>believe that plentiful and cheap gasoline is their RIGHT. It is not. 

Oh, I think I understand that a teensy little bit ... I've spent quite 
a few years 'treading lightly' in National Forests ... and some years 
as an unpaid volunteer educating others on environmental issues.

However ... I am not a zealot.  (Tried it on once ... chafed too much in 
embarrassing places ... had to return it.) 

I haven't completely lost my sense of the sardonic ... and don't make 
fun of my goddess!

>>I assure you, living on a sustainable planet will indeed put a bigger
>>smile on my face 

Cool! Write when you find work!  


C'mon, I'm just kidding. That is, IMHO, a very admirable goal. However, 
one I no longer think likely to occur in my lifetime. I haven't seen 
proselytizing to have made much of an impact over the past few decades. 

I agree the trainwreck is coming ... I think it's gonna get a LOT worse 
before it improves. Maybe I just don't have much confidence in people 
being 'rational' animals.

>>Therefore, sitting in an otherwise unoccupied vehicle that is as kind 
>>as possible to the world in which we live should induce equal, if not 
>>greater, happiness.

I note a difference between 'should' and 'does'.  Carving an apex in 
Rock Creek Park (D.C.) at 95mph in a brand new Porsche 'does'! (Trust 
me, heh!.) When will puttering in a Honda Insight do the same?

>>Might I suggest an ass?

Sorry - while I'm allowed to _be_ one, (or even play one on TV), local 
zoning doesn't allow me to actually _own_ one. Besides ... I'd probably 
want a Palomino anyway ... they're faster and just waaaaaay more cool!

>>Ever seen the survivors? Ever seen the people who didn't survive?

Yup - and I know which I'd prefer to be. My co-worker's father, for 
example, is quite conviced he wouldn't be alive today if he had been 
driving anything less than his Toyota Land Crusher.  A former co-worker 
sold his Nissan after seeing what was left of someone else's in an 
accident. I have an uncle who fell asleep driving in his Cadillac - 
he woke up when the car sheared off it's 3rd telephone pole ... the 
first two weren't even enough to even wake him up. How many stories 
we looking for here?  

Sometimes I haul some precious cargo around ... (I call them 'grandkids') 
... we bought the Grand Caravan (as a 3rd vehicle in our humble little 
household of 2 - [Naturally we abhor 'overconsumption' - those 'other' 
people are simply horrid and irresponsible! <huff />]) because it has 
two feet of space between the 3rd row seat and the rear of the vehicle 
- in a lot of other things we looked at that same space was measured 
in inches. Inches wasn't good enough.

Again, the theme is one of 'parity'. If everyone drove kei cars then 
I could drive one (or a MiniCooper S) without worrying about a dualie 
running me over. (I think kei cars are pretty neat ... but that's one 
trend I don't want to lead ... not in Houston! On the other hand, word 
is that more and more 'almost-kei' sized cars will be coming to the 
US shores in the next few years ... including some from 'status' brands. 
Maybe there is hope yet! If they can be made "cool" - they might have a 
chance for success.) 

{There is also a really nifty little car a friend of mine in the 
Netherlands owns. It's square. You can parallel park, front-in park, 
or back-in park against the curb and it takes up the exact same 
(very small) amount of space!}

>>chains are bad for the road.

Actually chains are just a pain in the butt to put on and remove 
from your vehicle ... especially the 'old style' ones from 'back 
in the day'.  It's a horrible dirty nasty job ... "women's work" 
obviously! <troll, troll />

;-P

>>There are a lot of really stupid people with way too much money. 

Absolutely ... the odd part is that both of those items; 'really 
stupid' and 'too much money' are pretty much entirely subjective.  
I've never seen anyone fess up and say "Yup, that's me alright". 

Hellfire! There's even some folk out thar (like my wife when she 
found out how much I paid for that new acoustic guitar) whut even 
puts *me* in that category! 


Observantly,

RonL.