Survey:

So, with fuel prices where they are, and given that oil, once again, hit a new record this morning, are people changing their habits re: driving/fuel consumption? Perhaps this doesn't affect some (obviously this affects lower incomes exponentially more than higher incomes), but for some reason I am interested.

As for me, I live aprox 3.5 miles from work, and have not started riding my bike. I think I will try it here next week. Conversly, my wife lives a bit over 5 miles from work and she rides her bike. My biggest hang-up is that I don't want to start my day off in the office being sweaty. That, and I like to have the freedom to take off at lunch if I want to. Maybe it's different if you're living in a more metropolitan area than South Bend.

We at the Retirement Castle are driving the golf cart just as much.....

I take the bus pretty regularly, but if I'm running late in the morning or don't have the time/energy/food to pack a lunch (the closest place to eat is like 10 blocks away... very annoying), I'll drive.

I had to drive every day during Little League season since I had to go straight from work to practices and games and I had all the gear in my trunk, but now that it's over I'll be riding the bus three or four days a week.

I'm lucky in that I dont have to drive much, anyway... I walk then take MAX to work (thankfully I live just inside Fareless Square, so I have $0 in communting costs)...

But I would say the place that I have noticed a change in habit is carpooling... historically, when my friends would meet up to do something, none of us would think twice about each driving and just meeting at the destination. Now, we tend to car pool with much more frequency when driving longer distances.

I am heading up to Seattle a couple times in the next couple months, and i'm seriously considering taking the train... historically, I wouldnt have thought twice about hopping in the car and driving up...

Gas prices... food prices... housing market... at least my 401(k) is doing well... or not...

Haha I hear you on that... Now that I'm up north, I was planning a couple trips down over the next few weeks for the International Beer Fest and the Oregon Beer Fest (Suck on that Rochin54!!) And while normally I would drive down so i would have the freedom to do whatever when I got to PDX, I am definitely taking the choo choo... even at 60 bones round trip its still way cheaper than driving... ugh.... And on top of that I'm probably going to volunteer at the beer fests so I can get my refreshments for free... Trying times, volunteering for free beer...

"Free" and "beer" are 2 of my favorite words. Especially when they are next to each other in a sentence.

Well, when "free" comes first. A free beer event is much better than a beer free event...

dude, no shame in free micro-brews....sigh

DaTruRochin... got your FB message. I'm thinking we'll have ourselves a mighty good time over the next few weeks! I didn't sign up to volunteer at the Beer Fest, but I have graciously agreed to volunteer to be the guy you are pouring for.

Haha no problem... but if you still want to volunteer.... (haha and for any other beer loving Portlanders too)

volunteer sign up


I will definitely pour to the brim for anyone who says GO PILOTS!!! (haha so you get 4.5 oz of beer instead of four tee hee)

i've never been...shocking. but most of my roommates have, so our house was usually littered with the little plastic cups they give out. maybe i'll give 'er a go this year.

the international one gives out a little 4 oz glass Spaten goblet... its pretty high class... I think its 20 bones for the bracelet, the glass and 10 tickets... half the beers are 1 ticket, and they range up to 5 for the high class stuff (crazy Belgians)... But if you get the glass and bracelet, its good all weekend, so you can come and go as you please (wow I sound like I'm advertising, sorry about that).... AND now back to the conversation on transportation....

Since my job is across the street from where I live, I just walk to work anyway. I live up in Welches, so I have reduced the number of trips into town and when I want to "get away from it all," I just go backpacking or camping somewhere somewhat close by as opposed to travelling to distance places (like Crater Lake last year).

-SciFi

My family won't let me drive anymore. I think we're saving alot there. My wife and two kids drive, but my daughter's job downtown has her riding the bus. My son drives quite a bit to pick-up his girlfriend and bring her here, but he's not working; just chillin' till he becomes a Beav in late September. My wife drives to work. But it's only a few blocks.

Generally, we drive small cars. (We do have one big one that Grandma gave the kids.) Certainly we have become much more aware of driving less and conserving gas as much as possible. The price of gas really sucks. And the price of food is also causing a crunch. But really, since I became disabled and couldn't make decent bucks anymore, we have been on a real financial roller-coaster. Grandma has saved our necks, enabling us to keep the house, get our daughter through a private college back East, and kept our son at Central Catholic. She will also ensure that my son gets his engineering degree at OS.

P.S.: I never would have taken money from my mother-in-law, and my wife feels the same way. However, when you are in our shoes, your pride quickly vanishes, and you'll take any hand-out you can get. Simply put, without Grandma, there would be no house and no degrees.

I admit that I have not made changes. I drive 22 miles round-trip to commute, and biking is out of the question; too much time. I also frequently go straight to other activities from work, and run errands at lunch. So I pay the extra freight to have the transportation freedom.

I make up for it by not buying expensive microbrews.

I have changed my habits, now after a night of heavy drinking I tend to walk home or take a cab instead of driving myself home.

mattywizz wrote:I have changed my habits, now after a night of heavy drinking I tend to walk home or take a cab instead of driving myself home.

Um.. so you see heavy drinking as an energy saving measure?


I need to talk to my wife about this concept.