gas, the new car payment.Follow

I do.

If there is one truly crowning thing about living in Portland (among the many, many reasons why I love it here) it's the public transportation system. There are very few places in three counties (four, if you include at the very least Vancouver in Clark County) you can't get to using public transportation, if you're willing to spend the time for the sometimes longer trip, and for a reasonable price. And some areas, like the Wilsonville industrial area, have a second public transportation system that is actually paid for by the businesses, so it's free.

Unfortunately, we are actually the exception that proves the rule at present.

Right now Mr. Ambrya drives to work because while he could get to work down in Wilsonville on the bus, it would be logistically unfeasible, because in order to get from home (Beaverton, far southwest of Portland proper) to work (Wilsonville, far south of Portland) he would have two options. Going purely on TriMet, he could take the MAX train into downtown PDX and then the bus down the I-5 corridor to Wilsonville. This commute would take the better part of an hour and a half, and he's just not willing to spend that much of his day commuting when he can make the drive in half the time. The other option is that he could drive about halfway to work and then pick up the SMART bus (the one that operates free to Wilsonville) at one of the transit centers it runs to, but by the time he did that, he might as well just drive the rest of the way.

Luckily, later this year the south-bound commuter train will start running and that's going to solve our dilemma nicely.

Meh. I plan on getting one of these http://www.aptera.com/ if I don't end up in Africa in the next few months. Who cares about gas prices? If the Big Three hadn't been so concerned about giving the American public what they wanted instead of looking ahead, they wouldn't have millions of unsold SUVs on the car lots and we could tell the Middle East to shove their oil up their a$$. It's like GM is run by a bunch of guys whose sole guiding principle in life is instant gratification.

Totem

So. I'v been a big supporter of my 4Runner. It has gotten me to out of the way fishing areas on logging roads. Its gotten me out of a lot of jams, albeit sometimes with the hlp of a few chains and a come-along. I've survived going down twisty 15%-20% grades in the snow. Its carried tons of gear and sometimes pounds of fish fillets and whole fish. It carried my river pontoon boat, both on top and inside. I've put it through hell, racking 130,000miles in the past 3 years. Sand, rivers, rock, mud, highways, alleys ($5 hookers ftw), up hill, downhill, and yes, sometimes even sideways (never purposefully). I have been unabashed on how much gas it guzzles. I was not happy shelling out for a car I drive 70 miles a day, 6 days a week, at 17mpg, yet I nevr complained.

But now, that has all changed. I took my baby for its last car wash. I felt it looking at me like a dog that was to be put down when I did a final oil change. Sad, but knowing that I had to. Knowing that I had to trade it in for a hybrid. After much calculation, I found that I would save money making car payments than buying gas. So alas, roominess no more. Yet, I don't have many regrets. I can't go fishing as much now that I moved down to Phoenix. I will definitely be looking forward to the pumps, now that it wont cost me $80 to fill up every 4 days.

One thing that irks me: AZ is not handing out the special license plates that let me use the HOV lane at all times.

I stay away for a year, and come back to...exactly the same....

See you next year!

so while you are scraping ice off your windsheilds, or shoveling show off the side walk, its play time for us

Right and when I'm watching a Red Sox game at Fenway, you're swimming through glue trying not to get stabbed by Cuban thugs.

My wife and I spend ~$500 a month on gas. A Jeep and a Chrysler, neither gets over 15 city, only one of us gets better than 17 highway, and not f'ucking much. Cost of gas hasn't changed my habits at all. Still hop in the car and drive 2 blocks to the coffee shop or the Dairy Queen when its treat time, still drive across town to the grocery store I like and across the metro to the movie theatre I prefer.

Here's a thought for all you whiny c'unts complaining about increased costs of living: get a better job with a better wage. If you can't pull that off, get a job closer to home. Barring that, since the majority of you Americans seem hell bent on keeping Democrats in office, get used to it and worse. If they ever get Lieberman-Warner to pass we're all f'ucked. Nothing like increasing energy taxes by 7 trillion dollars to get the economy jump started and make gas cheaper.

I agree, but I'm also hoping this lights a fire under the US's *** to start using alternative modes of transportation and alternative fuels. MrKatie and I are hoping to have Honda's new electric car sometime next year. That or we are going to downsize to 2 smart cars.

Lol I have a feeling it doesn't work that way. On the topic of wind turbines. The new home will have almost 2 acres and it's out in the country (kind of). MrKatie wants to build us a wind turbine. In theory, it sounds very cool, but I'm afraid the poor guy has gone off his rocker.

shadowrelm, you do "us" a disfavor when you categorize yourself as one of "us."

WE are Democrats, or independents inclined to vote Democrat, or merely just liberals. YOU are simply an ignorant and illiterate git.

And personal inefficiency in the use of natural resources became something to be proud of when, exactly?

Perhaps it'll lead to unicorn stampedes as well.

If you want to draw a stronger argument, go for it. The one you presented kinda sucks.