Reply #10: There's really no going back from here, is there? [View All]

[Hekate]

We knew it was going to happen. We were warned by Al Gore and others. We just didn't imagine that Bush and Cheney would hasten the day with such rapidity.

The Auto and Oil Industries have absolutely no intention of changing a damned thing about the way they do business unless they are forced into it by the President and Congress. Not until the last drop of oil is wrung from the Earth.

We had to buy a new car last year. The Tercel was 24 years old. So Mr. H took over the 18 y.o. Camry wagon, and we got a new Honda Accord for me to drive. It's the first sedan I've ever driven, and what kills me is that the gas mileage is no better than the elderly Camry. Every time I fill the tank on my brand new "fuel efficient" Accord I am bitterly reminded that Big Auto and Big Oil are working hand in glove.

Sunday we drove over to our daughter's for dinner -- at 10 miles, it's a little far to walk. Along the route we took was a row of vehicles parked nose to tailpipe along the side of the road, all with For Sale signs on them. They were SUVs, trucks, and an RV/camper. They all looked fairly new, too. I imagine they are getting too expensive for the average person to fill up.

I was proud of myself for getting a car that's pretty good on mileage and I was hoping to keep it 20 years like the others, making it in effect my last car (I'm 60). I am beginning to rethink that. Mr. H has a short commute, but I am the errand runner, shopper, and all the other household stuff. I make a big loop when I go out, always have. Bus service here sucks for the kind of driving I do -- and since Mr. H teaches at night, bus service isn't such a great alternative for him either.

We need mass transit solutions. Los Angeles, our gigantic neighbor a hundred miles south of here, is actually cutting bus routes as a cost-cutting measure just as thousands more commuters are giving it a try. Excuse me, but this is insane. This is where a rational federal government would step in.

I am hoping and praying that our next president can bring about the necessary changes in legislation...

Hekate