Now that we’ve passed the magic $4.00 per gallon for gas, I hear many people complain and worry. Why do I call this the magic $4.00? Well, years ago, back in Phoenix, we sat with German friends, discussing the gas prices. I believe we were just starting to worry about gas prices climbing to a whopping $2.00/gallon. People were outraged. Except for about 90.000 of us Germans… we smiled at the gas prices and counted our “blessings”, knowing all too well, just how much gas costs in good old Germany… which back then was $4.00/gallon.
I do swallow hard when I fill up my car these days. But then I can’t help putting things in perspective. My family in Germany now pays close to $6.00. When we reach the $6.00 mark, they’ll pay $8.00. And yes, we WILL pay $6.00 soon. No doubt about it.
Check out this list of gas prices in Europe…
Netherlands Amsterdam $6.48
Norway Oslo $6.27
Italy Milan $5.96
Denmark Copenhagen $5.93
Belgium Brussels $5.91
Sweden Stockholm $5.80
United Kingdom London $5.79
Germany Frankfurt $5.57
France Paris $5.54
Portugal Lisbon $5.35
Hungary Budapest $4.94
Luxembourg $4.82
Croatia Zagreb $4.81
Ireland Dublin $4.78
Switzerland Geneva $4.74
Spain Madrid $4.55
Sure, some of these countries have a much better public transportation system than most cities in the US. But at least in Germany, while the system is a great one, the prices are nothing to write home about. Public transportation is not some cheap, magical alternative any longer.
What we really need is a viable alternative. Something affordable, environmentally friendly, and please something, that doesn’t make one person very very rich and leaves the rest of the world begging for more. As someone said to me yesterday “We need to put huge taxes on gas and put all the money into research and development of alternatives for oil.”
Any other ideas?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I apologize for not reading much lately… or commenting for that matter. We’re going camping this weekend, and I’ll be back Tuesday. Have a wonderful weekend, everyone.
I’m not usually much of a Thomas Friedman fan, but his recent column really hit a home run. He suggests that the only truly honest and constructive thing for a presidential candidate to do would be to guarantee that gas would never go below $4 a gallon again. Check it out…
Yes, it costs me the equivalent of $120 to fill my family-sized car these days. And public transport where I live is virtually non-existant.
But the ONLY thing that will force people out of their cars and to make more sensible decisions about where they can work/live/send their children to school and put pressure on for improvements in public transport is when the price of fuel is high (and I mean higher than it is now). There comes a tipping point (and we are not there yet even here) when people will begin to make different decisions.
I could walk my children to school (2 miles) but I don’t because the traffic is bad. I do walk back without them so only drive 4 miles rather than 8. If there were less traffic I would walk with them. Or I could choose to send them to a more local school. If fuel prices go up a bit more I may be forced into doing one of those things. And I should not drive - I only do it because it feels safe, it is quick and because per journey it is not a massive expense.
Hope the camping was good.
I’m thinking Jay and I need to buy a horse and buggy.