Public transportation and carpooling are not options for me. I have to drive myself to work. Normally I’d drive 75 mph or so on the freeway. I’ve reduced my speed to 60 and leave for work earlier than normal. I used to accellerate rapidly; not burning rubber, but enough that I could “feel the power” from the engine. Now I accellerate more slowly. If I can avoid traffic I can get 25 mpg instead of 18 or 19. Since there are unavoidable traffic jams (approaching the “Orange Crush” and LAX) my mileage drops to an average of 22 or 23 mpg.
I need to get the chain replaced on my (50 mpg) motorcycle. Not only does the bike get much better mileage, but I can avoid tailbacks. (Unfortunately a new chain, sprockets, tires and a tuneup will cost about $600. Maybe the tires can wait a bit…)
So what are the rest of you doing to save gas and money?
I’m taking everywhere I need to go into consideration - and whether I really need to go home at breaks between classes/meetings.
Today, for example, I have class from 12:40-1:55, but I have to be on campus for a meeting at 5:00 - I can take that three hours and go home, sure, or I could stay on campus, work on a paper and only make one trip home, instead of home, back to campus and home again. This way, my car will just stay in the parking garage and not only will I save gas, I won’t have to hunt for another parking space.
Public transport is also not a great option for me, or I’d be all over it. It does exist, and I could theoretically use it, but I’m not a big fan of hanging out at 9:30 waiting for a bus, then walking 1 mile and a half from the stop to my apartment once we get there at 10.
I don’t do any innercity driving usually, but to be honest that’s just because Amsterdam is very car-unfriendly, and small (bicycle!) with a good public transport system.
Even at the current EUR 1.22 a liter ($5.07 per American gallon), I’m ashamed to say that I don’t do much to conserve fuel. My car has a 75 BHP 1.4 liter engine, and it needs every single horse to get me through traffic at any decent speed. (OK, so I speed a little. Sue me.)
The car does 1 liter in 12 kilometers on average, or just over 28 MPG. Hardly a miracle of economy, but not a complete gas guzzler either. I bet I could do better with a more powerful engine, ironically.
Anyways, it looks like I’ll get to pick out a company lease car in a few months, which will most likely be a diesel.
Well, I got rid of my conversion van and my Jeep Wrangler, both of which were gas hogs, and got a 95 Saturn that gets 32 MPG during a combination of city and highway driving. I was pumping $20 every four days into the Jeep compared to the $16 every 8 days in the Saturn.
Also I am a whole heck of a lot more considerate of how much I drive and try to consolidate trips and errands.
You’re fortunate–around here, natural gas prices are up 25 percent or more. And our local supplier has just announced further increases. So I’m conserving by keeping the heat on a lower setting and turning it down to below 60 when I go to work. Annoys the upstairs neighbors, but why should I give them free heat?
When gas prices hit $3?? I’ve never seen gas at $3 in my life. I don’t remember ever seeing $2, but it’s possible I wasn’t paying attention. Tell me it’s not really that bad out there.
Right now it’s bouncing around at $1.50. Higher than I like it, but not enough that I’m going to not take my kids to McDonalds even if it’s a little farther than Burger King.
I’m not doing nothin! In fact, I just bought a mega-monster luxury cruiser with a 290hp V8 and shitcanned the Toyota Tercel! I drove it to work and hit 110 mph uphill passing 4 cars this morning! On weekends, I drive the Jeep Commando for fun (but not too far, I don’t like walking much).
All kidding aside, the mega-monster luxury cruiser is averaging about 17.5 to 19 mpg, which is not much less then the little crappy Tercel, and we need the larger car to haul the kid stuff. Plus, it is safer for the family (air bags all over hell!). When the snow melts, I have considered going back to driving one of the motorcycles back and forth to work. 3 of them get 50+ mpg and the worst one still gets close to 30. Jeez, even my groovy Italian sports car (The Fiat) gets 30 mpg even considering how I drive it (wide open, all the time!).
Fagjunk Theology: Not just for sodomite propagandists anymore.
KNBC-4LA showed gas at one station up north (Monterey? Santa Cruz?) for $3.299/gallon. I never caught the story though, so I don’t know if it was a mistake or if someone really was trying to sell gas for that much.
