BE THE TURTLE!
|
|
| Also listed in: Licking County Pro-Active Citizens (www.licopac.org) | Ohio 12th Congressional District | Perry County Democratic Forum |
Every time I head out to the car without her, my wife warns me to be careful on the roads -- "there are crazies out there!," she reminds.
So what did I do last week.
Drove 55 mph down I-70 for about 400 miles -- and lived.
We had a very sick little niece at a hospital in Indianapolis, so we decided to drive over and support her and the family. With gas hovering around $3.75 a gallon (and my Passat requires mid-grade), I decided to use that mpg gauge on my control panel and just see what difference it would make to slow down.
So I locked in on the slow lane and set the cruise control at 55 mpg and headed west, only slightly speedier than the wagon trains which once traveled this route. I was being the much-mocked "Sunday Driver," talking to my wife, watching the grass (and bugs) go by on the berm and ignoring the alien bumpers which zoomed up behind me like cats on a mouse.
(Now I could tell by their expressions that these drivers were not happy with me, especially if the passing lane was temporarily blocked. But in 10 hours on the road, nobody honked, raised a finger or otherwise took their criticism to a higher level.)
And at trip's end, I had documented that my Passat Wagon, which normally gets 26-27 mpg on the highway, is capable of 32-33 mpg at the slower speed. That's about a 20 percent saving, or 70-some cents a gallon.
The down side:
It took longer, maybe an hour longer each way, between Columbus and Indianapolis.
That meant my wife got grumpy about an hour earlier, although she didn't seem to worry about "the crazies" since all she saw was the clear lane ahead of us.
Being a guy, it wasn't pleasant being passed by everything on the road, including a few Amish buggies (just kiddin).
Probably lost Dave Robinson (12th District congressional candidate) a few votes, since I had his sticker on my back bumper.
But all in all, it seemed worth it and hopefully as gas prices continue to climb, some of these hot wheelers will decide to start economizing. My advice, however, is don't commit to 55 if you're running late, or driving on a two-lane road (now that would be suicide!).
And slap a (removable) McCain sticker on your rear bumper just for the fun of it.
Seventy-cents less a gallon, and a roadful of drivers pissed at the GOP. What's not to like?
So what did I do last week.
Drove 55 mph down I-70 for about 400 miles -- and lived.
We had a very sick little niece at a hospital in Indianapolis, so we decided to drive over and support her and the family. With gas hovering around $3.75 a gallon (and my Passat requires mid-grade), I decided to use that mpg gauge on my control panel and just see what difference it would make to slow down.
So I locked in on the slow lane and set the cruise control at 55 mpg and headed west, only slightly speedier than the wagon trains which once traveled this route. I was being the much-mocked "Sunday Driver," talking to my wife, watching the grass (and bugs) go by on the berm and ignoring the alien bumpers which zoomed up behind me like cats on a mouse.
(Now I could tell by their expressions that these drivers were not happy with me, especially if the passing lane was temporarily blocked. But in 10 hours on the road, nobody honked, raised a finger or otherwise took their criticism to a higher level.)
And at trip's end, I had documented that my Passat Wagon, which normally gets 26-27 mpg on the highway, is capable of 32-33 mpg at the slower speed. That's about a 20 percent saving, or 70-some cents a gallon.
The down side:
It took longer, maybe an hour longer each way, between Columbus and Indianapolis.
That meant my wife got grumpy about an hour earlier, although she didn't seem to worry about "the crazies" since all she saw was the clear lane ahead of us.
Being a guy, it wasn't pleasant being passed by everything on the road, including a few Amish buggies (just kiddin).
Probably lost Dave Robinson (12th District congressional candidate) a few votes, since I had his sticker on my back bumper.
But all in all, it seemed worth it and hopefully as gas prices continue to climb, some of these hot wheelers will decide to start economizing. My advice, however, is don't commit to 55 if you're running late, or driving on a two-lane road (now that would be suicide!).
And slap a (removable) McCain sticker on your rear bumper just for the fun of it.
Seventy-cents less a gallon, and a roadful of drivers pissed at the GOP. What's not to like?
I drive a 2000 Kia Rio with a manual transmission.(When I told my sister I bought a Kia Rio, she said, "Is that a car or a cat?") I've read that a stick shift can save you 15% in gas. In any case, I only spend about $25 a month on gas because of discounts ($1 or more per gallon, usually) at the Giant Eagle Get Go.
I have four stickers on my car: "Support the Troops, End the War" (courtesy of Progress Ohio anti-war rally at Statehouse), "Trust Women" (NOW sticker from Pro-Choice rally), "Someone Smart in 2008" (purchased online), and an FOP supporter sticker (because I genuinely like cops).
No one has ever broken into my car. Valet parking people sometimes don't know how to use a clutch, so they let me self-park. There's definitely an upside to driving a crappy little car.
I just worry a little that I may rear-end some other car some day and that someone will plaster a photo of my "Trust Women" bumper sticker and license plate all over the internet. Bummer.