Anyone driving less?

fishman · Sep 19, 2005

So has anyone began driving fewer miles due to increased gas prices? I know here at the office fuel prices have affected all of us to some degree. I already commute the 60 miles roundtrip to town with my wife, but often I drive seperately, maybe twice a week. I am doing that a lot less since gas went over $2 a gallon. Two other co-workers began carpooling with their wives for the first time ever when gas went over $2.50. Another co-worker moved to a location less than 2 miles from work to save gas.

And if others are doing this, shouldn't the reduced demand cause prices to decline (as they are now doing)? However, I wonder how much of the fuel burned in the U.S. (or the world for that matter) is discretionary? I mean, goods and services require fuel, and many goods and services have come to be considered necessary.

Note: There is no agenda inherent in this question. I'm just curious.

riptides · Sep 19, 2005

We added another car pooler, so there are four of us in one vehicle going up and down the road.

The morning pickup line at 04:dark:thirty looks to be longer.
We call these people SLUGS. They add to a car pool allowing the driver to take advantage of people restricted traffic lanes called HOV. High-Occupancy Vehicles.

FWIW
-Mike Z. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

getut · Sep 19, 2005

Man on man yes... AND ITS GREAT!!!!!! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Wifey is staying home much more. Clothes are washed and put up... no digging through the hamper. My underwear and sock drawers are full. Dishes put up sooner.

I'm getting to sleep later in the morning cuz I don't spend 30 minutes finding everything. hehehehehe

WOOHOO to gas prices as they are now... (but just don't go up much higher). /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

MossRoad · Sep 19, 2005

Yep. And we're planning our trips ahead of time to be more efficient, too. No more running out to the store for a gallon of milk, etc...

billbill1 · Sep 19, 2005

Regular unleaded is 2.599 around here right now.

lonesome · Sep 19, 2005

Less miles, probably not. I work eratic hours so carpooling is not a real option; however, the motorcycle is getting used more now. It used to be if the forecast had the word rain in it I drove the truck, now I take my chances up to about 50 % chance of rain..., been lucky and dry so far. Steve

Buck · Sep 19, 2005

Yes. We are driving less and planning our trips better. Here in upstate NY, gas is running 3.05-3.29 with Diesel running at 2.99.

I imagine of all the people it will hit worst is us tractor/country people.

I wonder if the price of our homes/land will decrease as a result?

Junkman · Sep 19, 2005

Been riding the horse into town since a bucket of oats cost less than a gallon of gas. Don't know how long this is going to last, because the horse is getting tired of all this nonsense that is taking away from his pasture time. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Boondox · Sep 19, 2005

A bit less through careful planning and clustering several stops into a single trip, but carpooling to work is iffy due to crazy hours and the remoteness of our rural home. Still, in good weather I ride my bike to work a couple of times each week. Pete

Inspector507 · Sep 19, 2005

Junkman,
You don't have a horse or you would have put a ****** on it and posted it here, just to see if it got deleted /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Dargo · Sep 19, 2005

( So has anyone began driving fewer miles due to increased gas prices? )

No

California · Sep 19, 2005

( ...Another co-worker moved to a location less than 2 miles from work to save gas. )

I think more people will consider this. Not us tractor-owning types who are necessarily rural, but especially urban renters. Also first time buyers may choose city living for a few years before kids, instead of starting in a new suburb on the outer edge.

I took some land-use planning classes long ago. A couple of concepts seem to describe the present moment:

1) Many people in a region tend to conform to a single idea of a reasonable commute time. 20 minutes was popular then. If you open a new freeway, then the 20 minute radius around each employer is pushed a few miles out and people can now move to a suburb that is now 20 minutes away via the new freeway. Conversely as the freeways become congested and commute time increases, the outer suburbs seem less attractive due to increased commute time.

I think you can now substitute commute cost for commute time in this model, and forecast a weakening of the suburbanization trend.

Another way to visualize this is as a funnel centered where the jobs are. Higher walls of the funnel at the outer edge represent higher commute costs the farther you get from the center.

I think the funnel has just become steeper due to increased fuel costs. People are rational, they will respond accordingly.

Farmwithjunk · Sep 19, 2005

We were already driving the bare minimum BEFORE the most recent gas price hike. No way to cut anymore from my basic schedule.

jmc · Sep 19, 2005

Normally if I'm trying to get a project done and find out mid-project that a trip to the hardware store is necessary, I'd just go and get that one thing. Now I wait and combine it with other trips. Better use of gas AND time. Once I get numb to $3/gal gas, who knows if the efficiency will stick.

John

Bob_Skurka · Sep 19, 2005

( ( So has anyone began driving fewer miles due to increased gas prices? )

No )


Me either.

But living where we live, I don't see how we can drive less. Long ago I realized that my time was valuable and tend to shop on my way home from work or during the day near my office. I don't do it for fuel efficiency, I do it because it is time efficient.

_RaT_ · Sep 19, 2005

Yes, and planning trips a bit wiser. None of this nilly willy stuff. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

RedDog · Sep 19, 2005

Anyone driving less? 

Yes. Didn't go on our trip in August, just stayed home. We've been driving the VW Golf diesel a whole lot more, and parking the other vehicles. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

RedDog

slowrev · Sep 19, 2005

Yep, we have cut back about 30% on gallons of gas used. combining trips, is this trip really necessary question, etc....

Ben

ejtaylor822 · Sep 19, 2005

Anyone driving less? 

About the same as always. A little less from this time last year but that's due to the new baby. We just can't load up and head to the beach/restaurant/movies on a whim /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif - I ain't complaining, love being a daddy!! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

We are very blessed. The wife stays home with the baby and my work is about 25 minutes away - 15 minutes when there is not any construction. Hurts bad when we do travel though and when I have to fill up. The best gas prices around here are running between $2.79 and 2.89.

sneaky_pete · Sep 20, 2005

( So has anyone began driving fewer miles due to increased gas prices?)

Sort of; we try to make fewer trips to town just to go to dairy Queen etc., and pick up the kids from school less.

About six months ago, I moved my office from downtown Fort Worth to my shop building. I didn't do it at the time for gas prices, but to save the time and hassle of commuting. I'm fortunate to be self-employed, so I can make that decision - but it wasn't without risk. Being downtown was for my client's convenience, and my biggest and best client didn't like it when I moved away from them. They appear to be getting used to it, but only time will tell how it really works for them (I love it).

( And if others are doing this, shouldn't the reduced demand cause prices to decline (as they are now doing)? However, I wonder how much of the fuel burned in the U.S. (or the world for that matter) is discretionary? I mean, goods and services require fuel, and many goods and services have come to be considered necessary.

Note: There is no agenda inherent in this question. I'm just curious. )

You hit upon some good points that are frequently ignored Fishman, that demand today really is world-wide, and that everything in our modern lifestyle is dependent on petroleum in one way or another. Everything we buy at a grocery store or any other store was trucked there from a long ways away.