Typical response from SUV driver 4546

Cory,

You may want to read up on fossil fuel use in the US. Transportation is the single largest user of crude oil in this country. Period. Roughly 40% of the 20+ million barrels a day that we in this country consume every day. By the way, that's roughly 25% of the world's total crude oil production. And don't forget that the US makes up only 5% of the world's population.

As a country, we are extremely wasteful of energy. Not just in what we choose to drive, but in what we eat, and how we live in general. How many posters on this group could get by without a personal automobile for more than a few days? Not many I would bet.

Our whole way of life is designed around cars.

SUVs have become a target for the un-informed because of their obviously wasteful nature (ie seats usually vacant).

Once gas prices start creeping up past $4, lower to middle income people will start to either curb their use of fuel, or dump the gas hogs for more efficient vehicles, similar to what happened in the 70's and early 80's.

I've already traded my wife's gas guzzler for a 45mpg Jetta TDI, sold my muscle car, and purchased a cheap commuter motorcycle.

I'm just trying to stay ahead of the curve right now so I won't be stuck with an inefficient vehicle that I'm upside down on due to its declining value in the face of high fuel prices. I've already changed my lifestyle to be less reliant on automobiles and gasoline in general.

Should other people do the same as me? I hope that they do. But that's not my concern really. This is a free country after all, and people are still free to be complete dumb buttes as we all know. :)

I'm not trying to save the world, just to save my own butt from a lot of hardship and grief once the inevitable does happen (ie gas prices head for the stratosphere).

If gas goes back to $1 a gallon then I just freed up more money for more worthwhile pursuits than impressing my friends and neighbors with my huge shiny gas guzzler.

My 2¢

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