f@#$ing gas...~ - Page 6

Jessica Leigh · #76 09-02-2005, 04:34 AM

i live in a big city and i have often thought about taking a bus to/ from work... but our bus system shuts down way too early- and I, working in a bar that closes at 2 am, wouldn't have a way home- i have had to give coworkers rides home when they have had to stay at work later than they thought and couldn't get a bus. also, sitting at bus stops in 115 degree heat doesn't seem healthy.

i would love to live in a city like san fran that has such a great public transit system- but there are so few in the U.S.... Los Angeles is murder for getting around... your work and your school and your house and your dentist and your WHATEVER are all so far apart.

i will say, though, that our buses in my city are cool because some of them run off of some natural vegetable oil fuel or something like that.

and in response to everyone outside of the US who keeps reminding us that we're a bunch of babies and we don't know how to handle this crap and our gas is still cheaper than yours and we should stop bitching about it- yeah, we know... but take into account that this gas issue has seriously effected our budgets very suddenly- i don't even know where my grocery money is this week. i ate a muffin from 7-11 today and drank a pepsi at a friend's house. our incomes have not risen with the cost of living over the last almost ten years. yes, our government is to blame... but each individual on this board did not choose to have this government. most of us did not choose to have this government. and what can we do about it? sit here and let them do what they want and wait for another election day. why do you all (outside the US) have to keep reminding us that our government is stupid and to blame for all of these problems that the world is experiencing and that we are pathetic for whining about our situations because we brought this upon ourselves? sorry, but for a lot of us, we wanted something different, and life sucks right now, and many of us asked for a different president.

sorry for the rant (and you know i love you tommer

)

Jessica Leigh · #77 09-02-2005, 04:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lux

Yes, that's the way it seems to work here. There aren't many who would actually drive into work that is centrally located, including those who live beyond public transport. You just drive to the train line that will take you into the city. I do get the feeling that many Americans have trouble getting out of their car even to get fast food though.

this is what i'm talking about. we don't have these commuter trains you are talking about (well, in a few rare places) i would love to take a train to work and only use my car for pleasure or getting to/ from the train station. and yes i know, the reason we don't have a good public transit system is because we're spoiled by cheap gas and we don't even get out of our cars to get fast food. nice stereotype... yes it's true that some people are overweight and eat fast food all of the time- but i'm sure there are some of those people in every country.

tommer · #78 09-02-2005, 06:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jessica Leigh

and in response to everyone outside of the US who keeps reminding us that we're a bunch of babies and we don't know how to handle this crap and our gas is still cheaper than yours and we should stop bitching about it- yeah, we know... but take into account that this gas issue has seriously effected our budgets very suddenly- i don't even know where my grocery money is this week. i ate a muffin from 7-11 today and drank a pepsi at a friend's house. our incomes have not risen with the cost of living over the last almost ten years. yes, our government is to blame... but each individual on this board did not choose to have this government. most of us did not choose to have this government. and what can we do about it? sit here and let them do what they want and wait for another election day. why do you all (outside the US) have to keep reminding us that our government is stupid and to blame for all of these problems that the world is experiencing and that we are pathetic for whining about our situations because we brought this upon ourselves? sorry, but for a lot of us, we wanted something different, and life sucks right now, and many of us asked for a different president.

sorry for the rant (and you know i love you tommer

)

i'm not criticizing you, but the dangerous system around you. i promise you that if was in your shoes i'd be acting just the same. as i mentioned earlier, things tend to be simpler in countries such as mine, where you don't have such economic-political pressures by car manufacturers and oil companies. my point is, that you guys tend to cry about the end results, instaed of the circumstances that caused them in the first place.

skcin · #79 09-02-2005, 01:40 PM

Our "subway" was built about 20-25 years ago & runs from one end of the city into downtown, it's a straight line about 3 miles long.

Completely useless. I've never even been on it.

One of the problems in the U.S. is urban sprawl. People keep moving - to bigger houses, bigger yards, bigger everything, farther & farther away from the city. Then they buy bigger SUV's with bigger gas tanks & drive their bigger asses to & from work cuz they moved so friggin far away they can't catch a bus or train near their home.

dissention · #80 09-02-2005, 01:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jessica Leigh

this is what i'm talking about. we don't have these commuter trains you are talking about (well, in a few rare places) i would love to take a train to work and only use my car for pleasure or getting to/ from the train station. and yes i know, the reason we don't have a good public transit system is because we're spoiled by cheap gas and we don't even get out of our cars to get fast food. nice stereotype... yes it's true that some people are overweight and eat fast food all of the time- but i'm sure there are some of those people in every country.

No, the reason we don't have good public transit in America is because big business and the government have promoted personal automobiles and gas consumption for decades because of the money it generates.

michelle2677 · #81 09-02-2005, 01:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lux

I do get the feeling that many Americans have trouble getting out of their car even to get fast food though.

*L* that's why they call it "fast food" it wouldn't be very fast if we had to geeeet out of our cars....waaaaalk up to the line...that takes too much time and is quite tiring...

*tone....hahha...being funny...ha ha...*

amber · #82 09-02-2005, 01:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dissention

No, the reason we don't have good public transit in America is because big business and the government have promoted personal automobiles and gas consumption for decades because of the money it generates.

Thank you, that's part of what I was trying to express when I said "America was built around the purpose of accomodating people with cars".

estranged4life · #83 09-02-2005, 02:26 PM

90 miles from OKC (Though we do, or should I say did, all our shopping there) & we live 45 miles from Chickasha were work is located, So we have no choice but to suck it in and pay the $2.86 a gallon at the pumps.

Man, I miss living in the city...I never owned a car when I was in Tulsa, I walked 2.5 miles to school almost daily & 1.5 miles to work nightly (Great exercise too!!!), If I needed to go to downtown Tulsa I could pay $.50 to ride the transit or just walk the 12 miles roundtrip and save the change for a soda (Which is what I usually did.)

Mystic Owl · #84 09-03-2005, 05:28 PM

Here in Baltimore, I am up to 3.89 a gallon, and I work 30 miles from home. 60 miles a day I drive.................

strandinthewind · #85 09-03-2005, 07:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dissention

No, the reason we don't have good public transit in America is because big business and the government have promoted personal automobiles and gas consumption for decades because of the money it generates.

Well, that is one aspect. You also have the neighborhoods that do not want public transportation to go there because they are scared of the crime that statistics indicate comes when when public transportation is introduced. That is a huge factor here in Georgia.

DrummerDeanna · #86 09-03-2005, 08:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

Well, that is one aspect. You also have the neighborhoods that do not want public transportation to go there because they are scared of the crime that statistics indicate comes when when public transportation is introduced. That is a huge factor here in Georgia.

You can't get to Georgetown in DC on the MEtro for that reason...