Well, I don’t really like them, but I do like the changes I’ve been seeing. I’ve certainly never heard society so concerned with how to get the best gas mileage. I love that people are trading in their SUVs for more fuel efficient cars. It is now a common thing to see a few bikes parked here and there. I’ve even seen a few scooters scooting around town, which I certainly never saw when gas was $2 a gallon.

And with people carpooling in record numbers the traffic is significantly less. I don’t work, so therefore I don’t commute. In the past two years I’ve been on the freeway during rush hour probably one time, but last week I had to go against traffic at rush hour. I was shocked at how little traffic there was on the other side of the median. Traffic is definitely lighter, no doubt. Isn’t that great? Don’t you love it?

But what I love even more than our changing habits is the new passion that car manufacturers have to make more fuel efficient cars. This is key. We can only carpool so much. Have you noticed they’ve started putting the gas mileage on commercials? If the consumer is hell bent on getting better gas mileage the market will provide it. Which is so awesome. I know we can reduce the need for gas without changing our lifestyle. What is kinda sad is how quickly these changes came about. What I’m saying is that the companies have obviously had this technology for a long time, but only now that the consumer is crying out for fuel efficient cars do the companies finally market these cars.

Think Your Way to Wealth recently talked asked if we would stop trying to conserve gas if it went back to $2 a gallon. I say absolutely. There is no way the focus would be on gas efficiency like it is now. Money is a very motivating factor, if it was cheaper to drive we would be doing more driving. Period. And if the consumer doesn’t care about it then the manufacturers aren’t going to care. That would be a tragedy.

So I know it stinks right now, but look at the bright side, it’s bringing about changes that will make life better for generations to come. We just have to stick it out until the market place adjusts to meet our needs.

pic by: Icubed11