It’s becoming ridiculous, and I think everyone in the world could relate, because even if you use public transportation; like here in DC, they are worried that the trains will be overloaded if the price increases to 5$ a gallon.
I have never really thought about how much I spend for Gas, but its hitting me in my pockets, because I drive long distances most things.
I did receive a tip, a gas saving tip that is; Ten things you can do to save on gas.
Here are a few, I don’t know if it makes a difference.
Avoid speeding, Avoid Acceleration, Turn off AC; basically take the fun out of driving. But the biggest surprise is the inflation of a tire, basically there is a point in the inflation rate of each tire where you can optimize the rate of gas consumption.
Yes I know the cynics here are bernos are going to say, why don’t you take public transportion?
I would if I could, but I can’t so what to do?
Here are a few suggestions, I found on the web:
- Convert you car to run on Free Vegetable Oil in 8 Easy Steps; Betam arif
- Or find more activities closer to home and at home; genuis, basically don’t drive!
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F’en gas prices. Kill the oil industry and bike your way around town. I can can only imagine going on a date and showing up with a 10 speed and two helmets. An Abesha chick would curse you and your entire family and she would throw in your friends and pets for free lmao.
Giving up a venti latte at Starbucks will buy you 1-1/2 gallons for your ride. Compromise!
I am a civic guy, I don’t worry about gas price, haven’t changed my driving habit, relative cost of gas remains relatively low. My crytal ball anticipated gas inflation in August 2004…then I got into my civic. I am know paying $40 to fill it up, whachu payn?
60 bugs, but it was 45 when i bought the car a year and half ago! and that was more than I thought it would be…
Lucy is $46 to fill now!! she used to cost only $24!!!
its ridiculous!! i cant afford to drive anymore
$ 70 now, $38 a couple of yrs back. Get cranky afterwards.
Prius is the future.
tseday what do you drive?
I found out that you consum less gas by using A/C than opening your window they say when you open your window it putts a lot of pressure in the car then takes more gas aluuuuuu,
I found out that you consume less gas by using A/C than opening your window they say when you open your window it putts a lot of pressure in the car then takes more gas aluuuuuu,
maxima… would love to get a prius but they’re so small. clastophobia.
F’en ridiculous indeed Tsegure. Oil executives were confronted last week by the house of representatives and their response was it isn’t their fault. It’s gonna get worse before it gets any better with summer time around the corner.
Uncle B unless you are suggesting socialist intervention by the American govt. price of oil will never go down. Maybe Obama will be our socialist savior but not likely.
Tsegure no you are wrong. I gave up cars six, seven years ago I have had five plus years, 10,000 plus miles, saved our planet over 50,000 pounds of CO2, tons and tons of cash (insurance, parking, tickets etc etc) and the ladies so far haven’t complained. Occasionally I have even taken my bike to clubs to be met by a few incredulous jeers but who is laughing now? especially as I zip pass the same SUV driving suckers stuck in traffic idling away their life savings.
So I recommend you move to the city, recycle your cars and buy a bike or start walking. Suburbia will be a ghost town, and even the Prius and hybrid engines are unsustainable. That is because entire world oil reserve have peaked or is soon to peak therefore any dependence on oil even if it is a small one will be increasingly costly not only financially but also environmentally.
So get a bike and let your lunch be your fuel.
Nyalasmoke, u brought up some good points yet simplistic.
*how about pple with infants/kids?
*how many miles can u really bike?
*how many of us use our trunks as a storage?
*how about severe weather conditions?
*how about physically disabled, or old pple?
*also, living in big cities comes with a price and that price doesn’t really save the environment.
Cities are actually more polluted and congested.
I applaud for walking, carpooling and public transportation(if accessible)
Bottom line:bikes cannot be a solution but an alternative lifestle for single and able bodies.
Nyala - knew you were going to say bike- sooner or later
Ladies in gentlemen, this is the same guy, las december told us to invest in bike factories in ethiopia
told bernosians to join the WNRB
——–
besak
for the new folks
bikes have been a big topic here, Yemi buchelas mom started a bike site in china
haha Nolawi almost forgot about that!… but yeah it is gona get a lot worse.
I heard it is $9.00 a gallon in Eritrea… guess how they transport themselves… Behar Dar and Awasa are down with the program so why can’t Addis? I am telling it is still a very very good investment. We can probably salvage metal from all the soon to be unusable vehicles before rust gets them.
BTW Great bike site buchela’s mom!
Hey Nolawi had a response to sister Tsedey that just disappeared… does the blog automatically filter stuff ende?
We’ve been told that oil demand has been declining since the beginning of this year, they also say the Wall Street speculation is driving up the market. It feels like some stinky is going on somewhere. God knows!
I think giving a “gas gift card” for b-day, father’s day of course for Grand Ma’s day, wedding? to friends, family members would be much appreciated ;=) (may be it’s not a good idea to a new girlfriend, though)
Nolawi,
tx for the link.
nyalasmoke,
Bike is not a bad idea for some of the people who lives a certain demographic areas. But, it’s kind of tricky adopting a bike culture in Ethiopia especially, in Addis. I’m afraid the accident rate will jump to 100+%. You know how the road rule works, lack of side walks…so, lots of improvements needed.
yes we have spam protector, believe it or not 92 % of the comments are spam and 3% really
i have to carefully adjust the setting in order to fight it
but one thing is for sure, more than 4 links is considered spam
2 to 3 links automatically queued for moderation, as well as some words…
blah blah
It’s hard to get around without a car in some places. Meaning, bad transportation systems and most roads are not made for bikers. The automobile industry has pushed cars down our throats, but what are people to do when gas prices are this high? It’s frustrating! As much technology as we have, why are they trying to clon people instead of focusing on bigger issues like gas? like man made gas maybe?? AHHH
Stop unnecessary travels .I think this is the only solution at this time.
I think most africans are fortunate because they are not nearly as dependent on gas as most of the world is, so shortages won’t be as traumatic…suddenly our underdevelopment might benefit us.
Nyalasmoke, I like your idea of moving towards more bicycles. This will definitely help people become more active, reduce pollution, and effect what I think is positive change. What is important I think is, whatever solution is implemented it leads to the most efficient use of resources and also forces citizens to become more efficient. Save the earth y’all.
wow, nyalasmoke i just read your comment from ‘06, I say there is a place for you in ralph nader heaven. How about some bold leadership to guide us of the beaten path?
Smokey and his bike are known to be faster than a car
GrandMa, you may be right but considering the skyrocketing inflation of the country and the high cost of living i think it is better for the addi ababans to start using bike as an alternative transportation system. BTW..while i was in addis i used to travel by my bike from home to work(aratkilo kemigenew yekiray bete iske bole dires) and not even a single accident occured during that time. may be i was lucky…or may be, while in addis it is better to use bike than to use yabede minibus taxi
Nyala bro,
Can you elaborate on what type of girls you date….certainly not one of those big butt, mall addict, abesha chicks….
Wurgatu lij,
You were biking from 4-kilo to Bole? Certainly, you’d easy ride.
That’s actually true. Opening your windows will increase the turbulence and eventually cost you fuel. To get a better fuel economy, it’s usually recommended to open your windows at low speeds and use the air conditioner at higher speeds.
I live and work in the burbs. It takes me about $60 to fill up the tank. So, yes I am feeling the heat. Can I use a bike? All things considered, I don’t think a bike will fit into my current lifestyle (BTW, I like the new SmartBike initiative in DC). You probably will be saying why not use a metro then. Yes, I thought about that too. But there ain’t one around where I live. And I’m only 30 miles farther away from the city. Honestly, the only choice that I’m left with is avoiding unnecessary driving and driving my car wisely to save on gas.
My take on this gas price fiasco is I don’t think it’s sustainable at all. If prices keep going at the current rate, there is a good chance that we will hit $5/gallon by end of year. A few dollars over that will definitely bring down the entire economy to a halt.
Thing is, the fundamentals are pretty much intact; supply and demand have not changed that much. Speculation on supply concerns is basically what is driving gas prices through the roof. It’s nothing but a bubble. But don’t get me wrong, though. I understand gas is a non-renewable resource and sooner or later we will run out of it.
So who is to blame for this? Not us, the consumers, of course. The auto industry had engineered the demise of the public-transport system to expand auto sales and made us all addict to oil. Alternative technologies will be the way to go for the future. Otherwise, the suburbia will shut down and, like Nyala said, we all will be forced to move to the city…
Nylasmoke, I see your points, but I think the industries are the biggest polluters;the greed at the heart of the industries is the cause. Me and my bike will not save the planet, but me and my bike will save my finance as long as, like you said, the roads are made friendly cause my life comes before my finance. And that point where I do away with my civic is approaching, and its at after when I cut back drastically on eating/drinking out, when that become a luxury. I can’t imagine anyone changing driving habit before eating habit, some relation there… the price of every commodity is increasing,(I could not believe me and two of my friends paid $35 for dinner breakfast) I better learn to cook Nolawi pizza, round or not, beats the price.
I am surprised Addis is not on bike culture. That is one thing you see in Asmara, everywhere, but again its the number one sport there
Thanks for the spam Q and clarification. Few % of my post never show up and was wondering why… I will be clever with my words to avoid the spambot
Nolawi:
I understand… thanx for letting it pass through
18 Grandma
In the next few yrs or so you won’t have to worry about cars running you over because gas will be so expensive that most cars will be grounded. Then you will be able to ride your bike freely on the existing streets of Addis with no improvements needed.
21 Witt
Absolutely understand your frustration. I mean it is pretty clear that corporations, politicians/govt, basically the whole power structure will continue to do what they are doing unless ppl get organized and force them to be responsible. Sounds impossible but many ppl are getting organized and are doing it. For instance, Portland is a good case. Ranked number 1 for the best city for cycling and the greenest city in the US, is the only major city whose total number of cars is steadily decreasing. They have 170 miles of bike lanes. The mayor of Portland occasionally shuts down part of the city so families can come out and enjoy riding and walking. Obama was giving them props for their bike lanes when he gave that mega speech there a few weeks ago. Anyways, the important thing to learn from this is the fact that this happened because the ppl are active participants in their community and they elect politicians that understand their needs.
Datdude
it might be too late. We really have to consider how our children and grand children will judge us. We have to ask ourself if we are doing enough or not to be be dramatic but are we willing to be the generation that took part in the genocide/extinction of the human race?
You are absolutely right. The material disadvantage might actually turn out to be an advantage. If ppl are willing to change their mind set and if they demand more of their govt. then many things would be accomplished. But that will take time. Maybe harsh things need to happen before ppl get down with the program. Or humanity is doomed forever. Yes their is a need for leadership but by the time there comes a leader or by the time ppl realize that there is a good leader like Nader
Wude
yes my bet still stands. anywhere within DC inside a 5 mile radius, me on my bike and you in whatever fast car you want I will give you $100.00 if u get there before me.
Tadias bakish
Wurgatu
It must be an adventure riding in Addis. Yeah when I was there about two years ago I saw a group of geared up, spandex bikers riding up sidist kilo. Looked like they were heading to entoto or something. But do u know of any groups that organize bike rides in Ethiopia?
Dinich
She was down, actually it was sorta a novelty for her which she enjoyed.
hahah believe it or not one of them was the ultimate image conscience mall type but not too big of a butt
Ted
I understand the difficulty can change your lifestyle overnight but what is your plan for worst case scenario. Meaning Ted, at what point would u consider moving to the city or taking other drastic measure? I wonder if that time comes how many of us are prepared. How many of us can live off the land like our grandparents did (even if they are feudals). I sure can’t but probably it is a good thing to learn. You never know when u have to re-migrate back to our land and live off of it.
Annox
Yes I completely agree, bikes are just part of the solution. Like u implied it is the massive consumerism that is driving the big factories and hurting the planet. A lot of things need to be reconsidered to really save it.
Nolawi where is my response for smokey? I only put two links. Hope u don’t consider that as spam.
I see that now. Disregard my comment on 34. thx
Nyala, you brought up a good point. If I had to move into the city, I’d do it in a heartbeat. I spend most of my time in the city anyway. The only thing that’s holding me from moving into the city is my job. I can live in the city and work in the burbs, but I just don’t want to put up with the rush hour traffic. That’s just me.
So, like I said, for now I will try to avoid unnecessary drives as much as I can, cut back on extra expenses here and there, start looking for a date within a reasonable commuting distance
and that will pretty much make up for the increase in gas price.
Worst case scenario would be, say gas hit $10/gallon. But I’m telling you that won’t be sustainable. I mean think about it, gas goes into the “cost of doing business” of pretty much anything that you can think of. The only reason they are not correcting it is because they just can’t. No one has control over the supply and demand of gas. It’s the market that created this havoc and you just have to let the market work itself out. Sooner or later prices have to come down to a reasonable level for the economy to function properly.
you know its the gas price thats got me outtraged. maybe because im not paying $70 yet, but its the price of everything else!!!! when gas price rises so does the price of food, water, clothes, etc. i cant believe im ppaying $5 for gallon of milk!!! milk, mind you, was $3.60 three months ago. at this rate i dont know if im going to be able to afford to eat
Ted, interesting that you think this is a commodity bubble and soon or later it will burst. What about the global permanent changes like India and China or for that matter other emerging markets new found talent/wealth, the value of unmighty dollar…. I dont think the US will enjoy the level of wasteful consumption it has so far. The real economic equilibrium is how much of the world’s population lives, wont be too long before we join them.
Nyla, its nice to see you blog more often, btw..
Meron, thanks for pointing at: watch the price of a gallon of milk if you want to know what a gallon of gas will be this summer or soon–$5. Its sad its not the other way arround,or minimal relation, one is renewal, the other is not. How far does milk travel btw, I wish they told me how to farm, I would farm just about now. Out from the road are a lot of independent interstate truckers, they can no longer afford gas according to NPR.
Does everyone drive in the US?…
In London most people cant afford to drive even before the price of petrol. By the time you pay the congestion charge and parking you are at least £12 out of pocket so most city folk dont other, the commuters have no choice but to drive…
About petrol things are even worse than the US for starters for starters in the UK we dont pay by the gallon of petrol we pay by the litre,there are approx 3.7 litres to the gallon which costs £1.00 for 1 litre making it £3.70 per gallon of petrol in the U.K at todays dollars exchange rate £1.00 = $1.90 that means that for 1 gallon of petrol in the U.K costs $7.03 in the US.
Petrol prices are affecting utility prices too, they are going up by 25% this winter and house prices are down by 4% and counting and food is gone up too, soon very soon we wont be able to eat, drive and we will freeze to death or end up homeless. Not nice…
Hidaya lol
yeah it seems like we in US all drive. take for example my family of 4 and we all drive to school or work. we have relatives in london, and they own one car for entire family.
only time we ride one car is when we travel out of state. we love our cars, but it is going to be hard with gas price going up each day. i wish i could use my bike to go to school or work but i can’t it is way too far. what can you do if your school or work has no metro or public transportation of any kind. but hey you got to do what you need to do to reach your destination.
i agree with Ted that the market is going to adjust and “work itself out” once this bubble bursts wide open.
Anonx, it’s true that China and India’s demand for oil had surged dramatically at some point. But that’s not the case now. In fact, their thrust for oil is abating somewhat. Thing is, you have to look at it from different angles. I don’t have the exact figures to put here, but from what I’ve read world production has gone up somewhat. So, I wouldn’t blame it on China and India.
In fact, it’s the mismanagement of the US economy that has led to this. Yes, the falling dollar partially explains the current run up in prices. But, “fear of peak oil” is what is really driving prices now, not that there is a shortage. Like I said, if prices go up by another dollar overnight, you will still fill up your tank to go to work, at least in the short term. But in the long run, you will have to cut down on your driving all together. I will reiterate that alternative technologies will be the way to go in the near future…
I’m convinced with today’s technology they are able to make 100+ miles per gallon automobiles. But they choose not to because there’s still mucho dinero to be made. God bless America.
Ted, if this is a bubble, we’ll soon identify the criminals when it bursts. Every bubble has a criminal… punishable crime whether it is the dot.com or housing bubble. There is a shady character behind the scene, in this case may be in the open… remember that secretive energy policy rumble?
Let’s admit, here in US it’s an addiction! We’re hooked in a very bad “expensive habit”. Nothing is going to stop us until it hits $9.99 I’m told US gas pumps cupped out only in 3 digits not 4 digits. You feel happy now?
Gasoline related crime is on the rise especially in the east coast. Siphoning is getting big. Secure your gas caps.
“U.S. regulators disclosed a broad nationwide probe into potential oil-market manipulation and said they are expanding surveillance of energy markets.”
link
I fear this could happen in the US anytime soon:
http://www.flixxy.com/tokyo-japan-train-station.htm
That aint fun at all.
Here’s one for NylaSmoke… (
Monday, June 2, 2008 06:47 PDT
Where have all the bicycles gone?
How the World Works is delighted: The New York Sun is reporting bike shortages in Queens!
With gas costing nearly $4 a gallon … commuters are switching to bikes, leaving some stores short on fashionable brands and preferred colors….
http://www.salon.com/tech/htww/2008/06/02/where_have_all_the_bicycles_gone/” rel=”nofollow”>link
(check out the discussion part of the article, if interested.)
Annox… yeah it has began
this will be the discussion that will dominate for a few years to come…I suggest u get your bikes already before economics makes it harder. Practice is good.
today for the first time , because of the rising gas price , I carpooled with a coworker to come to work . Not only did I save some $$ , but I also kind of felt relaxed when I started my day . I never realized how tense one could get while driving ! I have a long commute about 45 min - 1 hr. depending on traffic and I enjoy my morning radio on the way and stuff. , I’ve always said I enjoy driving … it was interesting .
belu sewoch my 2 cents , carpool and save money , spare the air and relax!
This was in the news in Metro Toronto today:
Dear Lord, please grant us lower gas prices.
That’s the silent prayer being offered at the Peace Lutheran Church in Mississauga, where Pastor Svante Olson speculates that high gas prices are affecting Sunday turnout. Over the last few weeks, attendance has been hitting all-time lows.
For me Church is the last thing I ll cut out….
dinich..that was nice comment..
I do skip church a lot. ( prefer sleeping on sunday morning… i wish the service is on sunday afternoon or other days but not sundays morning.
Hi all!
G’night
How its going?
I’ve recently joined and wanted to introduce myself