10 Reasons Why Higher Gas Prices Could Be A Good Thing
July 14, 2008
We are a complacent society fixated on the here and now. The new version of the Apple iPhone is one good example. It’s release just days ago sparked lines out business doors from people all looking for ways to drop $199 for the latest version of cellphone annoyance. $4 a gallon gasoline is another story altogether.
Everywhere you go you hear the conversations.
“Four bucks a gallon? Four bucks. What is wrong with this world?”
The speech is usually the same no matter which filling station you go to, with a bit of variance thrown in for good effect. We like to complain about the details we have no control over, yet fork out $200 for those items (plus a monthly fee) that does little for making our life easier. If anything, that new iPhone has just cluttered up our busy world and offers us one more outlet to complain about the price of gas as we are filling up at the local station. Don’t act like it’s not true. I see you! Yes, you.
On that note, I am going to offer up my list of 10 reasons why the rise in gas prices is a good thing for the American public. Before you start pegging me with soda cans and threaten to torch my house, read the list. You might agree on some of these points.
1. A Drop In Traffic. The Los Angeles Times recently reported that traffic nationwide has dropped 2.1%. Now if you have to go someplace important, like the local Nextel Center to pay your cellphone bill, you can get there with a bit less of a hassle.
2. Less Traffic Means Less Traffic Deaths. Less cars on the road, obviously means less traffic accidents, which , of course, means less injuries due to accidents. In the long run, this could eventually lead to some slight drops in health care insurance premiums and car insurance. More money for more gas.
3. Public Transportation. Many more people are deciding to use the public transportation available to them. We have always heard that carpooling is a good way to go. Taking the local bus takes carpooling to whole new level. Not only are you saving wear and tear on a vehicle, but now you actually get to mingle and meet all those people that scare you in the world.
4. More Family Time. If your not busy driving two blocks away to the local Walmart, you must be spending a bit more time at home. With all of our busy lives, the value of that can never be overstated. Your kids might get upset that your taking them away from the valued XBox or Playstation, but if you can’t drive anywhere, they might as well be annoyed, too.
5. Less Driving = Less Eating Out. Our country is fat and lazy, at least that is what they tell us. We have learned to incorporate the latest double-decker, quadruple bacon cheeseburger-extra BBQ sauce (hold the Mayo)–into our everyday diets, then we want to lounge around and complain of heartburn. Not anymore. If gas goes up, your fat butt is forced to contemplate walking, in turn, perhaps, motivating you to walk for that next 4,000 calorie adventure. I do suggest going a bit lighter on the food though. The cows will love you for it, as will the person sitting next to you on the plane.
6. Better Gas Awareness. How many times do we catch ourselves checking out the latest gas prices on the digital board? When gas would rise from a buck(I know this was a few years ago) to a Buck ‘o Five, you never really heard us complain much about throwing away that extra nickel. Jump ahead a few years and now if there is a better deal-a five cent discount 40 miles down the road–what do we do? We contemplate driving there. We also check out our vehicles and make sure we are getting the best mileage for our money. My wife is like a NASCAR pit crew. She is throwing tape on places to get less drag, contemplating wing dynamics for better airflow and always talking about drafting to save fuel and speed up time. This is a bit of an exageration, of course, but I can’t say we haven’t all thought about pulling a Dale and putting that car in front of us into the wall. Alright, maybe that is just me.
7. Greening The Environment. Vehicles account for an exasperating amount of pollution in our world. Fewer people driving, plus the addition of greener technologies has made us all think about our effects on the environment a bit more. Rather than driving, many people are taking to walking or biking short distances. Once again, this helps with your personal health, as well as makes us a feel a bit better about ourselves. This may also just be an excuse to not be looked upon as the latest victim of a DUI arrest. I get that question a lot when I am biking.
8. Less Driving = Less Cellphone Use In Cars. Sorry. That is just a personal pet-peeve that I thought I would include. Feel free to talk on your cellphone while your walking to the YMCA, but if there is one thing that is annoying, it is seeing someone barreling down the interstate at 90 MPH, coming up on your tail, yapping away on the phone–and your thought: “Oh Jeez, they are going to be a permanent fixture on my bumper. Do I have insurance?” Alright. It probably doesn’t come out so eloquently, but you get the point.
9. Conversation. The price of gas continuously plays mind tricks with us. One minute it is $4.23 a gallon, the next time through town it is $3.95. In our heads, many of us like to be Philosophers of why and what is taking place. Each time it jumps, we are more than likely to strike up a conversation with a complete stranger. We know we are not alone and the price of gas is a common ground. For once, there will be no arguing and debating. We know that on this subject, all of us are right and all of us can be experts without really knowing anything. We all agree that gas prices suck.
10. More Money, Better Health, Less Traffic, Better Environment, More Thinking, Fuel Efficiency and Alternative Energy, Less Accidents, Fine Tuned Vehicles, Better Energy Awareness, More Active Lifestyle, and Less Dependence On Other Nations.
If gas were back at $2.00 a gallon none of these initiatives would be able to work and prosper. People are thinking, developing, communicating and moving forward on projects that would have never came in to focus if higher gas prices were not around. Don’t look at this as the “cup is half empty”. It may just be more full than you think.
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Written by Jason A. Hendricks · Filed Under Opinion |
Recently went to the US (I am from Europe) and happily started to tell my friends how nice it is to drive in a country, where gas is so cheap. Needless to say, they had a different point of view :)) Of course, as gas in the US has been practically free for decades, it could be quite difficult to get used to the idea that gas money can be a significant part of the family budget.
Anyway, I do not think that high gas prices will change the driving habits too much - after a while (some years) everyone will simply adjust to the ever rising price. I am already used to paying 8 bucks a gallon and do not restrict my driving habits significantly - it could be worse.
First of all, Jason I agree with most of what you say but I don’t want to and wonder if we have to.
Atis says he/she pays $8 a gal for gas and speaks of it in terms that we need to just adjust to that. Why should we if we don’t have to? Is it just a matter of paying more money and nothing else changes? Where’s the sense in that?
This seems to speak toward viewing inflation as something not important. Right now it’s playing an important role in diminishing the value of the U.S. dollar. Part of what has kept the U.S. economy strong is our efforts to keep inflation under control.
Either way, I dislike high gas prices buy more so I despise that we, the most powerful nation on earth, can be brought to our knees with little effort because we are dependent on foreign oil - oil from countries who are not necessarily our friends.
I agree.
We need to look at and utilize all of our options.
More drilling, more refining, more bio and flex fuels, electric assisted engines….all of it!
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I’d agree with some of those points - and I applaud your wanting to look at the bright side of things! However, I’d agree with Mr. Remington - that we shouldn’t have to adjust to these high prices.
I think that your lighter side to the issue was refreshing. While I am frustrated with the higher prices, I really do see where your coming from on a lot of these issues.
I do agree with needing more flex fuel vehicles, offshoring drilling, and less dependence on foreign oil, but this was a refreshing side to the topic.
I appreciate all of your comments. Yes, I did try to go a bit lighter with the issue. We all know it is frustrating, but they say laughter is the best medicine. What else can we do?
I have a feeling that fuel prices won’t be coming down anytime soon. For all I know, they may never come down-
I am just trying to accept the current options and continue to go with the flow. I am not asking for everyone to just accept it, but then again–we are forced to accept a lot of things that just aren’t right with this country. This is another topic for another day-
The real change, if there will be, can only be brought on by grassroots efforts in local education to get people out there to vote and make their voices heard. The only way change will and can happen is from the ground up. Focus on the communities, then spread out to the cities, states, and finally the nation. This could take years to do…
It is kind of odd how this ‘crisis’ rolled up on our nation so fast without a warning or a red flag popping up a year or two ago..gas is rising, the economy is tanking, jobs are being lost, and food is rising..It kind of snowballed at once and hit us, didn’t it?
I actually put partial blame on the media..if people are told the economy is tanking, eventually they will listen and hold on to their money, quit buying houses, etc..
Your thoughts?
I’d say that’s a valid point - if people are told the economy stinks for long enough, well, naturally, they’re going to start cutting back on things - and when we get people out of their normal spending habits, this is what happens. While I doubt that the media is solely to blame, it sure hasn’t helped at all!