Posted on 07/08/2008 2:44:53 PM PDT by traumer
The nation of road movies, freeway freedom and dreams of endless horizons is waking up to the reality of soaring fuel prices. Paul Harris in Riverside, California, reports that people are leaving their gas guzzlers in the garage
It is known as the Inland Empire: a vast stretch of land tucked in the high desert valleys east of Los Angeles. Once home to fruit trees and Indians, it is now a concrete sprawl of jammed freeways, endless suburbs and shopping malls.
But here, in the heartland of the four-wheel drive, a revolution is under way. What was once unthinkable is becoming a shocking reality: America's all-consuming love affair with the car is fading.
Surging petrol prices have worked where environmental arguments have failed. Many Americans have long been told to cut back on car use. Now, facing $4-a-gallon fuel, they have no choice.
Take Adam Garcia, a security guard who works near the railway station in Riverside. Like many Inland Empire residents, he commutes a huge distance: 100 miles a day. He used to think nothing of it. But now, faced with petrol costs that have tripled, he is taking action. He has even altered the engine of his car to boost its mileage. 'I have to. Everyone does. I can't afford to drive as much as I did,' he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at guardian.co.uk ...
Schadenfreude
I think designers of the smaller “green” cars have it right: you can’t love an ugly car and you will avoid driving it in public whenever possible.
As long as he "alters" it back to spec come smog check time!
“America’s love affair fades as the car becomes burden of suburbia”
...I don’t know who this putz is talking about, but don’t include me. I just bought an ‘09 Acura TSX and I LOVE it! I also have a big ass Toyota Sequoia that I’m quite partial to.
Oh please. We LOVE to drive. We hate the price of gas.
Maybe the Brits have lost THEIR love of driving considering those b***-ugly boxes they call autos.
But us? No.
I bought a full sized van right after the start of the first gulf war. Got it really cheap.
Maybe it is time to trade in the Scion xBox for a Hummer! ;)
Global warming is real
Well known conservatives are supporting Obama
Americas love affair with the car is ending
yawn,,,,
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
Today’s press...
Finding that one wingnut in a sea of “normals”
Instead of buying petrol, Adam now purchases gas.
I drive 160 miles a day (1 hour each way) in a 12 year old salvaged vehicle that still gets pretty decent milage.
Our love affair with $4 cups of coffee may be over. Our love affair with $100 haircuts may be over. Our love affair with 350 channel cable and satellite TV may be over. But our love affair with cars will never be over!
LOL! The love affair remains strong, it's just moved into the "nip & tuck" stage!
“I still drive. But the burden ain’t too much when all I need is about a mile’s drive from home.”
....that’s a good point...many company offices have moved out to the suburbs...there’s really little reason to go downtown in lots of metro areas....home, office, groceries, banks, movies, malls are all out in suburbia.
this article is full of supercilious, contemptuous and arrogant language. it was written by an environmental wacko, i think.
More blame the prosperous citizen news: It is Liberalism that has become the burden of those who live in suburbia.
Just means I’ll work closer to home... But I’ll still hump my car whenever I need to rekindle my “love-affair.”
By the way, britains love affair with freedom past about a decade ago. They make the CCCP look like a land of freedom.
On the other hand, maybe what is really happening is America’s love affair with the environmental whackos has come to an end.
Drill here, drill now!
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