Posted on 05/18/2026 6:29:07 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
MADISON, WI - Gas prices are up more than 50% since the war with Iran began, pushing more Americans to rethink how they get around.
Public transportation is seeing a noticeable bump: Amtrak reports a 5% increase in passengers in March compared to a year ago.
With jet fuel costs climbing and airfares rising about 15%, long-distance travelers are especially drawn to bus trips right now. Trailways, the largest network of bus companies in the U.S., saw a 5% increase in March year-over-year.
Trailways President Alex Berardi confirms the increase is related to gas with the accelerated numbers in April, "We see April also up 9% — that’s when we know it’s not just natural growth. This is from the gas prices,” Berardi said.
E-scooters and bikes replacing car trips
The shift isn’t just for cross-country travel. Micromobility — like shared e-scooters and bikes is also growing.
The e-scooter and bike company Veo says that in a late March survey, 68% of respondents reported replacing car rides with e-scooters and bikes.
Veo reports "73% said shared scooters and bikes are cheaper than driving when gas prices are high."
In the Greater Madison area — including Fitchburg, McFarland and Monona — B-cycle now operates more than 525 bikes across 120+ stations.
Riders can find station locations using the system’s online map, The process is simple: download the app, find a bike on the map, grab and ride. The station map also allows riders to check nearby bike routes.
As prices remain high, transportation experts say consumers may continue leaning on public transit and shared mobility to avoid the volatility at the gas pump.
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> During WWII people sacrificed in all kinds of ways to support the war effort… <
I have mentioned this before. WW2 had Pearl Harbor. There was anger, and a desire for a bit of revenge. Get it done.
There is no Pearl Harbor with this Iran conflict. It can be fairly argued that Trump is trying to prevent another one by attacking Iran first. But many Americans won’t see it that way.
And you really can’t blame them all that much. Government has lied to us many times in the past. So now there’s skepticism.
The country was mono-cultural in 1941.
We’ve been Balkanized.
That’s selective outrage for you.
Great argument, if only Trump made a similar argument before the election you might have case, but Trump promised the opposite and many people voted for him for that promise.
And for anyone that is so narrow minded they can’t see that I’d suggest that they pull their head out of their ass.....it ain’t all about you pal.
It's not about me, it's about all the squishy Republicans and Moderates who get mad every time they are paying an Israel tax at the pump and are now going to vote Blue or sit out the coming midterm.
They did a better job of selling going to war in WWII. The Japs bombing Pearl Harbor also helped a lot to convince people.
We were at war once FDR gave his “Arsenal of Democracy” speech.
That is the problem. There is really no choice. The Democrats would just drop off pallets of cash and the Bush republicans would have gone to war but not as competently. We are sort of along for the ride.
a. President Trump will fix it. Brandon didn’t.
b. Just pointing out the hypocrisy of our Enemy Media.
c. I’ll bet anyone a doughnut that the oil and gas people ARE taking advantage of us. They never let a crisis go to waste.
US consumers are paying about $30/more per barrel and the US uses about 17 million barrels a day.
That’s $510 million/day, the cost of several brand-new tankers filled with oil.
Congress could authorize Trump to use $1 billion to buy tankers stranded in the Gulf, fill them with crude, and have US Navy sailors run them through the Strait (or send them through by remote control or autopilot). A helicopter could be on each tanker in transit in case the crew needs to come off.
Congress could authorize Trump to have another 60 days if:
1. any US vessel is attacked while passing through the international waters of the Persian Gulf or the waters of Kuwait, Saudia Arabia, the UAE or Oman,
2. an Iranian vessel, missile or torpedo enters the waters or airspace claimed by Kuwait, Saudia Arabia, the UAE or Oman within four miles of a US vessel,
3. an Iranian vessel fails to promptly and harmlessly sail to Iranian coastal waters when signaled by US military flare.
The US tankers are unlikely to be attacked. Does anybody here think Iranian thugs want Trump to have another 60 days to whack them?
There is a way to drop oil and gas prices fast.
I live in south central NH. Yesterday afternoon my wife am I drove over to the ocean. About 50 miles east. It was the first high 80s sunny day. It was packed. Every place we went by was packed. Two restaurant parking lots were full. Another was not even open yet. They typically do not open up until after Memorial Day.
We went into Portsmouth, NH. It was crowded. Coming home around 4pm the highway going back west was crowded. People driving fast(80). It was the first beautiful weekend. Everyone decided to take a drive.
> Just pointing out the hypocrisy of our Enemy Media. <
Yes, that is a key point. One reason (of many) why FDR was a successful war president is he had the media on his side.
Trump is facing a media that’s actively against him. They are not even neutral.
On any issue, not just Iran.
Life can be hard when your priorities are out of order. Letting max’d out MC/VISA and tuition bills go delinquent, car insurance expirations, utilities, etc., but having the cash for Starbucks, nail salons, footwear, meal deliveries, expensive pets and their “needs”, cannabis products, fancy organic foods, health club memberships...Gas could be affordable but they can’t see the problem because they’re too damned close to it.
Went on a road trip in out V-10 Excursion Saturday.
Per passenger mile it gets about the same fuel economy as a Prius.
One suggestion to save a little money on fuel: plan your local outings to avoid repeated multiple trips. We always try to do three things on every trip. It also saves time by being more efficient.
This is something that we’ve done for a long time out of necessity and habit. I vividly remember finding it hard to find gas money even when it was dirt cheap. ;)
No sensible person ignores the dangers posed by Iran. But that doesn’t mean that we should brush aside the fact that many people are getting financially nuked by very high gas prices. However, that’s just part of the problem; high oil prices drive up the cost of nearly everything, especially food as transportation costs have an immediate and noticeable impact. The solution of course is an expeditious end to this crisis as letting it drag on will cause lasting financial damage for many people.
Which is why I seriously love decentralized solar and my wife and I do most of our driving in our EV car. Solar and/or an EV doesn't fit for all climates, driving habits, and home energy consumption habits. But since I can't build my own refinery (or for that matter produce my own natural gas), I went with solar because I can use it to produce my own power.
It works for our climate and our situation. There's something wonderful about having to pull only 20% of our power from the grid...for an all electric house ... and driving about 18K miles per year on home charged miles alone (not counting the miles we put on our gas pickup or the miles we drive on trips and have to pay for gas or charge). Our past 12 power bills averaged $72/month, driving 1,500 miles per month on home charged miles.
I think much like you think. If I hadn't experimented with a small solar system for a year to see how well it works, there's no way I would have thought about getting an EV (the year my wife's gas crossover needed replacing anyway). For me it's not an EV vs gas car argument. It's a matter of figuring out what kind of energy I can produce on my own and how best I can utilize it. I did other energy improvements to the home (i.e. when I replaced the gas furnace I also replaced my A/C unit and now cool and heat my home with a variable speed heat pump, supplemented by heat strips when the outside temp is too cold for the heat pump), to best utilized my homemade power. Likewise, getting the EV utilizes the homemade power out onto the road (for local driving, and the first 250 miles of a long trip if we decide to take the EV).
I use Gas Buddy when prices get high - local prices today range from $3.59 to $4.29 a gallon (all non-warehouse prices available to the general public.)
If one is price sensitive, it’s worth driving a couple of miles (or in some cases, a couple of blocks) to save a few dollars on a fill up.
Exactly. Hope we end up with a Buc-ee’s nearby. I hear they’re pretty cool. :)
“We’ve been Balkanized”
*************
The social cohesion and shared values that are essential to being a civilized country have been fractured. Nobody wants to talk about the gorilla in the room.
Which is where I’m at. Skepticism.
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