Two Fridays ago, when I stopped at the gas station to fill up, I saw the others around me doing the same thing, watching the meter tick, tick, tick ever higher, the difference between "gallon" and "dollars" growing ever wider. It seems like only yesterday that gas was about a dollar a gallon and these two numbers were almost identical.
This day, my meter was going abnormally slow so I had time to think, and every gallon suddenly seemed intentional. I looked up at the sign that listed the cost of a gallon and asked the guy next to me the rhetorical, exasperated question, "What is the limit?"
And then it hit me. The question, for me, as an individual, is not, "What is the limit?" It is, "What is my limit?"
I did quick calculations and decided that, with all the bases I have to cover in a day, between work and kids and life, I'd be willing to pay $7 in gas. If I were in NY and were taking mass transit, I'd pay that amount easily. So $49 for the week. That is my limit, I decided right then and there. And when the meter got to $49, I stopped. Period. I replaced the gas pump and patted it gently and said, "See you next Friday, pal."
And so I told my family my plan. I wasn't putting a drop more gas into that car for another week. We rode buses and bikes and walked and skipped some trips and doubled-up on others--all things that we were already doing, but last week we did more of it. Friday came and went and I still had plenty of gas.
My older daughter and I ran some quick numbers on how much gas we used that week, and how much money we saved for every mile we didn't drive.
"We can do even better," she told me.
I stopped by to see my pal, Pumpy, again yesterday. And this time I put $35 of gas in my car instead of $49. Because this, we can do.
I hear bike sales are skyrocketing. Mass transit is packed. Sales of smaller, more energy-efficient cars are through the roof. Together, we have power. We determine the limit. And we can change the world.
As for Every Monday Matters? I'm leaving the book behind now, folks. Because I have my own trail to blaze. On foot.
6 comments:
I really like this idea!!
I have been tracking my daily mileage for the last two weeks, I am not impressed with my totals.
I am going to come up with my limit this week.
thank you
There's a bus stop close to my house with a 7:45 express running into downtown that for years usually has two or three people at it when I occasionally drive past at ~7:40 am. Recently there have been seven or more people every time I've gone past.
I am willing to pay the true cost of gas and buy less gas because of that true cost.
What a great idea.
Being part of the sprawl problem myself (mea culpa, mea culpa, mea culpa), I pretty much have to drive...or risk life and limb on a narrow roadway with a toddler in tow. No buses...heck, I can't even get home RECYCLING here in the banlieue. (The multiple trash bags filled with glass, plastic, etc. in my garage drive my hubby nuts...gotta DRIVE miles and miles to recycle them. Fortunately, the local elementary takes paper and aluminum.)
That said, I also think this is a "lemons outta lemonade" situation we're in...so many things that even suburbanites like me CAN do if we put our minds to it...cut down on trips (which means better planning), string trips together, carpool (thank goodness for that extra carseat!), and so forth. And maybe buying a little less plastic to pay the "true cost of gas", as per Valereee, is a good idea, too.
I think it all comes down to intention in the end and making a real commitment to change. Otherwise, our "limits" will keep creeping up if we don't put some thought into it, kwim?
I think we do what we can, a little more each day. It seems as simple as that to me.
According to my calculations you are paying the equivalent of US$1 per litre. Here in Australia it is hard to get it for less than US$1.50 per litre and suggestions are it will be $2 by the end of the year. How much your government subsidises fuel is a huge problem for world oil supplies. It is wonderful if every single one of you can do what Pattie is doing and try to use less where you can - leave some for us!
That is a great idea! Unfortunately for me I have to commute to work out of state, so I can't use mass transit (believe me, I looked into it!). Instead I have slowed down my speed on the highway by 10-15 mph, which has definitely made a noticeable difference. I also drive a small fuel efficient car, and plan to always do that.
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