STFU and GTFO, baby! (aka Options Abound, Fool!)

When I was younger, I was notorious for running around with the gas gage so close to sitting on empty you could barely tell the difference. What can I say? I was a poor high school student with other bills to pay, so I'd plop 3.00 in the tank and be happy. We'd drive around forever and when the light came on, we'd put another 3.00 in the tank, and drive around laughing at the guys who thought they were the shiznit and whistled as they walked. (Wanna ride? Get a car, baby!)

That same 3.00, obviously, wouldn't buy much today. Indeed, when I got in the car this evening to run to the post office, the low fuel light was on. My husband hates paying for gas, so he waits until the Explorer starts sputtering before he caves and buys gas. Now that I'm older and sis and I are typically in the car with the kids, I get nervous when the light comes on so run straight to the gas station. And my husband, of course, hears about it when he runs the gas out knowing that sis and I need to go somewhere.

In all honesty, I can't really blame him. Gas prices blow, especially when you work on the other side of town and visit the hospital on the other side of town every day. It adds up. Faster than I do.

So... he's begun contemplating buying a scooter. I giggled at the thought. He's 6'8" and nearly 300 pounds. He just doesn't look like a scooter man. I can just imagine him hunched over a little scooter, flipping people off, shaking his fist to God and motioning them around as he cruises down the interstate. And to complete that hilarious internal movie, I add a scooter break down scene. Curse you God, curse you!

As funny as it is (to me at any rate), he actually has a pretty good point. Why gripe about gas prices when there are things you can do? Sure, ranting and raving is fun but so is solving the problem. Which leads me to the point of this post...

Refusing to buy gas one day isn't going to solve anything, as fluffy a dream as it is. Nor is writing angry letters to your Congress folk. Bombing the oil refineries, while a nice fantasy with many amusing plot twists, is probably the worst idea ever (it's bad for the environment, duh). Pushing your car where you need to go is more of a workout than most of us can swing. Alternative fuel isn't readily available to some of us, too expensive for others, and just not practical to others. So... what can you do?

Buy a scooter.
There are actually some pretty awesome scooters out there that get great gas mileage, are fairly easy to handle, don't cost a fortune and don't poke along.

Will you save money riding a scooter?

Say your car gets 20 miles per gallon, and you have a 30-mile roundtrip commute. If you're buying gas at the national average of $2.94, you're spending just over $22 on gas every week — just for commuting. That's an annual fuel cost of $1,100.

On a $3,000 scooter that gets 60 miles per gallon, you could save more than $700 per year.

If you pay $100 per month for car insurance, you'll save an additional $1,000 or so by switching to a scooter.

Now... change that information to fit current gas prices (sowwie Charlie, can't not do that for ya) and you're saving even more. We spend nearly 250.00 a month on gas. If hubby gets the scooter he wants (on sale for 1500.00.. w00t!) and drives it to work every day; it would pay for itself in (best guess) under a year. Pretty freaking awesome, jah?

If a scooter isn't for you... have you considered a Segway? They're short distance self balancing scooters that are quite perfect for a college campus and city driving. They don't require any gas at all (how sweet is that), can be taken inside with you, and are relatively easy to handle (see article here). It's probably not the best idea for someone that has to be on opposite ends of town, but would work well for zipping around your campus or to other close locales.

If you're a braver soul than am I, you can always consider converting your car to run on water. I don't know a thing about doing this, so hopefully someone else can explain if it's even possible, but I keep seeing articles and such for it so had to toss it in there. It's a car, but it runs on water man!

And then, of course, there are the traditional methods that we often overlook or downright ignore.

The Bus (but they're so gross!).
Maybe they are, but the 30.00 to buy the monthly bus pass wouldn't even buy you a tank of gas now... and sanitizing wipes come in all sorts of nifty carrying packages these days (believe me, I use them religiously). So, swipe, wipe and sit, dearie.

Mike and Ike (aka de feet).
Mike and Ike don't cost anything and even better, it's exercise! If you plan on walking during the summer, however, I recommend reading sawaboof's blog entry on hot weather precautions that she has lovingly dubbed "This is why I'm hot" (I'm hot coz I'm fly... you ain't coz you not).

The Carpool, Fool!
It's elementary (school), Dr. Watson! But seriously, sharing the cost can go a long way, especially when commuting. And, of course, in some areas you get the awesomely oft uncongested carpool lane so you can wave at the suckers doing the Jim Carey in traffic. Schweet!

I don't believe in Peter Pan, Frankenstein or Superman. All I wanna do is... Bicycle, bicycle, bicycle!

Yes, bicycle! Contrary to popular belief, they're not just for kiddies or for environmental whack jobs. They can be awe-some. And it's exercise. And it doesn't take gas. And you can piss off the drivers stuck behind your peddling ass... what else could you ask for, hmm?

And I bet that there are a dozen of you out there that can add further ideas to this nifty little compilation I'm lovingly calling "STFU and GTFO, baby!" So... instead of griping about the evil oil execs who are laughing whilst they are screwing you in the rear with a 10 ft pole...

Do something about it! You have options, whether you wish to believe it or not.