Scooter-ing around town

Buddy 150-cc scooter (Olive Green)

We bought this Buddy 150-cc Italia scooter yesterday. It’s olive-green, a 2-seater, and I feel like the little girl I was in India, riding behind my dad on his Bajaj scooter. The fresh air in the face, the feel of the road as we go along, I love it all.

A red Vespa was my dream; but who wants to pay an extra $1500 for the brand name, the image.

I’ll get back to writing earnestly soon.

Read Full Post »

Hooray for high gas prices!

It’s no news that gas prices are skyrocketing in the U.S. The average in my area is around $4.20 per regular unleaded gallon lately, and I see the numbers climbing not falling in the near future. Most people seem to consider this an abomination, the worst thing that has happened to humankind, unfair, obscene, you name it. I don’t enjoy paying more for gas myself, but, pause for a moment. Have you considered the positives of these high gas prices?

Americans are also driving less directly as a result of these prices. ABC News published an article on June 16, 2008 titled “Record-High Pain at the Pump Leads More Motorists to Park it / Over Half of Americans Cut Back on Driving Thanks to Soaring Gas Prices”. Isn’t this a good thing? Americans are notorious for over-driving, polluting the environment and clogging up roads.

Public transportation is up in many corners as well due to these gas prices. Read this recent article on OutsideTheBeltway.

And then here’s an article that reveals that carpooling is up thanks to gas prices also.

How can all this be a bad thing?

In my personal life, we have been talking about upgrading one of our cars (my husband’s ’97 honda civic) to a newer model; we considered a BMW Z4, a hybrid SUV, an Outback, but you know what we settled on finally? We decided to keep the Civic, and get a 150-cc scooter instead that’s drivable on the freeway also. The gas prices were definitely one of the reasons for our decision – along with the fun to be had on a Vespa!

I drive less nowadays, think before I take a trip, and combine my errands much more often.

Public transportation isn’t easy in my neighborhood, the closest bus stop is over 2 miles away. If it was more convenient, I’d definitely take the bus more often. I do hope to start driving to the nearest park and ride and take the local train more often.

Next week, I’m taking a little vacation with family, and instead of renting a car to drive from New York to Washington, DC, we’ve decided to either take a train or a bus. Part of the reason had to do with not wanting to pay a lot for gas.

I’m seeing real, measurable changes in my life and lifestyle due to the increase in gas prices, and they are all good ones.

It’s high time Americans realized that cars aren’t meant for 1 person to ride in most of the time, and there are other better, smarter ways to get around too.

Hooray for high gas prices!

Read Full Post »