Weekend Hypothetical: What Would Happen If You Woke Up To $5/Gallon Gasoline?

by Edward Niedermeyer

January 15th, 2011 8:24 PM

weekend hypothetical what would happen if you woke up to 5 gallon gasoline

Remember this hilarious photoshop? Remember when gas cost upwards of four dollars per gallon? We’re not trying to predict anything or depress anyone, but with oil headed towards $100/barrel, this hypothetical isn’t as outlandish as it might seem. So let’s do this mental exercise: if you woke up tomorrow and gas were five dollars per gallon, what would you do, and what would you expect from others?

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6 of 197 comments

R.d. Walker on Jan 17, 2011

I would drive my F-150 4x4 a hell of a lot more. Driving would be a pleasure with all the enviro-fools walking.

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- Vento97 on Jan 21, 2011
  
  And the oil companies will be forever grateful to you for allowing them to continue making their yacht payments...
  
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Biodiversivist on Jan 18, 2011

We swapped our Outback for a Prius and our Cherokee for an electric bike years ago. Our gasoline budget is very small. The Jeep has become a motorized wheelbarrow for occasional towing or heavy hauling. Google "biodiversivist ultimate hybrid" or "biodiversivist afterburner" My neighborhood is also very walkable, although I usually ride my bike everywhere. We have within ten bicycle minutes from our house just about any business you can imagine, and I'm barely exaggerating.

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StatisticalDolphin on Jan 19, 2011

Why are so many people who profess to walking, riding bicycles and taking public transportation, reading and commenting on a blog that focuses on the glory of the car-based ICE? Not complaining, just curious. I mean, aren't there blogs available for folks who walk to work, relish the task of hauling home groceries on their tenspeeds, and cherish the slow motion riot that is public transportation in just about all of the US?

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- Joeaverage on Jan 20, 2011
  
  Because I LOVE cars! However with the cost of operating my favorite cars going up, I'd be happy slowing down and walking more or biking more. Unfortunately I'm part of the 1% of 1% around my town that would consider that so riding a bike anywhere I need to go means lots of near death episodes. Need sidewalks (good) or bike paths (better). Is it going to happen here? No. Not until gas is over $10 per gallon and the people are rioting in the streets for some way to get around. Of course then the roads will be empty and we will be able to bicycle safely. We've got public transport now in our small town. The city runs two city buses all day and into the night. Unfortunately the friggin' routes are so limited that it would be quicker to bike. They don't run the buses out into the neighborhoods surrounding our town. The route is so condensed they only serve the folks living near the shopping and restaurants already anyhow who are close enough to walk. Oh - and the college students. They can ride but most of the American kids avoid the buses b/c it is cooler to drive through town on Mom and Dad's nickel in their cars, trucks and SUVs. College kids around here may not have much of their own money but alot of their parents make sure these kids have nice vehicles, gas money, the latest cellphones and money enough to go to O'Charley's for dinner with friends. The buses here are never full, and rarely have more than a person or two on them. Total waste of my tax dollars. Wish they were busier but they aren't.
  
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Gene in PA on Jan 19, 2011

I'm one of those who "professed" to walking and I read this blog because I love cars. I just don't feel the need to drive one every day. And I really don't want to have to use one to commute to work. But that doesn't mean I hate cars.

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