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Date:         Fri, 29 Jun 2007 19:23:35 -0700
Reply-To:     BA <oddstray@ODDSTRAY.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         BA <oddstray@ODDSTRAY.COM>
Subject:      Re: At the pump ...
In-Reply-To:  <019e01c7baa6$37347270$a59d5750$@com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

Hi,

I *wish* car fuel prices in the Yoo-Ess reflected the true cost!!! Given the car-centric society and car-centric street systems with the concommittant lack of decent mass transportation, that may be the only way to wean the great unwashed yankee masses from their one-person transportation behomoths. Raise the price per gallon!!!!!

But, it would also help to offer the variety of cars here that are available in, say, Britain. (SimonP being a brit, that's the alternate system I have information about.) Specifically, if a diesel/electric hybrid shows up on the Yoo-Ess market then we'll seriously consider it. Prius? Not even in the running. Our Mazda 3 sedan recently got 35 mpg during S's commute. The Prius *realistically* gets 45 mpg in similar circumstances. For the additional price and additional risk of untested (long-term) technology, we're not going with the Prius.

I commute about 12 (hilly) miles to work. I generally get on the freeway, but I don't need to. Sounds to me like an ideal all-electric-vehicle scenario. I wish there was the infrastructure in place so that I could do it. (In the meantime, I'm seriously considering spending the $1500 for an electric-assist bicycle. for my commute.)

The best era for gas-station service that I can think of wos the late '80's. Prior to a serious road-trip, I used to drive into the slightly-higher-priced service station that offered full-serve. I'd tell them to fill it up, and that I was planning on a road trip so I'd be delighted to have them check everything. Other times I'd just go to the local pump-it-yerself lower-priced local alternate. Nice to have the choices!

Re the good old days ... in the good old days I'd likely have died a few years younger than I am now. So they were good days only for some values of "good" ...

B&S '87 Westy 'Esmerelda Blanc' SoCal

On Fri, 29 Jun 2007 19:35:45 -0400, you wrote:

>You can still get that full service, 5 guys at attention, each doing their >thing like your own personal pit crew, they clean, inspect, pump, and primp >all while shouting the status of their operations so they all know, and then >they send you off and run into line to bow as you drive off... the gas costs >$5-$7 a gallon, and the stations I'm talking about are in Tokyo but it still >exists :) > > >Jim Akiba > > >-----Original Message----- >From: Loren Busch [mailto:starwagen@GMAIL.COM] >Sent: 2007-06-29 6:58 PM >To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM >Subject: Re: At the pump ... > >RE: Self Serve vs. Attendant Pumped Gas > >I love this thread. It comes up about once a year. Sometimes it starts >with "I'm in Oregon (or New Jersy) and they won't let me pump my own gas" or >it starts "I really miss the old days of full service gas stations". The >latter always from those of us with thin, gray, or no hair, the former from >the younger generations. There will be at least one story about the >attendant that tried to put the gas into the '710' cap in the back. And >there will be a least one mention of gas in a diesel (talk to Susan on >WetWesties). And I could (but won't) tell some tales about car owners, >tales from working in a 'full service' all night station in the mid '60's > >Yes, times change. And thank someone the 'good old days' are gone....


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