Fuel prices are on the rise again.
The above statement is for those of you that live with your head under a rock or in a basement somewhere with no natural light and no contact with the outside world.
Do any of you remember the national 55 mile an hour speed limit? I do. I remember driving 160 miles most weekends to go to the lake and seldom exceeding the speed limit. You can even get used to hanging if you do it long enough. It was what one did at the time. (driving slowly, not hanging.)
Now, we are obviously having an ‘energy crisis’ of some kind and I have not heard one word about reducing the speed limit on the highway. I can say from personal experience that reducing your speed will increase mileage significantly. I drive a rather large diesel pickup truck and have been making a point of driving slower than the speed limit. I am presently getting over 28 miles to the gallon.
That’s right; I am getting better mileage than a lot of ‘economy cars’ in a full sized, extended cab pickup with towing package. It is stock with no aftermarket add-ons that are supposed to increase mileage and make you more attractive to the opposite gender. It is pretty much as it was when we bought it from the dealer.
You are not going to convince me that I am driving the magic car that has supernatural mileage and is possessed by the spirit of the guy that invented the magic carburetor.
I feel that I am getting this kind of mileage by driving very conservatively and staying away from the 70 MPH limit.
Yet we seem to be hearing nothing about dealing with the situation we are in. Last year the Mrs. and I drove to Yellowstone and I don’t believe that I spent $3 a gallon more than once. Now I am happy if I can find diesel for less than $4.80 a gallon. Are we doing ANYTHING to get away from this? Not that I can see.
I don’t know if the people that are in charge of things are waiting for society to make the necessary changes in our behavior or if they are raking money in hand over fist and gloating at the gullibility of the American people. I really don’t care.
I think it is time to limit things again. If we use less fuel as a nation then gas prices are supposed to come down. At least that is what I was taught in school. If they don’t, then at least the greenies will think that we are putting less greenhouse gasses in the air.
What the hell is the problem with slowing down? So what if it takes you a little longer to get where you are going? Leave a little earlier. Plan a little better.
Every gallon you save is money you saved.
Think about it.
