But wait, not only are we paying too much for gas, but winter is on its way and we will also pay too much for oil, propane, and other combustibles that will heat our homes. We'll probably pay too much for a lot of things very soon, as transport companies will have to raise their tariffs to cover the price of gasoline. That's scary.
But let's stay within the realm of cars. Me and my spouse annually drive about 25,000 km each, at 10L/100 km on average, At 80 cents a litre, it cost us about $4,000 in fuel to drive to work and head for the shopping center on weekends. At $1.10 a litre, the same mileage will cost us $5,500. That's $1,500 less in our pockets that we need to purchase the essentials of life; food, clothes, diapers, toys for the kids, etc. Are you reading, Mr. Martin? Your citizens are experiencing a financial crisis, and the lining in our bank accounts is getting pretty thin.
Of course, Mr. Prime Minister, we all know that you're at ease financially, and the fuel in the transportation devices that shuttle you around across Canada and around the world is paid by--yep, us again, the taxpayer. So, I suppose that you can't come close to realize what the average Canadian is going through right now.
Aren't the people who voted for you disappointed that you're not even listening to their pleas for help?
So, what do we average Joes do now? On an individual basis, it's hopeless. And we're too spread out across the country to all sit down together and think of a plan. I think the only way to get the whole population's opinion or vote together, is via a website. Let us be heard as a collective complaint, not just one at a time.
I've seen lots of suggestions to fight the rise in gas prices, and the vast majority involves boycotting an oil company or a gas station for a day. Hmm... good try, but useless if you just skip a day and go back for gas the day after.
What about the other solutions? Carpooling is useless, since trying to set up four people in a vehicle that live nearby and all work in the same area with the same working hours is about as easy as understanding every line in your tax return forms. I can't imagine arriving late at the day-care (a paying a penalty) because someone else riding in the same car finished work late and we all had to wait for him. I can't imagine riding two hours a day with three other people with which I have nothing in common except for a similar trajectory to work and back.
As for public transport, it's well short of containing the increasing number of people who use it. I've used the train for five years while working in the heart of Montreal. While I found it marvellous at first, the trains on the Blainville/Montreal line were often late, slow, or just broke down and we were stuck either inside the train, or freezing to death waiting outside at a station in -20 Celsius weather for a train that isn't coming. Although I definitely saved money on gas and parking, I had to get used to actually arriving home later than if I would had taken my car.
Switching to the Deux-Montagnes/Montreal line was better, the trains being electric and more reliable and the schedules offering more arrivals and departures. But, popularity grew so much that when I last used it in December 2003, the 1,100-car parking lot at the Deux-Montagnes station was completely full by as early as 7:15 am. A couple of buddies still use it today, and they tell me that the parking lot is now full by 6:45 am. And if you have no place to leave your car, you obviously can't take the train.
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| (Photo: Michel Deslauriers, Auto123) |
Of course, Mr. Prime Minister, we all know that you're at ease financially, and the fuel in the transportation devices that shuttle you around across Canada and around the world is paid by--yep, us again, the taxpayer. So, I suppose that you can't come close to realize what the average Canadian is going through right now.
Aren't the people who voted for you disappointed that you're not even listening to their pleas for help?
So, what do we average Joes do now? On an individual basis, it's hopeless. And we're too spread out across the country to all sit down together and think of a plan. I think the only way to get the whole population's opinion or vote together, is via a website. Let us be heard as a collective complaint, not just one at a time.
I've seen lots of suggestions to fight the rise in gas prices, and the vast majority involves boycotting an oil company or a gas station for a day. Hmm... good try, but useless if you just skip a day and go back for gas the day after.
What about the other solutions? Carpooling is useless, since trying to set up four people in a vehicle that live nearby and all work in the same area with the same working hours is about as easy as understanding every line in your tax return forms. I can't imagine arriving late at the day-care (a paying a penalty) because someone else riding in the same car finished work late and we all had to wait for him. I can't imagine riding two hours a day with three other people with which I have nothing in common except for a similar trajectory to work and back.
 |
| (Photo: Michel Deslauriers, Auto123) |
Switching to the Deux-Montagnes/Montreal line was better, the trains being electric and more reliable and the schedules offering more arrivals and departures. But, popularity grew so much that when I last used it in December 2003, the 1,100-car parking lot at the Deux-Montagnes station was completely full by as early as 7:15 am. A couple of buddies still use it today, and they tell me that the parking lot is now full by 6:45 am. And if you have no place to leave your car, you obviously can't take the train.