WR~
That was a good one.
I always like Mark Morford's columns.
He cuts through the BS.
Like I mentioned recently, the higher gas prices are definitely
having some impact on the amount of cars on the road around here.
It's become noticeable here at my place as we have a
highway that passes not too far away.
I never think of this, but I should probably do a "traffic survey"
sometime when the gas prices are low so that I can compare
it to when they are high.
As for what would happen if prices got really high.
Yeah, in summer (up here), there would probably be a lot more
bicycles on the roads. There already are, because cycling is
very popular up here, but most main roads are far too dangerous
for biking unless you've got a death wish. It's one of the main
reasons that I don't cycle more than I do. When I was a teenager
I rode anywhere from 10 to 20 miles a day on my bike and would
probably do that now if it wasn't so nuts on the roads around here.
Unfortunately, the only highway section that I can travel on to
leave my farm has a huge amount of truck traffic on it and the
shoulder of the road is steep and so rough that I'd break my
neck trying to move off when a truck passed by. The truckers
hate it when there's a bike on the road -- they blast their horns
and a few dimwits even try to give you a "scare" by cutting close to you.
(yeah.. ha ha.. that's funny alright). Btw, we're in an area with
tons of short haul truck traffic running to gravel pits and taking
city garbage out to a landfill site. Guess that scaring cyclists
is a good way of fending off boredom for some of these guys.
Anyhow, peeves me off cuz I do like riding my bike. Only safe thing
is to load the bike in the van and take it somewhere safer to ride (doh!).
That makes real sense as far as the environment is concerned....
My Dad was a teenager during WWII and because of gas-rationing,
he said the roads were totally empty of vehicles. When he was about 15,
he went on something of an epic journey around the lake country
here in Ontario - just traveling alone and sleeping in a tent for about a week.
He said it was fantastic. The best trip he had in his life -- and he traveled
a lot over his lifetime. No way could you do that in the same
area these days -- the roads are so busy now, it would be suicide.
In many ways, it would be nice if things became a lot less hectic everywhere.
Imo, what's going on now is pretty crazy -- and getting crazier by the day.
Morford's probably right -- whatever replaced "this" would probably
be a helluva a lot better.
~croc |
