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10 Hidden Casualties Of $4 Gas
forbes.com — Truckers, taxi drivers and charities are just some of the groups being hit hard by high gas prices. Here are several more, all reeling from the sharp rise in fuel costs.
numberneal- 653 diggs
- digg it
- rearlgrant, on 07/11/2008, -6/+29Cheap energy has been a credit line the U.S. has drawn on for almost 100 years. I fear a debt reckoning is coming soon.
- DangerCollie, on 07/11/2008, -4/+6You're right, but I'm wondering if you know how right you really are.
http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/international/gas1.jpg
Check out the difference between what Europeans pay and what we pay. We still have a loooooong way to go.- rearlgrant, on 07/12/2008, -5/+11I have long argued for a 100% gas tax. :-) Much to the consternation of people around me.
- DangerCollie, on 07/12/2008, -2/+13I'd back you on that if the money went toward building a national high speed train network. Use that money to create lower cost transportation options, create jobs here and encourage conservation.
The best ideas are rarely popular. - tnoy, on 07/13/2008, -0/+6Now check out a graph that excludes taxes.
- DangerCollie, on 07/11/2008, -4/+6You're right, but I'm wondering if you know how right you really are.
- username7410, on 07/11/2008, -1/+66I hate slide shows!
- NoDisk, on 07/13/2008, -0/+15“Truckers, taxi drivers and charities are just some of the groups being hit hard by high gas prices. Here are several more, all reeling from the sharp rise in fuel costs.
Landscaping Industry
The Professional Landscapers Network, a trade association representing more than 4,400 companies or more than 100,000 landscapers nationwide, says its industry is "severely hurting" as a result of higher gas prices. To tow lawn mowers and heavy equipment, landscapers drive big trucks averaging only 10 mpg.
Independent Movers
The National Moving Contractors Association, a newly organized group representing independent movers, says higher "deadhead" costs are causing hardship. That's when a truck drives empty hundreds of miles to pick up another load. Higher diesel prices have nearly doubled the per-cost mile of driving a moving truck by as much as $1.40 per mile compared with about 80 cents two years ago.
Children's Camp Grounds
The American Camp Association, representing 7,000 camping professionals, says they are seeing "market redistribution" as parents who previously flew their children to a campsite or drove a great distance are now selecting camping programs closer to home.
Truck Drivers
The American Trucking Association, a trade association representing 37,000 motor carrier drivers, cites a report from investment banking firm Avondale Partners that says 935 trucking companies with at least five trucks went out of business in the first quarter of this year. The trucking industry spent $112 billion on fuel in 2007; it is projected to purchase $168.9 billion in 2008, a record high for the industry.
Elderly Food Programs
Meals On Wheels Association of America, representing 5,000 meal programs delivering meals to senior citizens, says nearly 60% of its programs have lost volunteers who can't afford gas. Nearly half of the programs have eliminated routes or consolidated meal services; more than one-third (38%) have switched to delivering frozen food instead of hot meals.
Recreational Boating
The National Association of Marine Manufacturers Association, representing member companies that produce 80% of the recreational industry's boats, parts and accessories, says only 1% of boaters plan to park their boats in 2008 because of higher fuel costs; most boaters, however, are planning shorter trips. The average boat tank holds 90 gallons of gas that can last about eight hours when moving at modest speeds.
Cab Drivers
Taxicab, Limousine & Paratransit Association, representing 125,000 drivers, has seen a modest reduction in the number of taxicab drivers as the cost of driving a taxi has soared 38% in June 2008, compared with June 2006. Limousine companies have seen a 10% drop in business as ridership, primarily business travelers, has fallen off.
Independent Gas Station Owners
Motorists are driving less to conserve fuel, and when they do gas up, they are choosing stations with the cheapest gas and not necessarily those more conveniently located. The number of gas stations is down by 3,000 over the past 12 months; the biggest losers are independent owners who can't compete with larger franchise-owned stations.
Volunteer Firefighters
The National Volunteer Firefighter Council, representing 825,000 volunteer firefighters and 22,000 volunteer departments, says communities may see fewer volunteers responding to emergency calls, particularly if the emergency occurs a good distance away.
Driving Schools
The Driving School Association of the Americas, representing 5,000 driving schools, says some driving schools are raising rates by as much as $20 to $50 per package to offset the higher fuel costs. Some schools are eliminating services like picking up and dropping off students at their homes.”
And the article: http://www.forbes.com/2008/07/09/fuel-price-casual ... - bipolarruledout, on 07/13/2008, -1/+9Whoever came up with these slide shows should be fired. They are guaranteed to move either too fast or to slow. Make it manual only already... or are Forbes readers just extra lazy?
- themastersb, on 07/13/2008, -0/+2I just hate how this one automatically advances so that by the time I open the page it's on the last slide.
- sparsely, on 07/13/2008, -1/+2Unless it's employed by a webcomic, then slideshows become innovative and unique!
- winnestow, on 07/14/2008, -1/+1drill anwr now
- NoDisk, on 07/13/2008, -0/+15“Truckers, taxi drivers and charities are just some of the groups being hit hard by high gas prices. Here are several more, all reeling from the sharp rise in fuel costs.
- Insomaniac24, on 07/11/2008, -1/+12Anyone got a real good reason why we're not fully exploring all the other options?
- TeamoSupremo, on 07/12/2008, -2/+11We learn our leasons the hard way?
- AparoidX, on 07/13/2008, -7/+4Tree huggers?
- Gerz1219, on 07/13/2008, -1/+9Thank you for illustrating exactly why we haven't been exploring other options. Over the past 30 years, lobbyists and power brokers have successfully conditioned the American public to associate conservation and alternative energy with effeminate, flag-burning, far-left crazies. Reagan taught an entire generation of politicians that an optimistic smile was an effective energy policy. The "tree huggers" were right, and many Reagan-Bush-Dole-Bush-McCain voters in sparsely populated America are going to face a depression pretty soon for their foolishness.
- GRX3000, on 07/13/2008, -0/+3Jimmy Carter was payed by Saudi oil companies during his time as president to sign a bill defeating drilling for oil in Alaska... and people call Bush the oil companies' friend. :
- mattlohkamp, on 07/13/2008, -1/+15it's easier to make money of off existing technology?
- vik0612, on 07/13/2008, -3/+8The Car Companies?
- desertDenizen, on 07/13/2008, -5/+1GODLESS HIPPY!
/sarcasm - badnewshotel, on 07/13/2008, -3/+5Democrats in Congress... end of story.
- GoatMonkey2112, on 07/13/2008, -0/+6Because nobody cared until recently. If prices get higher, we will be even more motivated.
- bsmang, on 07/13/2008, -0/+6Because the oil companies are still making big bucks.
- bipolarruledout, on 07/13/2008, -0/+1Diversification isn't just for investors anymore.
- UtilityPole, on 07/13/2008, -0/+4Because those oil lobbyist groups are doing a fantastic job ensuring that electric cars don't make it anywhere near the North American auto market.
- toktosunov, on 07/12/2008, -1/+51hate forbes slide shows
- Norumeni, on 07/14/2008, -0/+1I'm using firefox 3, and it said "Reported Attack Site!" So I said
GET ME OUT OF HERE!
- Norumeni, on 07/14/2008, -0/+1I'm using firefox 3, and it said "Reported Attack Site!" So I said
- junkstuff1, on 07/12/2008, -1/+41Buried for slide show BS.
- sparsely, on 07/13/2008, -0/+2it's it were a slideshow of illustrations it would be perfectly acceptable.
Forbes should consider doing this, and putting the captions in word bubbles.
Then everyone will love it and think its clever.
http://digg.com/comics_animation/btw_here_is_my_ow ...
- sparsely, on 07/13/2008, -0/+2it's it were a slideshow of illustrations it would be perfectly acceptable.
- AmusedToDeath, on 07/12/2008, -5/+16Why do you guys always want to tax the ***** out of everything when it's obvious the government will squander the money? It's like you *want* to be a welfare recipient sucking on the government tit from cradle to grave.
- blackjack75, on 07/13/2008, -2/+8In that case the problem isn't taxes. It's the government. Aren't you supposedly allowed to replace those guys?
- RRJackson, on 07/13/2008, -4/+7You apparently didn't ever make a trip to the Museum of Natural History. Cavemen got supplemental income assistance. Throughout history the only thing that's kept the species alive has been government intervention. Wait, I'm being told that's a load of crap. I'm sorry. I was getting my news from Huffington Post.
- bipolarruledout, on 07/13/2008, -4/+4Some of us like to drive on well maintained roads and last time I checked they don't repair themselves.
I'm so sick of this argument. You love living in this country that has made so many people successful but you don't think that you should pay a fraction of costs that have provided such success. Disagree on how we spend tax dollars but don't pretend that it's realistic to run the place without them.- AmusedToDeath, on 07/14/2008, -0/+2Buddy, I'm sick of you're argument too. I pay a ***** of taxes. About 35% when you factor everything in. Do I get free healthcare from the government? ***** no - I have to pay an extra $800 a month for that privilege, Do I get convenient public transportation? No, I don't - bus service around here shuts down at 6pm for all but a few routes. Do my kids get to go to college for free? Hell no - I'll have to take out a 2nd on my house when they get there to supplement what I've been able to save.
As for your roads argument - with all the taxes I pay on gas alone, they ought to be able to pave the roads around here with ***** 24k gold, but instead they're all full of potholes and CONSTANTLY under maintenance.
Greater government control/intervention = bloated, wasteful bureaucracy. Always. The federal government should have a VERY limited role in our daily lives, and our individual tax burdens should reflect that.
What makes people in this country successful is SELF-RELIANCE. Learning to provide for your own needs instead of depending on a welfare society to do it for you.
- AmusedToDeath, on 07/14/2008, -0/+2Buddy, I'm sick of you're argument too. I pay a ***** of taxes. About 35% when you factor everything in. Do I get free healthcare from the government? ***** no - I have to pay an extra $800 a month for that privilege, Do I get convenient public transportation? No, I don't - bus service around here shuts down at 6pm for all but a few routes. Do my kids get to go to college for free? Hell no - I'll have to take out a 2nd on my house when they get there to supplement what I've been able to save.
- mfc5200, on 07/13/2008, -0/+4A friend of mine just got a $100,000 starting salary with all expenses paid out of college as a petroleum engineer. Although I don't think I would call that a casualty.
- bipolarruledout, on 07/13/2008, -0/+4You really think they would have paid him significantly less if gas wasn't $4.00 a gallon? Somehow I missed the news on all these employees getting 300 and 400% raises with the increase in oil costs.
- sykotik, on 07/13/2008, -0/+3Nice. The one "casualty" I don't ever see is the automotive repair industry. My brother works in a car dealership body shop in Houston, just last week, they had NO business, 0 hours for the body men to work. Why? Well, because less people are driving, less people are getting into accidents, and that means people who fix cars for a living are getting hit hard.
People need to look beyond the obvious "casualties."
- DalamarArgent, on 07/13/2008, -0/+5With all these career casualties caused by the gas prices, I am quite surprised there haven't been a lot of oil executive or hedge fund manager murders in the last few months.
- hcharger, on 07/13/2008, -1/+4 The reason why there hasn't been aggressiveness directed towards big oil executives and other big shots is because this fuel price crisis hasn't peaked yet. Give it more time with no relief and common working citizens start loosing everything they worked so hard for, then even the whimpiest person will fight to survive.
The other problem is, these times are creating human time-bombs who are so stressed out that even the slightest incident can set them into a violent rage, such as a cop stopping them and issuing a ticket.
I always wonder what the rich bastards and authority who live off the backs of common working folks are gonna do when they have raped everyone for their money and can no longer afford to go to work and pay taxes to support their lavish lifestyles...hmmm.
- hcharger, on 07/13/2008, -1/+4 The reason why there hasn't been aggressiveness directed towards big oil executives and other big shots is because this fuel price crisis hasn't peaked yet. Give it more time with no relief and common working citizens start loosing everything they worked so hard for, then even the whimpiest person will fight to survive.
- zeddyorg, on 07/13/2008, -9/+21I think America should stop crying over $4 gas when its more than double that in the UK
- hemetae, on 07/13/2008, -3/+12Hey, it's our party & we can cry if we want too.
- mattlohkamp, on 07/13/2008, -8/+1Ha ha, yeah, except that your reasoning doesn't make any sense.
- sinkhead, on 07/13/2008, -3/+2I've never paid more than £2 a litre...? Or are you talking about gallons?
- zeddyorg, on 07/13/2008, -1/+1Yeah well the article is about $4 per US gallon, and its $9 per US gallon here (i.e. £1.20 ish)
- Disjunto, on 07/13/2008, -3/+1you just need to remember america isn't up to date on measurements :P
- badnewshotel, on 07/13/2008, -5/+3USA - 1
UK - 0
You got served suckers! - GoatMonkey2112, on 07/13/2008, -0/+8The rest of the world should stop bringing up the point that it's more expensive in the rest of the world. We ***** heard you the last 5,000,000 times. America will adjust just like the rest of the world has.
- nfury8ing, on 07/13/2008, -0/+5No, they need to stop bringing it up because they always fail to mention WHY it costs more(taxes/etc).
- Jelfish, on 07/13/2008, -0/+5It has less to do with the nominal cost and more to do with the sharp increase in cost. If it were as expensive all along, then there would be no emerging problems.
- lennybird, on 07/13/2008, -0/+2Ok, I may sound REALLY stupid, and somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but: Isn't everything....Closer in Europe? Isn't the main source of transportation - public transport? - trains, busses, e.t.c.. Don't a lot of people in Europe own more bikes than cars?
- zeddyorg, on 07/13/2008, -1/+1Yeah, you did sound stupid
- bdbr, on 07/13/2008, -0/+3Not as much as you think. Europe is 4 million square miles. America is 3.79 (or 3.22 not counting Alaska). There are big motorways (similar to our big interstates), with lots of cars on them. Other than the centers of major cities, it would be as inconvenient as American towns if you relied solely on public transportation.
Within cities, things are more more compact and there is better public transportation because gasoline was arbitrarily kept expensive. In the US, suburban sprawl is the result of arbitrarily keeping gasoline cheap.
- SmokinWeed, on 07/13/2008, -2/+0Why would anyone in America give a ***** about the UK?
- PopcornDave, on 07/14/2008, -0/+4Then why the hell isn't your country leading the way in alternative energy solutions? Oh right, because you're fellow countrymen will pay what the going rate is too. They'll bitch but they'll pay.
- Guspaz, on 07/13/2008, -3/+4There would be extremely positive benefits to having $4 USD per gallon gas up here in Montreal.
We're currently paying $5.64 USD per gallon. Other places have it much worse, though.- bipolarruledout, on 07/13/2008, -0/+2What reason could you possibly have to digging this down?
- G-RaZoR, on 07/13/2008, -0/+1He is Canadian eh
- bipolarruledout, on 07/13/2008, -0/+2What reason could you possibly have to digging this down?
- doldr, on 07/13/2008, -2/+10Another data-point: Sweden is currently at around 14 Swedish crowns per liter which (according to google conversion) is $8.90 per US gallon.
- zeddyorg, on 07/13/2008, -0/+4Its about that in the UK too, £1.20ish per litre, which is about $9.40 per us gal
- zeddyorg, on 07/13/2008, -0/+2Add your fuel prices on this google map!
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF&msa=0&msid=1 ... - desertDenizen, on 07/13/2008, -2/+2Dugg up for badass-sounding name of Swedish currency.
- bdbr, on 07/13/2008, -0/+2How much of that is tax? Many European countries pay less for the actual gasoline than Americans, but pay a lot of taxes. Its amazing how people repeatedly overlook this and cite tax-inflated prices on Digg.
- felyduw, on 07/13/2008, -5/+5Find yourself lucky and don't whine so much. In Europe some of us are paying 9 USD/gallon.
- desertDenizen, on 07/13/2008, -6/+3Haven't you been watching the news? Americans whine.
- badnewshotel, on 07/13/2008, -3/+6Well, there's reason number 487 why Europe sucks. Thanks for sharing.
- felyduw, on 07/13/2008, -3/+2I just find it interesting that you whine about gas when you're one of the countries less affected in absolute terms by the current rise in gas prices.
Well, that's Americans for you, the only response you're ever able to muster is "you suck" whatever the context. If that's not enough, bring out the nukes. - govsucks, on 07/13/2008, -0/+2well, thats what you get for having gigantic nanny government, enjoy! Forgive me for asking, but aren't you guys closer to the oil sources than we are? Shouldn't it cost LESS to get the product to you? I'm sorry, you have the governments dick in your ass, we can talk about this later.
- bipolarruledout, on 07/13/2008, -1/+1Frankly I wouldn't mind this so much if we had universal health care.
- bdbr, on 07/13/2008, -0/+2Yes, we're all aware that you pay a lot of taxes in Europe. I'm not sure where you're from, but you may be paying less for the fuel than do Americans.
- rorrison, on 07/13/2008, -7/+5It's not so bad without taxis, or trucks, or charities. All of ours here in the UK went out of business years ago when gas hit $4/gallon too; you get used to it.
Don't like your gas bill? Use less. Trade in the hummer for a compact. Whiners. - mediaspree, on 07/13/2008, -6/+13Come on, i'm all for cheap gas but $3 a gallon vs. $4 a gallon is what, at most $20 more for a fill up? You don't have $20? Really? Spend your money more wisely. Oh and save it instead of spending it. Bury me, but *****, you've lived above your means long enough.
- desertDenizen, on 07/13/2008, -1/+14Everything that gets transported or uses oil in its production will get more expensive soon... that's essentially every physical item in the economy. Food in particular. The further an item travels to get to your city, the more its price will increase. And unlike other types of inflation, most of that money is draining straight out of the US economy. This is going to hurt a lot of people.
The upside to expensive oil is that clean alternatives are fast approaching price parity. Americans are historically bad at avoiding problems but usually rally dramatically in a crisis, so we'll see how it goes. - mychaleg, on 07/13/2008, -4/+2This is either a joke or you're a moron. 20 bucks to fill up would be a 5 gallon tank.
- alphavision, on 07/13/2008, -0/+7Δcost ≠ Σcost
- bdbr, on 07/13/2008, -0/+2It wouldn't bother me so much if the higher price would be used to build better roads and public transportation, but knowing its just inflated to make speculators, sheiks, and/or oil executives richer is good reason to be angry.
- desertDenizen, on 07/13/2008, -1/+14Everything that gets transported or uses oil in its production will get more expensive soon... that's essentially every physical item in the economy. Food in particular. The further an item travels to get to your city, the more its price will increase. And unlike other types of inflation, most of that money is draining straight out of the US economy. This is going to hurt a lot of people.
- hcharger, on 07/13/2008, -3/+7 Even though I'm at the age where I no longer need to drive, the point I would like to express about the oil tycoons and governmental authorities who are responsible for this insane fuel gouging inflicted on the North American driver is, quit the ***** and excuses for increasing the price and come clean and tell the truth. The increases are motivated by pure unadulterated greed and that's the bottom line and what makes it moreso today is that the system has us hooked on our private vehicles, so the price can rise through the roof and there is nothing we can or will do about it because we eventually have to fill up our tanks and go back to work and those leeching bastards know it.
Greed has no partiality to who it destroys.- BotchaMcCoola, on 07/13/2008, -1/+2Single causes are unlikely. The two causal chains most prominent are those leading to speculation: 1) increasing instability in the ME, 2) weakening of the dollar through US overspending and overborrowing. If our own government behavior suggests a dollar is not of much value the world is not going to dispute it. Now watch these morons try to fix it with further fiscal mismanagement.
- akash8m, on 07/13/2008, -0/+7Here is the same and full Forbes story without the depressing slide show.
http://tinyurl.com/6m7ct6 - koft, on 07/13/2008, -1/+21I swear to god Forbes is paying ***** to digg their ***** slide shows.
- ReganDealez, on 07/13/2008, -3/+4Peak Oil and Shortage Is A LIE
http://www.newzof.com/video/OPEC_sees_lower_oil_de ...- use2bacanadian, on 07/13/2008, -1/+0It is NOT a lie. Take a beginners course in geology and you find that oil is a LIMITED resource. It is common sense that it is a limited resource when you discover what makes up oil. The center of the earth is filled with magma - not OIL!
- oyenow, on 07/13/2008, -3/+1Problem-Reaction-Solution
David Icke - Big Brother, The BIG Picture:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-479944711 ...- goblindegook, on 07/13/2008, -1/+3David Icke? The man who claims damn near all world leaders are actually reptilian aliens? Really?
- oyenow, on 07/20/2008, -0/+1It does not matter what he believes.
- insanebrain, on 07/13/2008, -2/+111 hidden fact about slideshows. . they suck!
- liuite, on 07/13/2008, -3/+2why is this suddenly a crisis? is it failure for commercial operators to anticipate rising energy prices? If so, perhaps it will be the survival of the fittest. I've told friends for years that rising global demand will drive up the price of oil. there will be greater efficiency and reduced emission thanks to this spike in price of fuel. I for one welcome the green revolution.
- badnewshotel, on 07/13/2008, -0/+12A list of jobs they left out:
1. Call girls - even hookers need transportation
2. Porta-Potie cleaners - that's a big truck
3. Funeral homes - the final ride of your life
4. Terrorists - why bomb a plane when you're making big fat money killing the US economy through oil sales? - Futile, on 07/13/2008, -2/+4Maybe get some taxi cabs that not huge gas guzzlers?
- bipolarruledout, on 07/13/2008, -0/+2I hate to be the voice of reason but it's a little hard to justify a new vehicle when you are looking at MAYBE a 30% increase in fuel economy. Most cabies aren't driving around in hummers.
- sirdarksoul, on 07/13/2008, -0/+3Most cab companies lease the cars to their drivers on a daily basis or provide the cars and take a split of the driver's fares. The companies pay insurance and repairs and the drivers pay for fuel. The companies buy 10 yr old police cruisers at auction that get 12 miles or so a gallon at best. When I stopped driving late last summer my fuel costs were $40 to $60 per day and I was paying $72/day to lease the cab. Using this as an example, the company has maybe $2K in the car, purchase price, paint job, and putting top lights, meters, and radios they have on hand in the car. If the driver leases the car 6 days per week, the company recoups their total investment in just over a month. The companies have no interest in buying cars that get better fuel mileage, and at an operating cost of approximately $150/day now, the drivers may as well be driving hummers.
- bipolarruledout, on 07/13/2008, -0/+2I hate to be the voice of reason but it's a little hard to justify a new vehicle when you are looking at MAYBE a 30% increase in fuel economy. Most cabies aren't driving around in hummers.
- Vendol, on 07/13/2008, -0/+3very interesting article man
- marc54, on 07/13/2008, -1/+7forbes.com = BURIED
- spankaccount, on 07/13/2008, -5/+1The "Democrats" weren't on the list?
- bipolarruledout, on 07/13/2008, -0/+1Fail.
- Computer_Kid, on 07/13/2008, -0/+7The real victim, the poor gas station attendant who has to listen to people complaining about high gas prices, and the people complaining actuality think the attendant has control over the price.
- mousky, on 07/13/2008, -0/+4What is a "gas station attendant"?
- orph3us, on 07/13/2008, -0/+3probably from oregon or new jersey. we don't pump our own gas ;)
- mousky, on 07/13/2008, -0/+4What is a "gas station attendant"?
- jeflin, on 07/13/2008, -1/+1$4 gas and we have this slide show, what happens when the Iranian war breaks out and oil goes up to $200 per barrel?
- amightywind, on 07/13/2008, -3/+2What happens after the war is won and new government in Iran needs foreign currency to clean up the economic mess the mullahs have made? Cheap oil.
- tomd123, on 07/13/2008, -0/+1**** slideshows!!!!!!
- ancient53, on 07/13/2008, -2/+1Farmers are hit harder than anyone. Farmers use not only diesel to run machinery but use either LP or natural gas to dry crops. Then too oil and natural gas are used in the process of making fertilizer which has quintupled in price. Some silly people think food is high because of ethanol. The era of $2 corn is gone, nobody can produce corn for $2 when inputs have risen 5 times over the cost of just a couple of years ago.
- mousky, on 07/13/2008, -2/+2Name a year where farmers are NOT "hit harder than anyone"? That meme is getting old and tired.
- bipolarruledout, on 07/13/2008, -1/+4Talk to me when the corn subsidies end and a coke has actual sugar in it.
- ancient53, on 07/13/2008, -2/+1Corn subsidies ended some time ago. Sugar is sugar. And as far as farmers being hit harder they are so who else do you know that buys retail and sells wholesale?
It was only a year or so ago that farmers were bad and corn was bad because you couldn't control your sugar addiction, now when prices rise a little to come in line with the rest of the economy all of a sudden you are all starving.
If you want to lower the price of corn you will find that you have done just the opposite. History shows that every time food got too cheap people starved.
- thurows, on 07/13/2008, -0/+2Stupid click through slide shows. They get paid for click throughs, don't have to say they are to their own site. Say no to click-click-click slide shows.
- secrity, on 07/13/2008, -2/+2Some of these adjustments are Good Things:
Landscaping Industry -- Current landscaping practices are a huge waste of energy and water; and they cause pollution.
Selecting camping programs closer to home is a Good Thing.
Recreational Boating -- power boats are a huge waste of energy. Power boats are also disturbing to wildlife, fish, and other water users.
Driving Schools. I am not sure what to say about this one.- qetuo, on 07/13/2008, -2/+2Plus if it makes people not want to buy SUVs and buy normal sized four door cars, even better, i find it amazing every where in the world a 4 door hatchback or sedan car would be consider a large car, but in a America it is a mid-sized car.
So at least people are buying less SUVs at the end of the day thats better for everyone. - PopcornDave, on 07/14/2008, -0/+1"Driving Schools. I am not sure what to say about this one."
Why not? You've pretty much just said that people shouldn't do anything or go anywhere so why stop at driving schools? Given your comments above you'd be happy that more people weren't driving.
What everyone tends to overlook is that the US is a huge expanse of land and that we don't have a transit system like Europe where you can hop on a train and go to just about every damn town you want to on trains that are comfortable and efficient ( except for Italy from my experience, although that may have changed ).
I'm just curious though as to what pollution the landscape industry is causing. Are you referring to planting or maintenance?- secrity, on 07/14/2008, -0/+3I find the concept of driving schools to be weird; when I grew up nobody went to driving schools. I associate driving schools with bail bondsmen and payday loan places. The only driving schools I have ever seen were in strip malls and people went there because they got a DUI or had too many tickets.
I knew a few H1B folks at my previous job who learned to drive at a driving school. After riding with a few of them, I always volunteered to drive when we went out to lunch.
Landscaping and lawns generally require a lot of water and lawn mowers require gasoline.
Lawns are sprayed with various chemicals such as fertilizers, weed killers, and insecticides. These chemicals contaminate ground water and are tracked into homes. In some areas. lawn mower exhaust is a major pollutant.
There are types of landscaping, such as xeriscaping, that don't require irrigation, mowing, or chemicals.
http://www.eartheasy.com/grow_xeriscape.htm - PopcornDave, on 07/14/2008, -0/+1Fair points. Thanks!
As far as the driving schools, here in California they're pretty much mandatory if you want to learn to drive since driver's ed was cut from the school curriculum. I don't know if they're any better than a school teacher ( usually one of the PE teachers from what I remember ) teaching the course though.
- secrity, on 07/14/2008, -0/+3I find the concept of driving schools to be weird; when I grew up nobody went to driving schools. I associate driving schools with bail bondsmen and payday loan places. The only driving schools I have ever seen were in strip malls and people went there because they got a DUI or had too many tickets.
- qetuo, on 07/13/2008, -2/+2Plus if it makes people not want to buy SUVs and buy normal sized four door cars, even better, i find it amazing every where in the world a 4 door hatchback or sedan car would be consider a large car, but in a America it is a mid-sized car.
- use2bacanadian, on 07/13/2008, -1/+1In Vancouver BC some gas prices are at $6.50 / gallon.
- verkon, on 07/13/2008, -3/+2Man, are all Americans whiny? Gas prices is not super high at your place, go and get some perspective.
- LeeSoong, on 07/13/2008, -0/+4Anybody who earns less than or equal to
$10 / hr and uses more than 3 gallons
of fuel per day driving to work
is in deep trouble.
Our local city can't fill low level jobs because no one wants
to drive into the city and pay parking to earn low wagers.
Ironically,
higher fuel costs have led to cuts in public transportation. - Switch22, on 07/13/2008, -0/+5Uh, pizza delivery is suffering too!
- flynnfx, on 07/13/2008, -0/+3"I swear to god Forbes is paying ***** to digg their ***** slide shows."
Ditto.
I will be burying all Forbes.com articles from now on.
They can put them on one page.- qetuo, on 07/13/2008, -0/+2Good idea! I think i will do the same.
- britoca, on 07/13/2008, -2/+2bu-hu-hu crybabies
- diggik, on 07/13/2008, -0/+2Hmm... Starting to re-consider anything Forbes.
- pileofstraw, on 07/14/2008, -0/+2Recreational boating. Oh my. They will probably cut on food.
- w3bjunkie, on 07/16/2008, -0/+2Truck drivers? Hidden casualties???
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