Comments on: Are gas costs really strangling travel? No, and here’s why

By: Joyce

Joyce — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 15:45:35 +0000

I agree that the high cost of gas is making most of us make some changes in our lifestyle, but the doomsday scenarios are, as Charlie said, written to shock the naive and sell papers.

The best way to handle this is to find alternatives to oil so that the fat cats at the top of the oil industry find themselves with a glut as well as a serious loss in their profits.

Besides that, it will probably be better for our health and the environment.

By: Edna

Edna — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 18:56:34 +0000

Torrance will be a slum, albeit one with 500,000 3 bedroom 1.5 bath homes with 1200 sqft.. Add insult to injury, one of Torrance’s big tax bases is a Exxon Mobil refinery in town. Luckily there is a bus you can take to the beach if it runs on time. We take the train to our jobs near the airport, ride the bus when we can and only use the car for essentials.

By: Karen Bryan

Karen Bryan — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 13:21:08 +0000

I’m a UK based travel blogger and we Brits are feeling the effects of ever increasing fuel prices for our cars. It’s not just gas prices increasing, it’s food and power for our homes as well as higher mortgage rates all eroding our disposable income. Indications are that the Brits are still taking vacations but cutting back on the overall budget eg staying on home shores.

I’m thinking twice before we make leisure trips in our car, although I have a diesel super mini which achieves more than 60 miles to the gallon.

I agree that renting a car, especially if you have more than 2 occupants is still good value for money for the comfort and flexibility that you gain. We rented a car in Italy recently, a super mini and it cost us around 100 euros in gas for a one week tour of the Umbria region.

By: John F

John F — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 12:29:27 +0000

I have not seen any premonitions of the demise of suburbia and I agree with a lot of this post.

However, AAA just released a study (trying to find the link) yesterday showing that the cost of fuel is changing the habits of vacationers and is keeping them not only off the planes, but a lot closer to home this summer.

MY local town has a promotion “Trips on a Tankful” and they have spent a lot of money trying to lure tourists and while still new, it is not working as hoped.

I look into the harbour and when usually there are boats jamming the moorings, there are buoys to be had on a Saturday night. I found a free Main Street parking space last night, and the garages are not full as in years past.