Have you seen Chrysler's new gimmick? Apparently the lifetime power-train warranty
wasn't helping sell vehicles, so now they have the "$2.99 gas guarantee" for the first 3 years of ownership. (Of course, if you pay the sticker price for some of those dinosaurs, you're paying the difference up-front.)On Saturday, I saw a huge maroon Ford Super Duty Crew Cab with the giant chrome wheels and custom hood (they love a hood that's hard to see over, what with the big scoop or whatever on it). Although it was a half-block away, I could tell it was a diesel by the racket. The most distinguishing feature was a huge barrel-type fuel tank in the bed, painted the same color as the truck. I bet it holds 100 gallons! (Which means the truck costs close to $500 to fill up.) I hope the owner REALLY likes it, because it's probably not worth half what he has invested in it, in today's market. He can use his Economic Stimulus money to fill the tank.
Say what you want about $3.50+ gas... but IMO it's driving a good trend in personal transportation. Folks are thinking long and hard about how much a "status symbol" is worth in extra expense. (It's unfortunate that the cost of transporting goods has gone up proportionately. But on the other hand, the market will decide - I expect railway transport to have a resurgence in popularity, since it costs so much less than truck transportation.)
As the price of fuel continues to spiral upward, bicycle transportation just keeps looking better and better!
1 comment:
Truck transportation is getting expensive. Rail makes sense price wise, except those rails do not go everywhere. Alternatives exist but they cost nearly the same as a semitrailer.
The time of the year starts when one of my recreation pursuits starts. Waterskiing. I hate to think of the fuel I will be buying this summer for the boat and car. It has been over 2 months since I have filled a gas tank (My wife is a different story)
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