Bus/Train Traffic Picking up Thanks to Gas Prices

Looks like in some areas ridership on public transportation is experiencing a boom thanks to high gas prices:

All around the United States, drivers are sticker-shocked by the price of gasoline, which is up 42 cents in the past month nationally to more than $3 per gallon in much of the country, transportation officials said on Monday.

"People are trying to avoid the high cost of gasoline by using public transportation," said William Millar, president of the American Public Transportation Association.

The higher number of riders on mass transit has persisted since gas topped $3 a gallon last fall and increased steadily since then, he added.

"Apparently, Americans are figuring out the quickest way to beat the high prices" is to get on board a bus or train, Millar said.

These people clearly don't live in Southern California where the public transportation, and especially trains, rarely take you where you really want to go. They are of no use to me in my job, which entails a tremendous amount of driving to places where public transportation cannot take me in a timely manner.

If I lived in the Washington D.C. area, it would be different. I loved their subway system when I visited last year, and I'd use that all the time if I could.

This article reminds of two stories from the 70's when when he had a big gas crunch. In 1974 the Arab Oil Embargo resulted in odd/even rationing, and at the time I was working as a gas attendant at a car wash. Thanks to my job, I could fill my own family's vehicles anytime I wanted, but everyone else had to come in on the "right" day.

A friend of mine who traveled extensively for his work couldn't do the odd/even thing, and so he devised a way around it - totally illegally, of course. The law stated that out-of-state motorist could fill up any day, so he went down to the junkyard and found a New York license plate. If he had to fill up on the wrong day, he'd slap that plate on his car and go ahead and get gas. He never got caught.

Something to remember for later.

In 1979 we had another big gas spike - to 75 cents a gallon! - and more shortages. I was living in San Diego at the time, but commuted up to Orange County most weekends to do concerts. I remember taking the Amtrak a couple of times when gas was short, and the trains were jammed. They had to hold trains and take cars from the incoming train to add to the outgoing train in order to get everybody on board.

I don't know if we'll see those days again, but if the train happens to be going where you want to go, it's not a bad option.