pain at the pump lolz
Earlier tonight I went out. I was sick of being cooped up in the house and in the mood for a drive, so I traveled the 25ish miles to get some Taco Bell because I was having cravings for it again after having it last Thursday. :P
Anyway, I made it there on about a sliver's worth of gasoline, according to the meter thingy on my dashboard. Since I actually had some money at my disposal, I decided to fill up my gas tank on the way back home. I went to the Mobil station right on the corner, near the on-ramp for the highway that leads back to Fulton. I'd never been there before.
Pumping my own gas is sometimes a bit of a challenge, from a disability standpoint; especially if I want to pay with my debit card. All too frequently the little slots that you slide your card into (and then "quickly remove" the card from, which is always the most challenging part) are located somewhere above my head, and my arms don't really reach too much higher than my shoulders, unless I'm lying down or they're supported somehow. Usually I end up having to swipe my card several times before it's able to be properly read, which is fucking annoying. (My response is usually something like repeatedly pressing the "no" button on the little digital screen, when it gives me the "Card Swipe Error: Please See Attendant" message, which eventually they all do. Haha.)
So imagine my surprise upon going to pay for my gas tonight, when the card slot, receipt slot, gas pump, and digital screen were all at a reasonable level. I could reach EVERYTHING, and I only had to swipe my card once. I was amazed. Score one for Team Gimp. If only all gas stations were like that!
- - - - -
Somewhat relatedly, I read an article today about "hypermiling" -- a technique(s) some people are using to increase their fuel economy. It involves such brilliant tactics as inflating the car's tires to the maximum allowable amount and following closely behind large trucks so as to reduce aerodynamic pull on your vehicle. Personally, I think this is fucking stupid and dangerous, and we should be finding ways to drastically reduce our dependence on oil, rather than finding ways to circumvent the problem just to save ourselves some coin.
My grandma was talking to me recently about the high gas prices, and about how much my aunt had told her it costs to fill up her (my aunt's) and her husband's vehicles, and man, I don't really have much sympathy for them. They don't exactly have the most fuel-efficient vehicles: my uncle has an ENORMOUS truck with a diesel engine (I'm not certain on this, but I've gotten the impression that diesel is more efficient than regular gasoline?... but also comes at a higher price), and my aunt has the ubiquitous SUV. They've only got one child. There's no need for that kind of excess, in my opinion. I'm pretty sure they could each afford to buy a small hybrid vehicle. But then there's the issue of towing their (also enormous) camper, which does necessitate a larger vehicle... but again, do people really need all this huge shit?
High gas prices are a pain in the ass, yes. But I personally sort of like the idea: maybe threatening peoples' wallets will be a suitable catalyst for the changes we should all be trying to make.
Anyway, I made it there on about a sliver's worth of gasoline, according to the meter thingy on my dashboard. Since I actually had some money at my disposal, I decided to fill up my gas tank on the way back home. I went to the Mobil station right on the corner, near the on-ramp for the highway that leads back to Fulton. I'd never been there before.
Pumping my own gas is sometimes a bit of a challenge, from a disability standpoint; especially if I want to pay with my debit card. All too frequently the little slots that you slide your card into (and then "quickly remove" the card from, which is always the most challenging part) are located somewhere above my head, and my arms don't really reach too much higher than my shoulders, unless I'm lying down or they're supported somehow. Usually I end up having to swipe my card several times before it's able to be properly read, which is fucking annoying. (My response is usually something like repeatedly pressing the "no" button on the little digital screen, when it gives me the "Card Swipe Error: Please See Attendant" message, which eventually they all do. Haha.)
So imagine my surprise upon going to pay for my gas tonight, when the card slot, receipt slot, gas pump, and digital screen were all at a reasonable level. I could reach EVERYTHING, and I only had to swipe my card once. I was amazed. Score one for Team Gimp. If only all gas stations were like that!
- - - - -
Somewhat relatedly, I read an article today about "hypermiling" -- a technique(s) some people are using to increase their fuel economy. It involves such brilliant tactics as inflating the car's tires to the maximum allowable amount and following closely behind large trucks so as to reduce aerodynamic pull on your vehicle. Personally, I think this is fucking stupid and dangerous, and we should be finding ways to drastically reduce our dependence on oil, rather than finding ways to circumvent the problem just to save ourselves some coin.
My grandma was talking to me recently about the high gas prices, and about how much my aunt had told her it costs to fill up her (my aunt's) and her husband's vehicles, and man, I don't really have much sympathy for them. They don't exactly have the most fuel-efficient vehicles: my uncle has an ENORMOUS truck with a diesel engine (I'm not certain on this, but I've gotten the impression that diesel is more efficient than regular gasoline?... but also comes at a higher price), and my aunt has the ubiquitous SUV. They've only got one child. There's no need for that kind of excess, in my opinion. I'm pretty sure they could each afford to buy a small hybrid vehicle. But then there's the issue of towing their (also enormous) camper, which does necessitate a larger vehicle... but again, do people really need all this huge shit?
High gas prices are a pain in the ass, yes. But I personally sort of like the idea: maybe threatening peoples' wallets will be a suitable catalyst for the changes we should all be trying to make.