Comments on: Help! I’m a Driving Junkie!

By: Maggie

Maggie — Fri, 16 May 2008 00:30:07 +0000

I’ve not mastered the art of hypermiling. I think I’ve met too many people who were obsessive about it and got kinda turned off. I also hate being honked at and accelerating slowly from a stoplight seems to trigger aggressive behavior from other drivers.

I like the “carbon reduction certificate” idea. I am working on a flyer I can hand out to restaurants asking for their waste vegetable oil. It’s something I find very challenging so I keep procrastinating but the certificate idea is inspiring. Sorta like a special award. Hmmmm.

By: Ian

Ian — Thu, 15 May 2008 00:13:37 +0000

At least you never seem to have gotten dad’s driving bug like me. Thinking about it, I do believe I will have put 30,000 miles on my car before I have owned it for two years.

Biking or running are possibilities for keeping the mileage off the vehicle. I am hoping to run to work myself once it bothers to warm up here, although I must admit that that is due to training, but, heck, multiple savings for one action is generally a good thing, regardless.

By: Linnea

Linnea — Wed, 14 May 2008 18:23:32 +0000

Cascade Bike Club has a bike to work challenge going on. I think that sort of thing really helps motivate folks to get their butts on a bike, even if it’s only a few days a week (you might still win a prize…)

I noticed that the Thai restaurant across the street got a carbon reduction certificate for contributing to the use of biofuels. I’ve never seen anything like that before, has anyone else? I mean, I know businesses like to put up certificates and awards, it makes sense to give one out for supplying WVO. Seems like that kind of thing (in my head) would help mitigate the crunch on restaurants caused by price increases in staple foods. Your meal might cost a dollar more, but you get to take home a pint of WVO

By: Jessica

Jessica — Wed, 14 May 2008 16:24:39 +0000

I should really track my miles too, but I know they’re going to be bad. I need to get a bike. Next month, I promise.

By: Andy

Andy — Wed, 14 May 2008 14:02:29 +0000

I’m fairly addicted to driving as well. I put 40,000 miles on a van that I drive for work in the las 3 years. I can justify that though since my job is shuttling people between campuses that would have driven their cars individually otherwise, and I average driving 13 people in a day. I liked a line on my new job description that basically said: If you like driving but hate the impacts of cars, his job is for you. The job is with a carsharing company that can supposedly keep 15 cars off the road for each car they own.

Also, I’m one of those crazy hypermiler people you have hear about on the news. I am an extremely safe driver (none of the crazy things like drafting) and I went from getting 23mpg in my old Subaru to 35mpg. The van I drive for work is rated for 18mpg and I now get 27mpg. So I still use gas and have an impact from driving, but now I use a bit less when i do drive, and I rarely drive my own car. And next week my car will be gone, and I’ll be walking, biking, mopeding, carsharing, and taking the bus.