The Cost of Gas & The Old Ten-Speed

On return from running (literally) my daughter to school I witnessed something life-altering. A 40-year-old friend and neighbor was swiftly riding an old ten-speed bicycle, dressed for work and wearing a ridiculous helmet. I shouted with curiosity, "You fighting the gas prices?" "Yep", he replied and kept on riding. This was the last straw for me! Adrenaline began to flow through my veins! Of all men, this was the last man that should have to ride a bicycle to work. Yet of course, he did it with a smile. This run to school with my daughter would increase in frequency and would expand to my other children as well. I would take every occasion to beat the need for gasoline and prevent giving our money to the greedy. I solidified my position on March 29th, 2008 (my Wife's Birthday) when I purchase two beach cruiser bicycles at nearly $400.00. I determined to account for every cent and drop of fuel we have saved. I determined to smile for every penny that is not in the hands of our enemies. This site is made in the honor of my friend and all others who are fighting back with a smile. I encourage you to keep a log of all the miles you have traveled by manpower (e.g., walking, running, scootering, bicycling, skating, skateboarding, swimming, climbing, horseback riding, sailboating, etc.) in which you would have normally used gasoline. For example, last Saturday (March 29th, 2008) my wife and I and our four friends rode our bicycles to the Spaghetti Factory in Newport Beach (a twelve mile round trip). Normally we would have taken at least two cars. Therefore we saved 24 miles worth of gasoline. The average miles traveled per gallon of gasoline ranges somewhere between 17 and 20 miles. The average cost of gasoline in California in late March was $3.60. Therefore we saved roughly $4.32. Doesn't sound like much right? Well, multiply this number by millions of households in California and the numbers are staggering. We can make a difference! We can choose the cost of gasoline by unitedly decreasing the demand.