Americans get creative at saving gas as price per gallon soars
Ever since dinosaurs walked the earth, died, and decayed under high subterranean pressures to become the fossil fuels we so depend upon today, Americans have carried on a brontosauric love affair with gasoline. But with prices climbing toward $3 a gallon, that may change. Well, at least a little. More folks seem to be telecommuting and participating in car- and vanpools. Car-sharing firm Flexcar has reported a recent uptick in inquiries; it’s been able to control fuel costs by making heavy use of hybrids. Some drivers are being more careful about keeping car tires properly inflated — a proven way to boost miles per gallon. But contrary to urban myth, filling up at night instead of during the day doesn’t increase the amount of gas coming out of the pump. Cutting the AC in favor of open windows on the highway intensifies drag on the car, thereby potentially decreasing fuel economy. And while you could offset that by catching the draft in a big rig’s blind spot, it’s not recommended — how do you think the dinosaurs went extinct?
