Money Blue Book

I’m not a big believer in buying extended warranties or purchasing extra service contracts, so I usually pass whenever I’m asked. This happens more often at big electronic retailer stores like Best Buy and the now defunct Circuit City, where they put in a concerted effort to convince unwitting customers to buy extra protection – that frequently is unnecessary. These stores stand to make a lot of money from selling unnecessary extended service plans that customers oftentimes end up never using. It doesn’t really matter how big or small the item you’re purchasing, the sales clerks alway seem to inquire if you’d like to purchase additional warranty.

One time I was at Best Buy to pick up something. The young sales lady rung up my purchase and asked if I would like to buy additional warranty protection for my item – a dinky little $15 Sony handheld FM radio – just in case it ever broke down or ever malfunctioned as she explained. I just stared back with a slightly sarcastic but incredulous look. Special warranty protection upgrade – for a simple $15 radio? Who in their right mind would pay $3 extra to insure a flimsy $15 piece of electronic? If it ever broke down I’d rather go and buy a newer model than get it repaired.

With Some Exceptions, Since Most Products Come With Their Own Warranties, It Usually Doesn’t Make Sense To Purchase More Protection

The vast majority of the time you are better off not wasting your money on extended warranty protections. Most stores offer basic buyer protection for a month or more in the event the product is faulty or fails to satisfy after purchase. Thereafter, most products are covered by the manufacturer’s own warranty program with time periods that range anywhere from a year to several years. Because the pace of technology innovation advances so quickly these days, most electronics become outdated and turn into ancient artifacts within a short period of time. For most electronic gizmos and gadgets, it generally makes little sense to ever pay for extended insurance or additional warranty protection. Since adopting a more frugal lifestyle, I’ve never chipped in money for extra extended warranties. I find them totally unnecessary for the vast majority of items.

However, there are certain items where extra warranty protection may be helpful for peace of mind purposes. For larger, more expensive merchandise like computers, laptop notebooks, plasma TV’s, or even video gaming machines like the Xbox or Playstation, I might consider paying for extended warranty. Although in those cases, I would still be very hesitant at paying extra and probably wouldn’t pay for additional coverage that exceeded 20% of the original purchase price. However, if I could get the extra extended warranty for free – that’s a whole different matter.

I’m currently in the market for a new business laptop notebook computer. I’ve been scouting out local Best Buys, scribbling down model numbers and returning home to shop online. The model I have my eye on is the Dell Inspiron and fortunately it comes with a 1 year manufacturer’s warranty. But based on my experience with laptops, they have a habit of breaking down after the 2 year mark so getting additional protection might be worth considering. However, I just don’t know if paying $250 extra for a $1,000 laptop is worth the extra protection when I may simply end up getting a newer model down the road.

For Products That May Benefit From Extended Warranties, You Can Use A Credit Card And Get The Extra Warranty Protection For Free

Fortunately, some major credit card issuers provide free extended warranty benefits when you use their cards to purchase qualifying items. In most cases, the credit card program automatically tacks on an additional year to the product’s existing warranty period, effectively doubling the extended warranty period up to the program limit for no additional cost. The major credit card companies, American Express, Visa, and Mastercard all offer their own complimentary extended warranty upgrades for items entirely purchased using qualifying credit cards.

Keep in mind, while most electronics like plasma TV’s, laptops, desktop computers, Xbox, Playstations, Nintendo Wiis, and Blue-Ray players are covered, not all credit card purchases qualify for extended warranty extensions. While specific card terms vary, items generally excluded include motor vehicles such as cars, boats, airplanes; real estate and land; and computer software. To qualify for the credit card extended warranty protection, you’ll need to keep a copy of your original purchase receipt. Generally after the product manufacturer warranty runs out, you’ll need to contact the credit card company or issuing bank for a claims form and have them handle the cost of fixing and repairing the item. You should be prepared to submit your receipt and a printout of the original manufacturer’s warranty. Upon receipt of your claim form, the credit card company will decide whether to repair or replace the item, or reimburse you for the value of the product,

Thus, in order to take advantage of the free extended warranty upgrades offered by participating credit card companies, you must:

• Charge the entire amount of what you’re buying on a qualifying credit card.
• Register the product with the credit card company if this option is offered (usually this step is not required but it’s recommended).
• Provide a copy of the purchase invoice receipt and any credit card receipt showing you paid for the item.
• Provide a copy of any additional service contract purchased and the original manufacturer’s written U.S. repair warranty as supplied by the product manufacturer.
• You must not cancel the card used to make the purchase and the card must still be active at the time of warranty redemption.
• To file your warranty claim, you will have to verify the above and fill out a claims form provided by the credit card company.

Here Are The Free Extended Warranty Upgrade Offers Listed By Credit Card Company:

1) American Express – Buyer’s Assurance Plan – (Available with all American Express credit cards) – American Express offers the easiest warranty claims procedure and has the comparatively least restrictive time constraint. Under its Buyer’s Assurance Plan, American Express will match the original warranty or extend the terms of the original U.S. manufacturer’s warranty for up to 1 additional year on eligible purchases with warranties of 5 years or less. If you purchase extra service warranty or extended coverage on your own, the combined service contract and manufacturer’s warranty period cannot exceed 5 years, or you will not be eligible for the Amex extended coverage. Thus, if you purchased an extra 1 year of service contract on top of the existing 1 year of warranty by the manufacturer, your total 2 year coverage will turn into a 3 year coverage under the Amex plan. With a 6 month warranty, Amex will match with its own 6 month period for a 1 year warranty. (View Amex Buyer’s Assurance).

2) Visa – Warranty Manager’s Service – (Available with Visa Signature Cards). The extended warranty benefit is featured primarily for the Visa Signature Card series but you should check with your specific card issuer as the benefit may be offered for other Visa branded cards as well. A few popular credit card choices that carry the Visa Signature extended warranty benefit include the:

• Capital One Orbitz Visa Signature
• Fidelity Signature Visa
• Chase Freedom Visa Signature

The Visa Warranty Manager Service offers the Extended Warranty Protection that doubles the free repair period under the original manufacturer’s written U.S. repair warranty up to 1 additional year on eligible warranties of three 3 years or less when an item is purchased entirely with your eligible Visa card. Although registration is not required to qualify for Extended Warranty Protection benefits, it is strongly encouraged for peace of mind purposes that you send Visa your sales receipts and warranty information upon item purchase. By recording your purchase with Visa sooner than later, you won’t have to search for critical documentation when you need it later on. (View Visa’s Warranty Manager Service).

Visa also has a Purchase Performance Guarantee program that allows you to purchase yet more extended warranty, at a cost which is usually less than a store bought extended warranty or service contract.

3) Mastercard – Extended Warranty – (Available for Mastercard Platinum and Gold, as well as World Mastercard) – Mastercard’s Extended Warranty doubles the manufacturer’s warranty time period up to a maximum of 1 additional year. If however, the original manufacturer’s warranty is already for more than one year, no additional coverage will apply. This limitation also applies to self purchased additional service contracts and additional extended warranties that add more than one extra year on top of any existing manufacturer’s warranty. Such extra warranty additions beyond a year will void any additional Master Card coverage.

Thus, for example: If there is a product manufacturer’s warranty of 1 year and you buy an additional 1 year extended service contract for a total of 2 years, Master Card will extend your warranty to a total of 3 years. But if the product manufacturer’s existing warranty was 2 years, or if there was no product warranty at all and you bought an extra 2 year service contract for yourself, the credit card company will not offer any extended warranty coverage. (View Mastercard Extended Warranty).

4) Discover - Unfortunately, Discover Card currently does not offer cardholders any extra warranty coverage for products purchased using its cards. It’s a shame because they really should, especially if they want to stay competitive with the other more popular credit card companies.

Updated List Of Low Interest Balance Transfer Credit Card Offers For Life Below

People utilize balance transfer credit cards for a myriad of reasons such as making money from balance transfer and credit card arbitrage, to paying down and reducing high interest debt by applying for zero percent to low interest credit card offers. While those trying to make money from multiple balance transfers are usually more focused on finding no fee 0% offers that last up to a year long, those trying to pay down credit card debt generally have a much longer time horizon span in mind. My focus here is to provide some practical help to those struggling with high interest credit card debt, and help them find more manageable ways of relieving and resolving this financial burden.

Compared to other forms of loans, credit card debt is particularly hard to handle because it is usually associated with high interest rates in excess of 15-20% or more depending on your credit score and credit report history. The longer the credit card debt remains unpaid, the more interest continues to accrue, and the quicker the balance can balloon out of control. That’s why it is important to make a concerted effort towards paying off the debt through regular payment increments. The key to making higher sums of unpaid credit card debt more palatable while you chip away at it is to shift those high interest debts over to accounts that provide lower rates. This can be accomplished either by shifting the card balance over to 0% balance transfer introductory APR offers, or it can be accomplished through the use of so-called lifetime balance transfer credit cards that offer low interest rates. For those with above average to excellent credit scores, I recommend taking the 0% balance transfer route and applying for no interest balance transfers since they offer the least amount of financial investment since no interest is imposed so long as you continue to regularly pay off each month’s minimum card balance.

The biggest downside with 0% cards is that the longer duration offers generally impose some type of 3% upfront balance transfer fee. The more attractive no balance transfer fee offers usually have much shorter durations, limited to 6-12 months periods. Of course, another downside with 0% offers is that after the six months or one year promotional period runs its course, you’ll need to apply for another balance transfer card if you intend to keep rolling over your interest-free debt. 0% balance transfer promos work best for those who anticipate paying off their debt soon within a span of a few months or within a year. However, a great number of those struggling with credit card debt are unable to pay off their cards in such a short period of time. Many also have a tough time micromanaging and handling the stress involved with tracking balance transfer offer expiration dates and having to worry about whether they will qualify for another 0% card offer later on when the time comes. Fortunately, there are alternative options for those with sizable credit card debt, and who find 0% balance transfers too short and burdensome to handle.

Choose The Low Interest Fixed APR Lifetime Balance Transfer Option If You Expect To Carry A Balance For A While (1 Year Or More)

If you know it’s going to take longer than 6 to 12 months to pay off your entire high interest credit card balance, it might pay to get a lifetime balance transfer card and avoid having to keep rolling your balance over to another card every time your current 0% deal expires. These lifetime balance transfer credit cards provide a low and predictable fixed interest rate that stays in place until the balance on the card is paid off. Many lifetime balance transfer deals are frequently free of any upfront balance transfer fees, and rates are often lower and just as competitive as the rates offered by the best bank provided personal loans. Thus those individuals that may take one, two, or even three years of steady snowball or snowflake-type payments to pay off their credit cards may want to consider lifetime balance transfers as a hassle-free alternative to 0% interest cards or loan consolidation options.

A major benefit of low fixed interest rate lifetime balance transfer cards is that the interest rate is usually set, fixed, and predictable for the life of the balance until it’s paid off. You avoid having to deal with tricky interest rates that are likely to reset at much higher standard levels at the end of some 0% balance transfer promotional period. After all special 0% balance transfer offers expire, they usually instantly reset to much higher variable rates of 15-20% APR or more. Securing a low interest balance transfer card right from the start helps avoid that issue by committing yourself to something foreseeable, with no expiration, and which will not suddenly skyrocket in payment obligation, presuming you know how to do a balance transfer correctly and avoid making any big mistakes or slip ups. As with all balance transfer credit cards, it’s important not to use the account for further purchases once you’ve made your balance transfers as the zero or low interest rate will usually only apply to the debt you initially transferred. New and additional purchases will generally be charged a much higher rate.

People who are looking to take advantage of the lifetime balance transfer method of clearing debt should look for the lowest fixed interest rate offer(s) they can find. In some limited circumstances, it may require that you apply to more than just one low fixed rate card to consolidate your high interest debt into lower APR accounts. While owning a low interest rate credit card still means the cardholder is required to pay some interest, having to pay 5%-7% APR is a lot easier and less depressing than having to face an out of control 15%, 20%, or even 25% APR interest rate. However, I highly encourage you to work diligently and persistently at paying off the balance regardless of whether you are under a temporary 0% offer or whether you have a fixed rate for the life of the balance. While the interest rate may be zero or low, don’t be lulled into a false sense of security. Don’t forget – in the long run, low interest credit card debt is still debt – so get rid of that hanging sword sooner than later!

Special 0% Lifetime Balance Transfer Offers Via Targeted Mailing Offers From Discover Card and Certain Card Issuers

As an additional note, there are certain card issuers out there, most notably, Discover Card, that occasionally send promotional mailers to select consumers for 0% lifetime offers. These offers are quite amazing since the 0% balance transfer deal is for the life of the balance. The invite terms vary depending on individual mailers but in the case of Discover Card, they usually include custom invitation codes that must be entered on their online website to activate.

The Discover Platinum Card lifetime balance transfer offer usually provides a 0% interest rate for a 6-12 month period or so with the right to extend the zero percent balance transfer offer indefinitely thereafter. The catch is that you must make 2 purchases or cash advances for each billing period. As readers of my balance transfer dangers article will know, payments made towards the balance transfer card get counter-intuitively applied to lower interest balances first. Thus, until the larger 0% balance is paid off, additional purchases get pushed to the back of the line where they silently accrue interest at the standard high rate for purchases. Some of the Discover Card mailer terms impose no minimum limit to the purchase amount so in theory you could use the card to buy two 25 cent candies each month and qualify for the 0% lifetime balance transfer forever. However, not all of the offers are the same and some mailer invitation terms require a minimum monthly purchase charge of $50 or more to maintain the 0% lifetime balance transfer program.

Unfortunately, because this is a targeted offer based on Discover Card’s own snail mail marketing efforts, there are no direct online sign up links. I am also not aware of any other direct online application links to zero balance transfer credit card offers for life provided by other card issuers.

The Following Credit Cards Offer Low APR Interest Rates For Balance Transfers (Currently, The Vast Majority Of Fixed Low Interest Lifetime Balance Transfer Deals Have Been Abrogated In Favor Of Term Offers):

As always, note that even consumers can qualify for business credit cards simply by listing their Social Security Numbers (SSN) as their business tax ID’s. This is perfectly legal and permissible as even individuals can operate as sole proprietorship businesses utilizing their personal names.

1. Clear From American Express – The Amex Clear Card has a 3.99% fixed APR for 12 months on all balance transfers submitted during the online application process. The card also offers up to 12 months of 0% APR for all credit card purchases. There is no balance transfer fee.
2. Blue From American Express – Get a very low 2.99% fixed APR interest rate for 12 months transferred during the application process. There is a 3% balance transfer fee but it is limited to a maximum of $99.
3. Blue Cash® From American Express – Get a very low 2.99% fixed APR interest for 12 months on all balances transferred. The Blue Cash also offers an introductory 0% APR rate for all purchases for a period of up to 12 months. There is a 3% balance transfer fee but it is limited to a maximum of $99.
4. Blue Sky From American Express® – Get a 2.99% fixed APR for 12 months for balance transfers made at the time of the application. There is a 3% balance transfer fee but it is also limited to a maximum of $99.
5. Capital One Platinum Prestige – Get a comparatively low variable 7.15% APR on both purchases and balance transfers. There is a balance transfer fee of 3%.
6. Advanta Platinum Business Card With Unlimited Rewards – Get a 0% APR rate for 15 months on introductory balance transfers, and a 7.99% fixed APR thereafter. There is a 3% balance transfer fee, but it is limited to a maximum of $90.

Because I rely on public transportation for the vast majority of my work related commute, I don’t track gas and oil price fluctuations as closely as someone who drives regularly. While I do notice the indirect correlative effects of pricier gas in the way of higher food prices (and wow are food prices getting more expensive these days), I don’t usually realize how high gas prices have spiked until I find myself pumping my own gas. While returning home from a cross country drive to visit a friend in another state this weekend, I noticed I was running low on gas. I scanned the interstate highway horizon for the cheapest regular gas price I could find, and was stunned at how far up gas prices had risen. Only a few weeks and months ago, gas prices were still holding steady at $3.00 a gallon. Now they’ve climbed to within the $4.00 striking range. I filled up my Honda Accord and looked at the final tally – $44.50. Nearby I could hear the profanity-laden mutterings of other disgruntled drivers as they filled up their vehicles with pricey gasoline. Next to me a big pick-up truck pulled up – definitely a $125.00 filler-upper.

Until the fuel scientists and federal government decide to seriously combat the problem of high gas prices and fuel shortages with subsidies and research grants for the development of alternative energy, all we can do as consumers is to try to find common-sensical ways to reduce our fuel consumption and minimize what we pay at the pump. Public transportation options through car pooling, riding public buses, and taking the subway are some of the frugal ways to save money on gas by ditching the car altogether, but for some people those aren’t feasible solutions – and for others, they simply love their cars too much. Buying a hybrid gas and electric powered vehicle is another way to save gas money. However, buying a hybrid requires a sizable upfront investment that is not suitable for many at this time. Thus, I want to turn my attention primarily to helping drivers like myself who own plain old fossil fuel gas guzzlers. Even for regular drivers like us who jet around in our old fashioned gas powered vehicles, it doesn’t mean we have to give up an arm or a leg at the gas station.

Here Are A Few Simple And Easy Ways To Save Money On Gas:

1) Lighten Your Car and Keep Your Vehicle Engine Well Maintained and Tires Properly Inflated - The heavier your vehicle, the more gas is required to power it. For example, if you drive one of those large Good Humor ice cream trucks as your primary vehicle, you are most definitely going to consume much more fuel than if you drove a tiny compact Honda Civic. Thus the lighter you can make your car, truck, or van, the more fuel efficiently your vehicle will run and the less gas it will consume, thereby saving you more money on gas.

For the longest time I use to store stacks of water bottle pallets in my car. Whenever I bought 24-packs from the grocery store, rather than lugging them up to my apartment, I usually left the 4 or 5 large pallets in the trunk until I needed one. Little did I realize at the time how much unnecessary weight I was adding to my vehicle – forcing it to consume more fuel to power it. Any excess weight you can eliminate from your vehicle will help you save money on gas in the long run, and this includes from both personal cargo and passengers.

Other than reducing your vehicle’s weight, you can also ensure optimum fuel performance by keeping your tires properly inflated, as air has a natural tendency to seep out. By keeping your tires well inflated, you minimize the surface contact area they have with the road, thereby ensuring that less friction is created when you drive, which results in better gas mileage. Keep in mind that in cold weather, tires tend to be a little saggy as air compresses in cold temperatures. In warmer weather, tires puff up as air expands. I always make it a point to check my car tire pressure at the start of every new season to keep them in line with developing weather and changing temperatures. Your proper tire pressure number can be obtained from that little sticker in your driver side door jam or from your vehicle owner’s manual. I always keep my car manual in the glove compartment with a little yellow tab on the tire pressure page just in case I need to reference it.

You should always keep an eye on your engine light as well, to make sure the engine is running at peak efficient performance. If it’s making strange gurgling noises or running a bit sluggish, it may be time to take it to the car repair shop. Proper and regular oil changes help to keep your car running smooth and well lubricated, however be sure not to spend unnecessary money performing oil changes too frequently. Follow your vehicle’s manual for oil change guidance to avoid falling into the oil change trap.

2) Adjust Your Driving Habits To Maximize Fuel Efficiency and Reduce Drag – For those of you fortunate enough to have a fuel efficiency gauge on your dashboard, you may have noticed that certain driving activities cause fuel consumption to drop and other activities cause fuel consumption to increase.

The two actions that requires the most fuel to perform are those that demand rapid performance such as quick stops and quick accelerations. Forcing your car to suddenly stop by hitting the gas pedal requires more fuel than letting your vehicle roll to a natural halt. Similarly, when you jam the gas pedal to accelerate quickly, a lot more gas power is needed to bring your vehicle into sudden rapid motion than a slow, gradual building of speed.

If you want to save money on gas by maximizing your car’s fuel efficiency, learn to become a driver of moderation. Don’t accelerate or brake suddenly. Look and scan ahead to anticipate your next movement so that you can cruise to stops and allow gentle accelerations. By adopting a more temperate driving approach, you can easily boost your fuel performance and gas mileage by 10-20% or more. Obviously highway driving is best because you are able to maintain a consistent speed, thereby ensuring peak fuel performance. The stop and go driving style of rush hour traffic is the worst when it comes to fuel efficiency.

As for reducing wind drag, the key to remember is that drag is most pronounced when you are traveling fast. For most vehicles, peak fuel efficiency usually occurs at the highest transmission gear at lower speeds. At higher speeds in excess of 50 miles per hour, wind resistance increases exponentially, forcing your car to work harder to maintain the same speed. If you are a fast driver like me or spend most of your time on the highways, you should drive with your windows up to improve gas performance and save money. On slower local roads, driving with the windows down isn’t as big of a wind resistance issue.

3) Use Regular Gas and Avoid Premium Gas Unless Recommended By the Manufacturer – Other than the oil change myth, the premium fuel myth is one that many drivers unwittingly buy into. These days, cars don’t need more expensive premium fuel to run smoothly and resist engine wear. Other than price, the thing that separates regular fuel from premium fuel is octane content. Regular gas has an octane rating of 87, mid grade gas is 89, and premium gas is usually about 91 or 92. Octane has nothing to due with fuel power or the cleanliness, but rather refers to the ability of the fuel to resist engine knocking or pinging, which occurs when the fuel air mixture ignites abnormally or prematurely in your engine, causing inefficient explosions. Improperly timed firings can potentially inhibit proper performance and may ultimately hurt your engine hardware. However, modern cars contain engine sensors that regulate knocks and pings that work just as well with regular fuel as with premium. Most cars derive no appreciable benefit from using premium fuel, and usually only high performance vehicles, particular ones equipped with superchargers or turbochargers require higher octane fuel.

As always, the best advice is to follow what your car manufacturer advises on the matter. If you car owner’s manual calls for only regular fuel, then there is no reason to use higher grade fuel. Some manuals will indicate that premium fuel is either recommended or suggested for best performance, however regular fuel will usually work just as well. Only when premium is actually indicated to be necessary and required should you spend extra money on premium gas.

4) Seek Out Generic Gas Stations That Offer The Cheapest Gas Prices – When I buy gas, I scout for the gas station that offers me the lowest price for regular grade gas. I pay absolutely no attention to the brand – acknowledging no distinction between Exxon Mobil, Shell, BP, Sunoco, Citgo, or Cletus’ Gas Shack. In my opinion, the fuel they offer are all substantially the same. The only difference between one gasoline brand from another is the type of additives mixed in with the fuel. Supposedly as the marketing hype goes, the additives keep your engine running cleaner. However, current Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations already mandate detergent additives for all fuel mixtures. Thus you shouldn’t buy into clever advertising buzzwords or catchy additive names that pricier oil companies use to make their fuel brands seem more impressive than they actually are. All you will be doing is throwing good money away.

Of course, there will always be suckers out there who will insist that one fuel is better than the other for whatever brand loyalty or placebo reasons. If it’ll make you feel better to use a brand of fuel like Exxon as opposed to a lower priced one like Citgo, then be my guest. Personally, the only reason why I would avoid a particular low priced gas station would be if they only took cash payment and not credit cards.

5) Use Gas Credit Cards To Earn Cash Back Rewards and Gas Rebates – I use credit cards for everything, and using a gas credit card to earn cash back rewards on fuel purchases is no exception. Gas credit card rewards vary but the best offers are currently floating in the 5% cash back range. Take a look at my list of gas credit card rewards for the best ones. If you fuel up often, saving 5% cash back rebate on every gas station purchase can help you save a lot of money over the course of a year. Of course, if you have trouble handling the use of reward credit cards, you may want to stick with cash.

As gas and oil prices continue to push vigorously into higher unprecedented levels, my wallet lets out a single quivering tear drop. But when I find myself mired in the unmoving water boarding torture that is rush hour traffic – I end up rooting for higher gas prices so that financial natural selection can put a slowdown to the serious problem of traffic jams gone wild.

I hate living, visiting, or even driving near cities with bad traffic. Unfortunately I happen to live near a major metropolitan hub that Forbes Magazine views as the city with the worst overall traffic in the United States – Washington D.C. I was rather taken back when I read that since I had always assumed the smoggy Southern California city of Los Angeles claimed that title, but then the dubious distinction doesn’t exactly surprise me. The D.C. Beltway certainly deserves that title as the highway is always filled to the brim with honking drivers.

Why does the local suburban crawl population in our area keep expanding every year? It only adds to the ever growing traffic congestion problem in the region where I live and grew up. Just because the public schools in suburban Maryland and Virginia are some of the best in the nation and the federal government places the vast majority of its jobs in the city doesn’t mean everyone have to move here. Why not move to say – neighboring West Virginia or the Appalachian area of Southern Virginia? I hear they have plenty of empty space and farm land that can use some occupying. But in all seriousness, the traffic in our nation’s capital is utterly insane and spiraling out of control. It is absolutely abnormal and I refuse to accept this dysfunctional bumper to bumper driving as the price of living in a popular metro region.

The American Love For Driving Is Getting Out Of Control And Needs To Be Reigned In

I have friends who spend hours and hours in traffic everyday and see the routine as perfectly normal – they’re simply used to it. When I ask them how they deal with the emotional agony, and wear and tear to their vehicles caused by repetitive stop and go traffic every morning and afternoon, they simply shrug and say they’re used to it. Most seem to have accepted this lot in life as simply part of the personal daily sacrifice needed to live in a city that offers great schools, great malls, great culture, and great jobs. Unfortunately I’m not as accepting of this plight as they are. Perhaps it’s because I’m a life-long public transportation commuter. Since college, I’ve only commuted by car to work a few times before. The vast majority of the time I take public transportation through the D.C. Metro – our underground subway train system. D.C. Metro is very convenient and reaches most of the major employment centers in the city. Fare prices are reasonable and the subway cars are generally well maintained. However, many people simply refuse to give up driving.

It’s truly a national obsession – Americans are infatuated and in love with their cars. Most refuse to give up their love of driving and insist on clogging up the highways with their one occupant vehicles every morning. They insist on being able to enjoy the convenience of commuting to work on their own and see driving their cars as the ultimate liberating American experience. But how liberating is it really when you are stuck in rush hour traffic for a 2 and a half hour commute each way for a total of 5 hours, when the total back and forth commute should have taken only an hour?

Back when I was a child (I sound like an old guy – but I’m only in my late 20’s), my family only owned a single car – a compact red Toyota Corolla, for a family of 4 people. It was occasionally inconvenient to share just one vehicle, but we managed well and relied primarily on public subway transportation. Nowadays, families have multiple cars and even children are now getting their own. With the hyper-consumerism mentality of today’s younger generation, it’s almost expected that each teen gets to have his or her own ride to drive around in. In some households, the number of vehicles, motorcycles, sport utility vehicles (SUV)’s, trucks, and recreation vehicles even dwarfs the number of individuals that make up the household as people nowadays own accessory vehicles such as fancy sports cars for special driving occasions. Eventually, all of these vehicles end up on the highways at the same time – stretching road handling capacity to the breaking point.

Yesterday I needed to run some errands during the day in an area inaccessible by subway so I decided to take my car – bad mistake. I hopped into my car and proceeded to my destination. On my way back home, I didn’t realize it was afternoon rush hour until it was too late. By the time I had winded onto the 495 Beltway there was no turning back – the die had been cast and I had become a member of the afternoon herd. I was only a mere 15 miles from home, but my slow chug through heavy rush hour traffic took 2 hours. The constant tapping of the break pedal was frustrating to no end.

Thankfully, High Gas Prices Will Help Control The Number Of Future Cars On The Road And Thin Out Rampant Traffic Jams

That’s why even with today’s spiraling and increasing gas prices at the pump, there’s a silver lining. With higher oil and gas prices will inevitably come a shift and change in American driving habits. The higher cost of driving will force many to think twice about storming onto the roads, and force solitary drivers who commute every day to work by themselves to buddy up and join a car pool. For those who absolutely must commute by themselves, this will require them to re-evaluate about where they need to go and plan ahead to maximize their gas usage. Higher gas prices will help eliminate traffic congestion and allow those who really need to drive to have a better and more efficient transportation experience. Yes it will financially affect me as well, but the price to pay will be worth the greatly improved driving experience.

In most major national and international metropolitan areas such as New York City, Tokyo, and in most densely populated Asian and European cities, city inhabitants have adapted well to a public transportation lifestyle. Many who live in traffic clogged cities don’t even own cars and get around fine on foot or via public subway trains and buses. There really is no reason why we must all be driving around huge clunking vehicles when a smaller vehicle option would do just as well. I’m looking forward to the day when higher gas prices eliminate most of the hulking SUV’s from the road and replace them with tiny two-man cars or even personal Segway scooters.

Of course, for such major driving and oil consumption habits to change, gas prices would have to increase and surge even more – double or triple from their current levels to maybe $8.00 or $10.00 a gallon. I’m sorry car lovers and driving enthusiasts – but I’m secretly rooting against the development of alternative fuels and the adoption of electricity, hydrogen, and ethanol powered cars. All they’ll do is make it cheaper to drive and substantially increase the number of drivers already on the road. In the alternative, if cheaper fuels are developed, I’m all in favor of some type of driving tax or federal traffic toll. Something needs to be done to reduce the number of cars overflowing our roads, choking up our infrastructure, and creating perpetual bottlenecks.