On Sat, 27 Oct 2012 19:56:53 -0400, "Michael A. Terrell"
wrote:


Larry Jaques wrote:

Michael A. Terrell wrote:
?
?a friend wrote:
??
?? so, how do you strike a balance between hydrocarbon pollution and your
?? personal convenience? surely you don't believe that gasoline vapors are
?? good for you - they are in fact a narcotic and a major source of
?? photochemical smog

Ooh, where's my IV rig? Gotta get me summa that narco smog!

? I drive less than 3000 miles a year. How about you?

I put in almost 6,000 a year, Mikey. Everything I do it local except
the trip to CA in the summer, about 900 miles worth. And I buy lots
of stuff via Amazon to get the free shipping on purchases over $25.
eBay, Craigslist, Freecycle get some business, too.


Most of what I buy online has free shipping. Lots of components to
repair tools & equipment that has been in storage for over 10 years. I
usually wait till I have no choice but to leave the house, then make as
many stops as I can while I'm out. There have been months that I drove
a total of 60 miles, for two trips to get groceries. I can't find all
of what I can eat at any one store, so it takes multiple stops.

Ditto. Safeway is higher than most everyone in town for everything
but meat, so I get my beef and pork there. Fred Meyer has great
prices on most things, so they're my top stop. Walmart has specials
on some things so I get those there.

I almost never go into town with a single task in mind. I stuff as
many stops as possible into the trips to save gas. The round trip is
as circular as possible to save gas, too. No zigzagging around,
wasting time and gas. I amazed my neighbor with a $125 shopping trip
one day. I left at 7am and got back just after 8am, stopping at 4
stores and one place to drop off a package.

--
The ultimate result of shielding men from folly
is to fill the world with fools.
-- Herbert Spencer