The lease on my snooty looking British (or semi-British) automobile … you know the one (it has a member of the cat family leaping off the hood) … is ending, so I have finally succumbed to the car of choice in my neighborhood. I have bought a Prius.
It wasn’t easy. What with gas running at the 5 number hereabouts, the local swells are lined up to turn in their Beemers for a 40 mpg car. Priuses are being snapped up the minute they get off the boat from Yokohama or wherever they’re coming from. Since the Lakers are losing and no one likes Obama that much (surprise), cocktail conversation runs to how best to drive your hybrid for maximum mileage. I only got 33 mpg driving the Prius around the block, but the salesman told me it will improve after a few tanks and that some of his customers are getting 50. I’ll believe that when I see it, but I’ll report back after a few weeks. I don’t pick up the car until Thursday.
So… does this mean I believe in global warming? No. I’m still agnostic on that one. But I do believe in energy independence and it seems stupid to me, since I needed a new car, to buy another gas guzzler. Even if we started drilling in ANWR, etc., only a dreamer thinks it’s going to bring down the price of petrol in any serious way. It would only stop it from going higher faster.
UPDATE: Our friends the Saudis are nervous.
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