Is this significant? Pretty much all of my life, with occasional moments of imbalance, a cup of coffee and a gallon of gas have been about the same price. A few years ago, coffee took the lead, but recently gas caught up. Yesterday, gas took the lead, however, and I bet it will stay in the lead at least until Starbucks invents a new gimmick such as blending bee pollen with java and infusing it with ionized oxgygen to create a ten-dollar morning super-drink. In fact, yesterday was the day when gas officially became a luxury item for me, much as coffee did a couple of years ago and water did, too, come to think of it.
Meaning that when I fill my tank I feel like I’m treating myself now instead of paying a necessary bill for an unappreciated commodity. Savor this, I tell myself — driving is not a right, it’s an indulgence. (Luckily, I don’t commute to work.) Strangely, this makes me want to buy a car that’s completely impractical and ultra-powerful and drive it only every few days or so in the same way I might go white-water rafting or buy a ticket to a new rollercoaster. In other words, I’m estranged from driving now, but pleasantly so. I’ll do it less, I suspect, enjoy it more, and become the target of new marketing efforts that promote getting behind the wheel as an exotic entertainment experience. “Burn some rubber, crank some tunes, and enjoy the road less traveled. You deserve it.” That will be the new ad from Exxon, perhaps. They might even tout the health benefits of driving, assuming there are any, and I’m sure they’ll find some.
But I’m glad this has happened. I really am. I want the Saudi Arabians to know that I can take or leave their major export depending on my mood.
Posted by Walter
The Dish 