Wow. Just got back from an extended trip to the UK and when I got into my car yesterday, I discovered I needed gas. So I went to the gas station and was floored: Gas was 2.79 a gallon!
I will say though, that in the global perspective, that’s still a deal. In London, I noticed gas prices between 93p and 95p per liter. That works out to 3.52GBP per gallon, which in U.S. dollars right now is about $6.35. So I think I’ll stop my whining. At that rate, it would be over $100 to fill up my Volvo!
It does make me wish that Chicago had better mass transit, though. As nice as the El is, there aren’t enough lines that are convenient (in fact, none go to the area where I work). And the buses are not only slow–they still run on dino-fuel. It was pretty amazing how easy it is to not have a car in London compared to Chicago. Not that a car is essential in Chicago–but it is very convenient. In London (and I was working–not being a tourist) I barely noticed.
Wait until you visit/live in Los Angeles. No car = no legs. Waiting for the MTA bus to arrive is like waiting for a snail to crawl over there…And when it does arrive, you discover it’s completely full (and the drunks are battling it out inside…)
I wouldn’t want to go back on another MTA bus (unless you pay me…a lot..)
The L/Metra is something I do miss from Chicago … I have to commute now to work (I got a job at a big firm in the city) because the transit system for Cook County (bus line) and Atlanta (MARTA), although cleaner and more-organized than the CTA, isn’t as far-reaching. And with gas down here at $2.50 in Cobb County and closer to your prices in the city, a bus fare doesn’t sound too bad!