Screw Big Oil

I got one of those chain e-mails this morning. You know, the kind in which the sender says he's sending it to 30 people, and if each of them sends it to 20 or 30 more, and each of them ... blah, blah, blah. The message was that we should all protest rising gas prices by not buying from Exxon or Mobil, thereby putting pressure on them to lower prices. If that's what blows your dress up, go right ahead. But I have a simpler idea: Buy less gas. If you want to send a message to the oil companies, give 'em a good, swift kick to the 'nads by gassing up once a month instead of twice a week. With gas headed toward four bucks per gallon, there's never been a better time.

I've actually enjoyed this summer's high gas prices because I've seen more people riding bikes on the trail I use to get to work. One morning, I saw six bike commuters in a short stretch where I typically see none. Most of them had the look of people who were new to it; they were using combinations of cheap and old equipment and had the bewildered look of people who weren't quite sure they had figured out what they were doing. (Am I going the right way on this trail? Did I remember to pack my pants?) Some of them actually looked like they were having fun on their way to work for the first time in years.