LABJ FORUM: Pedal to the Metal?
With oil markets skittish in anticipation of a war with Iraq and turmoil already roiling the flow from Venezuela, gasoline prices have skyrocketed nationwide by 45 percent, to $1.67 per gallon on average. Southern California, of course, tops the price charts, with stations charging up to $2.04. That might cause some Los Angeles motorists to do the unthinkable: drive less. So the Business Journal asks:
Are you changing your driving habits?
Joel Chiodi
Executive Director,
Marketing and Promotions
Game Show Network
I’m not really changing my driving habits, but I’m purchasing a new car and I’m considering a hybrid. Now after I get gas, I’m in shock when I realize how much extra money I’ve dumped. If it continues at this rate, I’ll probably have more discipline in how I drive.
Robin Gilden
Tax Attorney
Reish Luftman McDaniel & Reicher
My life is so busy, I haven’t been focusing in trying to save gasoline. I tend not to be heavy on the pedal anyway. I drive a Mercedes E430 that gets about 16 miles per gallon, and I have to put premium in the car. It would be difficult to carpool, but if it got up to $5 a gallon, I’d consider it.
Donald Cook
Chief Executive
Cancer Detection Center
I haven’t made any changes at this point, but I’ve been irritated as hell about the gas prices. We get screwed here in Southern California. I’m going to ride the new Gold Line train in to work from South Pasadena as soon as it opens. I’m done driving.
Edward Gil
Director of Marketing
Buxbaum Group
I drive a Ford Expedition SUV, and it’s 7.2 miles each direction for my daily commute. I’m in favor of structurally limiting our dependence on oil. However, I still intend to drive the biggest thing on the road for safety considerations. I think I get 12 miles to the gallon. Before I would even consider changing cars, the price would have to be $4 a gallon for a year.
Donald Cook
Chief Executive
Cancer Detection Center
I haven’t made any changes at this point, but I’ve been irritated as hell about the gas prices. We get screwed here in Southern California. I’m going to ride the new Gold Line train in to work from South Pasadena as soon as it opens. I’m done driving.
Richard Benbow
Chief Deputy Administrator
Los Angeles Community Redevelopment Agency
It’s impacting some of my driving habits. I wasn’t doing anything differently until prices got over $1.90 a gallon. Then I started seriously examining how I could reduce my driving, based more on the cost of gas than the environment. The pleasure trips are the ones I have second thoughts about. I started asking myself if they’re really necessary. Could I make a phone call instead of a visit?
John Mynes
Regional Sales and Marketing Manager
P & O Cold Logistics
What my family has done is to switch which car we use most. Before, we took the Suburban everywhere. Now we use our sedan instead. The Suburban gets about 16 miles to the gallon and the sedan about 28. On the business side, I just returned from a trip to San Diego and we took a sedan and crammed everything in it instead of the Cadillac Escalade because gas has gotten so expensive.
