The Price of Gas: What Sacrifices Will You Make?

The New York Times recently reported that this is the first time since the 1980's that Americans are altering their behaviors to adjust to gas prices. It cost me nearly $85 to fill my tank at the pump the other day, and quite frankly, it is enough to make you want to stop moving and breathing until the prices go back below $4.25 a gallon. According to a survey by the NPD Group, 12% of Americans cancelled vacations and 8% used public transportation instead of driving. One seriously life-altering consideration must have been inadvertently left out of the survey. One can only help but wonder how many long-distance relationships got the axe last week after it was announced that gas would hit $5 a gallon by the Fourth of July. No longer will love birds be willing to drive up and down the East Coast to visit each other in their respective locations. No longer will people be willing to catch a flight at the drop of a dime for the sake of love. Hard times call for desperate measures, and sometimes that means you gotta give your man the boot. When it comes down to choosing between eating, doing your hair/nails, or seeing your boo, your best bet is to choose food and your beauty routine in hopes that you will survive the recession, and find a boo closer to home or one that at least one that has enough frequent flyer miles to sustain the relationship. You can just hear the heart break: "Baby, I'm sorry, I love you, but with the price of gas......" He won't understand at first, but trust me, he will thank you later. After all, who wants to be hungry and look busted? That's not exactly a recipe for keeping your man anyway, because as you deteriorate and your hair begins to look a mess, the girl next door will become more appealing to him. You will begin to resent your long-distance boo either way, so cut it short now.

For those of you just beginning relationships, please note that dating someone who lives in New Jersey also qualifies as long distance (unless of course if you live in NJ, but if he is more than 20 minutes away, then I would reconsider). Add the price of the toll to your dating cost: the bridge is now up to $8, plus $5 for the Midtown Tunnel if you are commuting from Queens or Long Island. By the time you meet up with your date, you won't be able to even afford a movie ticket (now $10). The best you might hope for is that your NJ boo treats you to Applebee's, but he may force you to share your Pina Colada and your appetizer so that he can have enough for a quarter tank of gas to make it to work the next day. Better that you just find someone who you may not be THAT into, but that lives within walking distance. I assure you that this "recession" relationship will carry you over until the economy bounces back, at which point, you can rekindle with your long-distance shorty if you so choose.

May the lord pray for us poor folk that have to bear the burden of these gas prices.

Source: PHYLLIS KORKKI. "When Gas Prices Lead to Roads Less Traveled." Nytimes.com. June 15, 2008