Krypsis wrote:
>
> On 12/05/2011 4:39 AM, Pete C. wrote:
> >
> > "gloria.p" wrote:
> >>
> >> On 5/11/2011 2:48 AM, Giusi wrote:
> >>> > ha scritto nel messaggio
> >>> ...
> >>> On May 11, 12:17 am, > wrote:
> >>>> Europeans, Brits precisely, wonder why US citizens are so irked at gas
> >>>> prices.
> >>>>
> >>>
> >>
> >>>
> >>> For most of us, we can't cut out a lot of our driving, so that
> >>> increased cost is something we must pay.
> >>
> >> Americans are so spoiled and entitled. I am sure that many of us think
> >> the U.S. is entitled to own and use all the oil left in the world.
> >
> > Most of the oil is in countries hostile to the US, and most of those
> > countries have *no* economy other than oil. Once we have used up their
> > oil (and not our own), those enemies will implode.
> >
> >>
> >> It is crazy-making to me that when gas prices rise people begin to think
> >> about buying cars with better gas mileage (i.e. smaller cars or hybrids)
> >> but when the prices go down 50cents/gallon, the monster-mobiles
> >> (mini-vans, SUVs, prestige sports cars) again fly off the car lots.
> >
> > Funny, from what I see people buy vehicles that meet *their* needs, not
> > to satisfy the perceptions of others. New truck sales have been at very
> > high levels over the past couple years, and that's on top of used truck
> > sales. It seems that people's needs have not changed to suit your
> > perceptions, nor have higher fuel prices (in reality lower dollar value)
> > caused them to give up on life and go live in a cardboard box under a
> > bridge.
> >
> >>
> >> We were recently in Greece and Turkey where gas prices averaged
> >> US$10/gallon. The car we most commonly saw was the tiny Smart Car.
> >> It made a lot of sense.
> >
> > No, actually it didn't make a lot of sense. That tiny "Smart" car
> > doesn't get very good MPG, certainly not commensurate with it's lack of
> > capability, indeed it is far less fuel efficient than the big pickups in
> > the US.
>
> Maybe it is far less fuel efficient than a US truck but it is far more
> suitable for transporting one or two people around. Why transport the
> extra iron?

It's more suitable for a place where the population is predominantly
poor, live in apartments, don't travel far and rarely have a need to
transport anything larger than a shopping bag.