The New Gimmick: Gas Cards

Let's take a quote from yesterday's blog: ". . . US jobs are at risk at airlines, auto plants, restaurants, hotels, amusement parks" . . . etc.

So, we have Chrysler offering to pay for your gas (keeping it at $2.999) for the next three years. That's to encourage you to buy their overstock of gas guzzlers - including the locally made Jeep Liberty.

So, Cedar Point, that good old mecca of summer vacationers located in Sandusky, Ohio, is also offering to give you a gas card - offering a family of 4 discounts on prices and to pay for the gas to get there.

I haven't seen it yet, but I imagine fast-food joints like McDonald's, Burger King, Taco Bell and Wendy's may try to keep their customer base up by offering gas cards. After all - a big part of their business is the 'drive-through'. In fact I know the Bell is offering a prize in gasoline - provided you buy their big gulp drinks (a winner every 10 minutes is their claim).

And even a local pet shop owner is getting in the act: Dave's Tropical Fish is offering gas cards to those who make a sufficiently large purchase. Dave said on TV 24 that he's giving out about 1 gas card per week and business is booming.

All this is giving me gas. This 'carded' solution just keeps us addicted to gas and keeps us using the guzzlers.

Don't fall for this 'card game' -- if you want to see things change - drive less; car pool; combine trips; go to stores near home; acquire and use super energy efficient vehicles or bus-it; bike-it or walk-it.

And don't get any 'gas-out' plans in mind either: you'd have to stop using gas for about 6 months before Big Oil and OPEC would even notice.

But it's possible. I read that over the Memorial Day Weekend the US consumed less gas over all. The usual average was 9,900,000 gallons per day. When the prices blew past $4.00 per gallon consumption dropped to 9,300,000. A drop of 600,000.

Yet according to Bloomberg - oil closed at $127.56 per barrel today - up 94 cents from yesterday. That's down about 8 bucks from a week ago. Now were only paying $3.899 per gallon! Whoopee! Let's all take a bath in gas!

I'll bet ya a gallon of gas that consumption surges again!