Should we be complaining about petrol prices?

We can't control or really influence petrol prices, so rather than everyone complaining about them (although I've noticed they aren't complaining as much as a couple of years ago) shouldn't we decide that we'll take other action to reduce the impact of the increases on our budget?

If you think about it, how many of your journeys REALLY have to be made by car? Can't you walk, get the bus or train? And (although now is probably not the time to really discuss this one) do you really need the great big gas guzzling car? Can't you have a smaller car that you use on a day to day basis, and if you need a larger car for holidays, then hire one as and when?

If I was to look at how I use our car (we only have one as we take the train to work). Personally I've always been an advocate of the "leave the car at home" thinking. It's nothing unusual for the car to sit on the drive untouched for a couple of days... my son and I walk to the shops (he's only 2, so walks part way and then gets in his pushchair when he's tired), and sometimes we walk / get the bus to nursery.

Just look at the advantages - by walking to the shops, I'm saving petrol and car parking money, getting exercise for me and my son, spending time with him doing something that is educational to him (he LOVES pointing out all of the cars, buses and trucks, the colour of things and so on and we are much more likely to bump into someone we know that way), we're more likely to support the local shops and we're getting outside. It encourages him to accept that walking is normal - you don't automatically jump in the car to go somewhere. I've neighbours who drive to the same shops to get one or two bags of shopping! OK, so once a month a great big trip is done to another shop where I bulk by certain heavy items, but the fruit and veg comes from local shops and the market each week. Much better all round.

Then there is the trip to nursery.... Well, yes it's more convenient to take the car. And yes, I do use the car quite a bit for this. But, if there's a bit more time (to be honest, because of traffic it doesn't take much longer) I'll walk there and get the bus back with him, which makes it all a big adventure. With a bit of planning, we can walk or take the bus. OK, the bus costs 80p one way, but just the petrol costs about 50p now, never mind the wear and tear on the car and of course the environment. Then just think about the exercise you get! I've got a back pack to carry my son in, so a combination of his weight and the walking means there is no need to go to the gym - more money saved!


That reminds me of something else - the people who take the car to the gym to run on a treadmill and do a few weights! Why???? Why not go for a run and buy a set of weights for home... more flexible, you're outside and you don't use the car. Just invest one month of your gym membership in the weights and you are sorted. Admittedly it's worth going to the gym for some things, so walk or run and get double the exercise.

So, think about it next time... do you really need to take the car? Can't you walk (OK, the food may be slightly more expensive, but you've not paid for petrol)? Or take the bus - with the increase in bus lanes about the country, it may not take any longer. If you are going to petition and complain about anything, complain if they threaten to put up the price of bus tickets - that would be frustrating. Yes, petrol is more expensive for them as well, but if there are fewer people using petrol (because they are walking or on the bus) then there isn't the pressure on the production, so costs wont shoot up as much (and what there is will last for longer). Reply to this article / Report this article
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