No matter how poor and "unparticipating" American workers get, it always seems like we cling to our automobiles. We call this want a necessity, and I've heard that even in Manhattan, where supposedly no one ever drives, most still own a car.
I remember the shock of first arriving at Temple University's campus for teaching and graduate classes in the late nineties, and my late twenties, having only been a driver and car owner for two of the eleven years I was eligible for such, and seeing the sea of student cars on campus. I learned to park in the gravel lot near Anderson Hall, which was full of aged clunkers and economy makes just like mine.
It's been reported that the average car on the road today is nine years old, and I would not be surprised if the median vehicle is still getting older although my understanding is that favorable lease terms have helped get new auto sales booming again. Anyway, in old or new cars, we are still a driving people, and so many will be cheered by this May dip in gas prices to below $3. For some, commuting to and from work on wages already lost to transportation costs, it will feel like a blessing.
Alex Kudera’s award-winning novel, Fight for Your Long Day (Atticus Books), was drafted in a walk-in closet during a summer in Seoul, South Korea. Auggie’s Revenge (Beating Windward Press) is his second novel. His numerous short stories include “Frade Killed Ellen” (Dutch Kills Press), “Bombing from Above” (Heavy Feather Review), and “A Thanksgiving” (Eclectica Magazine).
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