Tuesday, July 05, 2011

Sign of the Economic Downturn



My wife wanted to go back to school in 1981. We did not have a lot of money and only had one car. My job was only around three miles away from our home. I bought a moped.

Well, it was something like a moped, but with no pedals. Top speed was 25 miles per hour.


This was during the days of the Carter presidency. Inflation was terrible and we thought gas prices were outrageous. They probably were around $2.00 a gallon. The country leader explained we were facing an energy crisis.

Businesses were required to cut their energy usage by not turning on all the lights. Yeah, like that really helped! Service stations could only sell so many gallons of gas per day as a rationing measure.

I felt smug when I pulled up to the pump and filled the tank for only 25 cents, which lasted all week.

I have recently noticed quite a few people riding motor scooters. I am sure it is for the same reason. Gas prices are ridiculously high. Even with a car that gets 30 miles per gallon, it is very expensive to spend 40 or 50 dollars for a fill up.


The United States is lurching to the Third World.

Today, I witnessed a biker drive up my street on a motor scooter. Yep! He had on the grey t-shirt, blue jeans, boots a leather cap and a biker jacket with an emblem on the back. I guess things are tough all over.