The rising cost of gasoline in the United States is something that I have been dreading/hoping for, for a long time. I dread it because it makes everything more expensive. This hurts poor people (me) and really hurts very poor people (people with even less than me). I have been hoping for higher prices because I feel like the only way Americans are finally going to kick the carbon habit (this link goes back to something I wrote in 2006 about how I felt $3.05 gas was expensive, oh how times change) is if we are unable to afford it anymore. It seems that all my wishes/fears are coming true.

Historically high gas prices have caused 94% of consumers to make lifestyle changes to keep costs down, according to a survey sponsored by MapQuest. Among the changes: they’re planning routes more carefully (57%), walking or biking more (24%), partially filling their gas tanks (31%), and making a conscious effort to drive less (82%).

In addition, 66% of consumers say that high gas prices have caused them to alter vacation plans, with 34% canceling their vacation plans altogether. Another 37% have opted to take shorter trips that are closer to home. YES! Stay right where you are, enjoy it, spend time with your family in the back yard, grow a garden, read a book. You had better get used to it. Unless we can start running cars on sunshine and wind (possible, but not here yet) the cost of traveling is only going to do one thing. Go up.

“There’s no question that rising gas prices are having a significant impact on the lives of consumers across the country,” said Christian Dwyer, senior vice president and general manager, MapQuest. “Our survey shows the extent of the hardships consumers are experiencing as well as the concessions they’re making to off-set these costs.”

Other top-line survey findings include:

* More than 80% of respondents are forfeiting day-to-day activities and changing their spending habits by dining out less (62%), giving up heating and air conditioning (19%) and resorting to only paying the minimum balance on credit cards (18%). Additionally, nearly one out of ten consumers are stopping or cutting back on medications. This would be the part of higher gas prices that makes me very sad. You know you have gotten yourself into an unsustainable situation when you daily commute is consuming so much money that you can’t afford your medication.

* More than half of consumers are unwilling to take road trips over 100 miles. Local food anyone?

* Twenty-four percent of consumers are turning to the Internet to search for cheap gas prices, and more than half intend to utilize websites to determine the cost difference between driving and flying when planning their next trip. Additionally, when evaluating modes of transportation for a trip 58% of consumers are the most concerned with cost of gas vs. airplane ticket fare. This seems to me as a stop gap measure at best. Airlines are losing billions mostly on fuel costs. Expect the cost of a plane ticket to go WAY up in the next year.

* Seventy-eight percent of those surveyed feel that the Federal government should step in and set limits on prices and 27% of consumers believe the oil companies are to blame for the continually rising gas prices. You can read the rest of the survey here. This also seemed silly to me. What this tells me is that 78% of Americans don’t get it. The only way to lower gas prices is to use less gas. If you want the government to do something about gas prices, why don’t you call up your senator and have them vote to renew tax breaks for wind energy, or make your representative vote for higher fuel efficiency standards. If you are addicted to crack, having the government enforce mandatory cheap crack prices is not going to do anything but keep you addicted to crack, and bankrupt the government. Kick the habit people!

The truth is we are running out of cheap available oil/gas and coal is too dirty to consider as a backup. We are running out of our magic ingredient. The one product that makes everything work, and work better. We had better start thinking about what we are going to replace it with, we had better start making tough decisions now while the lights are still on, and the food is still in the fridge. Because if we wait till the lights are out, and the food is gone…well, you ever see that movie Mad Max…