I walked under a bus, I got hit by a train

As a citizen of this country, even as a non-licensed member of this country, I find the petrol prices to be heading well out of crazy, and into ludicrous. The latest price rise from Caltex has made me think.

I can see the many implications that the latest petrol rise could have on me, a non-licensed member of society. I can see public transport costs rising, airfares increasing, and a huge guilt at having friends come to see me on holidays, parents picking me up, my mother’s free taxi service and most importantly, the bribes of “petrol money” will have to be bigger then $5 for someone to take me somewhere.

Our country, although I hate to say it, is living in a very consumer-run society. So I propose a plan. A plan that all my readers, fellow columnists and their friends can take part in. It would very much rely on a huge sector of the country taking part, but word of mouth, and the power of the pen (or in my case, the power of the 14.4kbs modem), could bring the plan into reality.

But first, what are the causes of the price rises? Our petrol prices are crashing through the roof, while our country’s dollar, in relation to the rest of the world, is sinking like the Titanic. The petrol company’s are blaming the price rises on both the dollar and the increased cost of petrol per barrel. Is the world’s crude
oil supply running out? Supply and demand often means that rare commodities, such as petrol will become, can be very harsh on the wallet.

So why does no-one create a solar powered vehicle, or even better, a car that runs on water, that can be implemented into society and become an “every household has one” thing? We already know that vehicles that run on these sources, and even electricity exist. Most of Wellington’s central public transport system runs on electricity taken from wires suspended above the roads, and, every now and again a show like Beyond 2000 will run a segment on a solar powered car. But why do they all seem to disappear never to be seen or heard of again? Many people claim that petrol companies are paying the inventors to keep such machines a secret. Maybe there are plans for these new cars to come out into our mainstream markets in the near future and petrol companies are simply trying to milk every last dollar out of their customers while they still can.

Imagine the rush on these cars! They will sell like wildfire, people will spend their life savings and retirement stashes on them. They will be cheaper to run, and be better on the environment.

But back to the plan. Although we can dream of these cars, their implication into every day life would not come for another 5 years at least. Today, we have to concentrate on the vehicles we do have, the ones that run on petrol, that cost the earth to run, keep running, register, park and manage (are you starting to see why I don’t have a licence yet?). I figure, if a major part of society boycotts the next petrol company (or companies) to rise their prices, eventually, they will have to give. As their petrol prices fall, go back to them, and make the others follow suit. Yes, there is a problem that they may all go out of business, but it has become ludicrous, and it is time for serious action.