IT’S A GAS…NOT! – By Melanie Martyn
Some might remember a 1966 issue of MAD magazine that featured the song ‘It’s a Gas’, vocalized by, of course, their fictitious mascot Alfred E Neuman (the E stood for Enigma if you were ever wondering). My oldest brother John had just returned home from the Smoke Shop convenience store (Rexdale) with this latest edition and all 4 siblings ran upstairs to his room to check out the back cover. He carefully removed the cardboard backed, 5 ½” record and placed it on his battered portable record player. It was a groovy little diddy with 60’s style soft rock instrumental, punctuated by a series of burps and long belches. We practically rolled on the floor, laughing ourselves silly and trying to imitate the chorus! I know he kept that little record in his ‘cool things’ drawer for many years until we moved up north. Things like that tend to get purged, but the memories remain.
It is nice to remember the good old days when the cost of gas was only thirty-two cents a gallon! Hmmm, that would be 8 cents a litre. Of course I wasn’t driving at the time, and it would be years before I would sit behind the wheel of any vehicle, but I never heard my dad complain. I have been driving for many, many years now and as a Realtor, I drive a lot! This week I nearly drove off the road as I passed by a local gas station and saw $1.76 a litre for regular gas, omg! That was bad enough but my car runs on diesel fuel. Try recent prices up to $2.14 a litre with potential to go even higher! Oh, the humanity!
It wasn’t long ago the pricing of those fuel choices were in reverse. Diesel fuel required less refining and enjoyed a lower tax burden. Gone are those days as there is a higher demand globally for diesel, and new environmental policies require a cleaner, low-sulphur product. The recent uptick in prices correlate to war in the Middle East, global supply constraints, our weakened Canadian dollar and also the annual switch to the more expensive summer-grade fuels. Not much we can do about the situation, but prayers come to mind and a little tax relief would be nice.
Maybe the ‘powers that be’ found out I was opting for a diesel fueled vehicle last year? At any rate, I am now thinking it might be time to buy that E-bike and get these legs in shape after a winter of couch-surfing. I could just peddle my ten speed around town, but hey, I am realistic and I know my limits. The electric ‘push’ may just be the ticket to lower my gas consumption and strengthen my resolve to find ways to weather the coming economic hardships.
E-Bikes are generally defined as “power-assisted bicycles” (PABs) that feature both functional pedals and an electric motor (most use lithium batteries). They generally cost between $1,500 and $5,000 CAD, depending on quality and upgrades. So far, you do not need a licence or insurance in Ontario but must follow the rules of the road and wear a helmet. Depending on the model, you can get up to 32 kilometres an hour and that battery can boost you to travel as far as 120 kms (further if your bike features dual batteries) but it all depends on the speed, terrain and of course, your own body weight. Fat Tire E-Bikes are even used now in winter! However, with our last multiple blasts of the white stuff, I did not see too many on the road.
Live in a condo? Consider the Folding E-Bike as it does not take up as much room in your locker and you can throw it in the back of the car! Now if we could just get a little break on the hydro cost to charge them up, it would be a perfect world! For now, it is a MAD world and Alfred E Neuman may be right, ‘It’s a Gas’!