Will long distance trave to CP decrease?

It's not putting them in finacial hardship. They're not on the streets because of gas prices. Can the spoiled Americans not do as much as we used to, yes. But is it a "finacial hardship", which I interpret as something that completely breaks the budget, no.

Would the cost of gas stop me from CP trips? Probably not. What is a couple extra bucks per trip.

What really ends up costing, though, is when the profit of your business is directly affected by gas prices. A couple extra bucks going out of my pocket for a CP trip isn't a big deal in itself. It's when you add in the fact that you have less going into your pocket as well when it becomes a pinch.

That said, I'll probably second guess a trip or two this summer if gas prices stay this high or higher.

I really feel sorry for charter fisherman and truck drivers. They have it really hard with the gas.

So true Fastball. If you guys think the cost of gas for automobiles is bad, take a look at the price of gas at your local marina. The government heavily taxes marine gas, I wouldn't be surprised to see it over $3.00 per gallon. That may very well change some people's plans to go to CP by boat.

At least when you drive a truck or a boat for a living you can pass on the increased cost. In the end it's still the consumer that pays for it.

Financial hardship my ass. People choose to buy SUV's that get 15 mpg and then drive an hour each way to and from work.

Amen Jeff..............

Mine gets 16. ;)

Gas would have to hit at least $4/gallon in order to make me rethink my CP trip this year, but since that ain't gonna happen, I'm still going.

I'm driving 11 hours to get there, but I'm taking 2 friends, so the cost is split up among us. I'm also staying for 5 days so it's not really a waste for me to drive that far and use that much gas.

I am thankful I have a car that gets 38 miles per gallon on the highway...

38 MPG?What kind of car do you drive?The back seat must be tight,I feel for your friend.

My 2005 Toyota Corolla gets 40 mpg on the highway. My brother has a 2005 Toyota Prius (hybrid) and he get's in the 60's...and the back seat in either is plenty roomy.

MrScott

I have a 2002 Honda Civic EX.

I haven't had anybody complain about the backseat yet and none of us are tall, so the seats in the front won't be back that far either, giving plenty of leg room in the back too...

Well, the must have really improved them since the time I had a Toyota.I had an 80 Corolla Station Wagon, and on a good day, I would get around 22-23mpg.It was an automatic ,so maybe you have a 5 speed.I had a VW Jetta GL that got 36 or more on the hwy,but that was a stick.I'm kinda stuck with my Chrysler now,it wouldn't be cost effective to buy a new car, as the cost of the new car would be hard to make up in the gas savings.

I've gotten around 38-40 in my moms '97 Saturn SL2 before on Cedar Point trips.

The problem with those hybrids is that you put more than a weeks worth of groceries in the back and load two people in there and its pretty much at it's max weight limit. Maybe the newer models have improved (I hope they have). I know someone who had a hybrid around 2000 and you couldn't really fit more than about 3 adults in it. It had a weight limit of something insane like 800 pounds.

My Toyota is an automatic (and also named the most dependable car for the last couple of years). My brother's Prius...has no transmission. It has one gear, many computers, and a large, self-charging battery. That thing is amazing. It even talks to you and has a GPS guidence system.

MrScott

Hybrids have changed A LOT:

http://www.toyota.com/prius/

MrScott

I also thank my parents for not allowing me to buy the car I've always wanted: A Jeep Wrangler. 16 mpg, yikes!!

Well once they get into the market of making hybrids that can tow, haul and otherwise fit the needs of many Americans, I think they'll sell a lot better.

For driving to an office job every day, it doesn't seem like too bad of an option, however.

A Toyota hybrid SUV that boasts 0mph-60mph in 7 seconds and average gas milage of 35mpg debuts next near. I'm sure it'll be able to tow, it boasts the same 6 cylinder engine as their trucks, with the added electronic component.

MrScott

If that's the case, I'm sure they'll start selling quite well. It's still pretty new, though. Give it time.

I think this topic has pretty well strayed far from the orignal. Oh well :)