Unfortunately all Avis had were Ford Expeditions and Dodge Aspens - and, to the caller's presumed dismay, they couldn't even guarantee a particular color. Picking up the rental last week, I was about to ask the Avis attendant if gas prices have hampered business. Plenty of RVs on the highways, with second vehicles in tow. There still seems to be a lot of recreational driving going on. Even in relatively progressive Athens, when over drinks with friends I brought up investment in Amtrak as an answer to expensive airline travel, the first response was, "But isn't Amtrak already highly subsidized?" Far-flung commercial and residential development is the norm (and continues to this day), and with no transit, most feel they have no alternative to paying up at the pump. In Madison, NC, where I grew up, higher gas prices are to a great extent simply being absorbed as an unavoidable expense. An employee at a downtown Athens bike shop said the number of sales and repairs took off over a year ago and hasn't slowed since. In Georgia there was a guy riding by himself along a rural divided four-lane highway (they're still building lots of those). Once told to place his hands behind his back, the subject did resist arrest and fight with officers. After investigation it was determined that a subject was going to be taken into custody. In spite of the oppressive heat, I saw cyclists everywhere - in Athens, in Madison (only one, but still), on interstate overpasses. 18 Amherst police responded to an area residence for the report of a domestic incident. Being a renter, Chrysler wasn't there to make up the difference. By my calculations I paid an average of $3.95/gal. Highest: $4.29/gal in Washington Heights. Lowest price: $3.85/gal in Shippensburg, PA. The owner of a Danielsville Road car lot told Athens-Clarke police someone took more an estimated 10,975 in tools and other items from the 1355 Danielsville Road business, including 50 Crazy Red. I drove roughly 1,800 miles round-trip, buying 67.97 gallons of gas at a total cost of $268.78. November 25, Blaine Police Department Reports: November 30-DecemNovember 18, 4:54 a.m. My rental was a Dodge Caliber (29 MPG/Highway). November 25, 12:26 p.m.: Vehicle theft on Peace Portal Drive. In the meantime, here are some quick hits from the road. My destination was Athens, Georgia, where I checked on the state of bike-ped infrastructure in what could be a model small city for the future of American mobility. So, to get a taste of what it's like out there as the era of cheap gas seemingly draws to a close, Streetsblog sent me on a road trip. The Clarke County Sheriff's Office offers on-line access to unofficial information on the current jail population with no warranty as to the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of the information and is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for results obtained from the use of the information. It's easy to tut-tut at the auto-dependent from the transit-rich confines of New York City.
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