Street Smarts: Giving up vanity for gas and a Bluetooth lesson ...

Filling up my petroleum-starved car the other day, I about toppled over in my favorite Via Spiga heels when the pump clicked off at $83.48 -- the most I've ever shelled out for approximately a week's worth of ...

[Westsider]

What is the law for driving too slow in California? On larger freeways, like 880, I usually drive in a middle lane at or just over the posted speed limit and nearly everyone passes me except for the really slow people going 20 MPH less than the posted speed limit.

[Shoes]

If you have foot problems, I can see spending that much on shoes at Aptos Shoe and Apparel or at the sock shop. But for trendy brand name heels that probably damage your feet in the long run, you can save money on gas and order them at a big discount at DSW's website. Even your local Macy's in Capitola has great sales on those high-end brands.

Other items we could spend $80.00 on: groceries, clothes and shoes for children that just seem to keep growing out of them, and other bills that also keep growing: electric, insurance, etc. Personally, I'll skip the fancy shoes for now.

By the way, going "just under 55" could mean 54 miles per hour. That's not too slow for the right lane.

[Nit picker]

You lost me at "$83.48." Everyone knows by now that the pumps are set to click off at $75.00.

[trisha0790]

Nit picker wrote:

You lost me at "$83.48." Everyone knows by now that the pumps are set to click off at $75.00.

Well, not EVERYONE because I have NO idea what you are talking about....not that I would need to be $83.48 in my car or $75 for that matter. What are you talking about?????

[slownewsday]

I don't want to tell you how to spend your money, but saying that you are worried about buying shoes when so many people and families are struggling for the main necessities, like food, rent/house payment, and the basics was a bit insensitive

[RobtA]

Well, now we know what kind of heels NewsChick favors. And, I see that the fake PK troll dropped by here. But please don't begrudge NewsChick her shoes. Somehwere in the world, and otherwise-starving family is supported by making heels, probably under the smiling image of Mao, although I think Zapata would be more appropriate.

[Karen]

I could probably pay for gas for months if I sold off just half of the shoes that I've only worn once or twice. I rarely drive these days and I have a small car so a tank lasts about a month but I still get sticker shock every time that I fill up.

If I threw in all of the fancy clothes that I don't need anymore I could probably keep my car going for a few years. Pretty soon we'll need combination gas station/pawn shops to fill up.

[wildman]

Most drivers fail to move back to the right lane after passing. What is really annoying and dangerous is drivers who pass on the right. There is a presumption that you can move to the right, and not be concerned with some other driver going faster than you. Drivers of large trucks sometimes have a sign on their bumpers indicating you could end up killed by passing on the right.

[Joe Eugene]

Well, this is less about shoes and more about streets and gas but I hope that's permissible here. I routinely see people driving 5-10 miles over the speed limit, whether on surface streets or on freeways. If you'd like to slow down to save gas, how about slowing down to the existing limit, whatever that may be? You might not save as much as by going 55 on the freeway but 65 or 60 still save gas compared to 70-80. I betcha the CHP won't ticket you for going too slowly if you're doing the posted limit. As for the fast lane vs passing lane idea, one difference we have here is that the right lane is the merging lane; it's pretty risky to "drive right" when that's the lane that slow cars merge into and slow trucks drive in. The left lane is the "cruising lane" aka the "safe lane" where much less is going on that is hazardous to drivers.

[anon]

Nit picker wrote:

You lost me at "$83.48." Everyone knows by now that the pumps are set to click off at $75.00.

The one I go to has a $100 max.

[Nit picker]

Okay, so they are having to reset the pumps to click off at higher amounts now. That's good to know. Now I can "PR" past $75.00. That's "track talk" meaning "personal record". Our family has decided to have a good attitude about gas prices by seeing how much we can spend at the pump. You should try it sometime. Instead of being depressed, you cheer your pump as the amount goes higher and higher. The goal is to top your previous record amount of spending.
"When life gives you lemons...."

[Aptos Mom]

Pumps are not set to click off at any dollar amount. It is the form of payment you use that determine how much you can spend and when the pump shuts off. For example some debit cards or credit cards have set a limit.

Drivers of large vehicles have spent well over $200 for many years and so there has never been a limit to my knowledge.

[EricR]

Shana, I feel for you. The hue and cry about babies and food vs. footwear has only just begun.

Joe Eugene wrote:

... The left lane is the "cruising lane" aka the "safe lane" where much less is going on that is hazardous to drivers.

...Except when you're being a hazard to people who want to drive faster than you, and clogging up both lanes because the right lane is too 'hazardous'.'Cruise left' if you must, but be aware of traffic coming up behind you and move over. Thanks in advance.

[H Spruit]

i bought a "ZENN" electric car. I drive 500+- miles per month. My PG&E bill went up $5.00 per month. That is 1 cent per mile!
Check out <zenncars.com >

[RobtA]

I looked up some calorie counts. In the morning, I casually bicycle about 10 miles instead of driving. The excess calories I burn (compared to driving or sitting for the same amount of time) is about half a bar of Snickers, or about 45 cents. If I had driven a car that got 40 MPG, that would be 1/4 gallon, or about $1.20 nowadays (just for the fuel).

Awhile back, when gas was much cheaper but candy bars were not, the fuel cost of cycling versus driving (an efficient car) was about the same.

If you get your energy from gourmet coffee drinks, however, the fuel cost of cycling exceeds that of driving.

[Big V]

slownewsday wrote:

I don't want to tell you how to spend your money, but saying that you are worried about buying shoes when so many people and families are struggling for the main necessities, like food, rent/house payment, and the basics was a bit insensitive

Oh no, not insensitive! Can't forget that this is Santa Cruz, where there is a basic human right to not be offended, and where no one is allowed to have more material things than the lowliest of the low.

[not true]

Aptos Mom wrote:

Pumps are not set to click off at any dollar amount. It is the form of payment you use that determine how much you can spend and when the pump shuts off. For example some debit cards or credit cards have set a limit.
Drivers of large vehicles have spent well over $200 for many years and so there has never been a limit to my knowledge.

No it's the gas station for sure your wrong about this,I've always used a Visa, some station are set at $50.00, some at $75.00 some no limit!

What larger vehicles spend over $200.00 maybe a Semi-truck but not a regular vehicle no way!!Your contradicting yourself big time!Get your facts straight please before you spew!!

[Rick Patterson]

I drive a 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee which in days gone by I practically lived in the left lanes. I was not concerned with my nearly 19 MPG and keeping up with traffic, but when the price per gallon reached the $4.50 area I decided to make some changes.
This past weekend my wife and I went to Redding for a family event, and I locked the cruise on 60 all the way. Yes, even on I-5 where the posted limit is 70. I also did little things like slipping the vehicle into neutral on the down hill runs and coming to stop lights letting my SUV coast whenever practical. I got 24 MPG which gives me almost 100 miles more between fill-ups.
I've always been one to make sure my tires are properly inflated and the oil and filters get changed on schedule.
It will still cost my wife a pair of shoes when I fill up, but I'll be there less often.
So keep an eye out for me in the right lane of 101 please and wave when you fly past. All five fingers please. Or fall in behind me and save some money.
By the way. I live in Salinas and work in San Jose, the change in speed didn't add much time to my 65 mile commute. Less than 10 minutes each way and I'm a lot more relaxed when I arrive.

[BchRes]

I have no sympathy for anyone that does not drive a envirornmentally correct vehicle. My Kia gets 40 miles per gallon around town. I never pay more then 20 for a tank of gas. One tank last almost three weeks. As for the shoes mentality, this generation is so driven by material goods that it is sickening. If they would step out of their very incorrect SUV and buy buy buy mentality,perhaps they would fair better through this recession, like the rest of us are. What kind of person wears 80.00 shoes and works for a crap home town newspaper? Who has the lowbrow mentality that they would waste 80.00 on shoes? Thats a utility bill or weekly grocries for most of us.

It is so completly inappropriate to complain about epensive shoes when many here are struggling just to wear basic 10.00 shoes and have a place to sleep at night. You should be ashamed of yourself. Grow up and please don't express such garbage in a public forum. Really what is this editior thinking? We are in a recession and people are suffering. Get a life. No sensible person would think of spending such an amount on shoes or even gas for that matter!

[Willie]

Via Spiga heels? no wonder this column only gives attention to Cars, and never any thought to pedestrians or bikers. The street is not just for cars, use some 'street smarts'