It's something amazing to ponder as you broil in beach traffic this weekend. Gasoline keeps getting more expensive, but Americans keep buying more of it. They bought 10% more gasoline in the first half of 2006 than in the first half of 2000 even though the price at the pump rose 75%. It isn't just essential trips, either—leisure travel remains strong. Gasoline consumption during the week of the Fourth of July holiday this summer was 2% higher than a year ago.OK, I have a confession to make. I have been guzzling gas for the past two weeks. It's counterintuitive, I know, but on a hot day, a nice tall glas of gasoline is quite refreshing. One must be careful not to sit out in the hot sun afterward, but with the proper precautions, it can be delightful. I never go anywhere without a Thermos full of unleaded. (Also counterintitively, I find the Ultra Premium is too heavy, rather like a stout or porter; the Standard Unleaded drinks more like a lager or pilsener. The middle one between Standard and Premium is too bitter for my tastes.)
One does need to be careful in other ways, too. The Mobil station at Broadway and Lincoln Ave. frequently has to shoo me away when I insist in sipping it directly from the pump.
To keep the symmetry in the universe intact, I did try filling my car with lemonade, but there is a clause in the Lemon Law that implicitly outlaws it.
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