They're all Full of Gas

Bakersfield has a new “claim to fame.” Besides Buck Owens, Basque restaurants, and the conservative small town mind set we are known for we can also now boast about having the highest gas prices in the country. The funny thing is it has always been this way. Despite the fact that we can scarcely drive down the street without seeing an oil derrick pumping away. (My son had one in the parking lot of his elementary school.) Despite the fact that we are kown as an “Oil Town” and that a section of our city is named “Oildale.” Despite the fact that you cannot avoid the smell of burning oil refineries as you drive through certain parts of town . Despite ALL of this, residents of Bakersfield have always paid top dollar for their fuel.

Now that gas prices have reached astronomical, if not unprecedented amounts across the nation, people around town are really starting to bitch. (Thank GOD I just got my new car which gets 36 mpg in town and 50 on the highway.) It’s not that I don’t think we all don't have a legitimate reason to gripe. I just find it hard to feel sorry for the 3⁄4^ths of our population driving around in their Hummers, gigantic SUV’s, and full sized pick-ups. No - I’m sorry. I do not feel sorry for them.

These are the same people buying all the cookie cutter track homes out in B.F.E. white flight, urban sprawl housing developments. These are the same people who try to speed down Rosedale Hwy to get to work (or home) on time only to find themselves caught in traffic jams idling exhaust into our already atrocious air. These are the same people who cannot get their fat asses out of the car to go inside a fast food restaurant and place their enormous orders to feed their over stimulated, under exercised families while we sit stuck behind them longing for a quick bite to eat and fewer breathing problems.

Screw those people. For the rest of you, I would like to introduce you to this website.