Every commercial for cars these days somehow involves the prepositional phrase "at the pump," usually prefaced with the word "pain." Earlier this summer I decided that articles in newsmagazines and the consistent cadence on CNN about how gas prices are destroying the lives of working Americans were not enough to make me feel how truly imminent the collapse of our country is. I decided experience would be the only way truly feel this plight. I needed to do some driving.
While trolling Craig's List for summer employment, I came across a job in Breckenridge. What better way to experience the plight caused by high gas prices than to commute 150 miles round trip every day? On the morning of my first day, I pulled up to a gas station at 6:15. Running on fumes for the past day, I was able to experience a complete fill up in order to establish a reference point for how much I would be spending on gas. $48.76 was my total, and I felt lucky that it was nowhere near the $75 left on the readout at the pump from the previous customer. An energy drink in hand, I started my commute.
My first day was a short one just so I could learn the ropes and get the hang of the job. I earned four hours of pay at 7 bucks an hour. At the end of the day, I lost nearly $25 in order to drive four hours round trip and work. Things were not looking promising.
A the end of my second day, which was thankfully a full one, my $7 an hour earned me close to $56 bucks. Overall I was up around 30 bucks and about a gallon of gas. Things were looking up.
As weeks progressed and work got busier, my commission began to be a factor and my daily earnings increased. However, on my best days I was still spending a quarter of my earnings on the gas I used to get to and from work. The novelty began to wear off and I started looking for more practical employment.
to be continued...
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