OCTOBER 16, 2008

I recently completed a lifelong dream.

It didn’t require a degree in rocket science, the ability to hit a baseball, or good enough looks to attract Tiffani Amber Thiessen (but I would easily settle for Elizabeth Berkley).

I only needed a clever play on words and a few dollars.

This past weekend I received my new plates and registration for my car. On the DMV’s website I noticed how easily I could add a personalized vanity plate while renewing my registration. As a native of Massachusetts, where it is more expensive to get vanity plates, I was delighted. I quickly solicited some ideas on my personal blog and soon my new plates were on their way.

When I was 16 I thought personalized plates would be cool, but it was a luxury that few indulged in back in Chelmsford, MA. When I moved down to Virginia I noticed that the number of people who personalized was much higher - and I am not the only one to notice.

Personalized plates are now expanding globally. China recently allowed their citizens to purchase personalized plates for their automobiles. In contrast, license plates are randomly assigned in Europe and are very expensive for those who seek specific combinations. Just ask the English gentleman who paid over $20,000 for his.

In regards to my plates- be sure to honk if you are ever driving in Arlington and pass by a beat-up Toyota Corolla with my clever name play: Pho Sho.

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JULY 3, 2008

Because I used to ride the D.C. Metro every day, and a lot of my coworkers take advantage of riding the Metro (not all of us have Phuong’s love of commuting), I am always fascinated by news reports surrounding public transportation issues.

One article in particular, published in May in The Wall Street Journal, made me wonder: can public transportation handle the recent strain caused by budget-conscious people who are deciding not to drive?  I’m not so sure it can.  From the article:

After decades trying to gin up enthusiasm for their services, public transit agencies are now having trouble meeting rising demand as more commuters dodge high gasoline prices by hopping on a train or bus.

Under normal circumstances, the surge in ridership would be a boon to the agencies, which have long argued that public transit is one of the best ways to combat social ills such as traffic congestion and global warming.

But at the very moment they should be investing to expand their services, the same driver that is ballooning ridership is crippling transit budgets: steep fuel bills. As record numbers of people board buses and trains, higher costs are forcing public transit agencies to scale back on services, further straining capacity. Local transit agencies fret that the capacity problems may squander the opportunity to convert more Americans to public transportation.

The WSJ piece states that 66% of people would change their commute if gas prices rose to $5.00/gallon.

Although I am a big advocate of saving fuel and money, wherever possible, I am worried that commuters may pay a price for flocking to the stations all at the same time.  Hopefully the public transit industry will not sacrifice service because demand is so high that they think they can get away with anything (much like my enemy, the airline industry, has done).

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JULY 2, 2008

This summer, I drive over 100 miles a day to get to and from work. Yes, you heard me right, I said 100. To be exact, it’s 101.8 miles roundtrip to get from my home in Round Hill, Va., to my internship in Arlington, Va., which translates to about 2 hours in traffic each day. I understand that most people probably think I’m crazy, but don’t worry, I have done the analysis and have come to the conclusion that this is the best option for me.

I grew up in Sterling, Va. so I understand the joys and pains of commuting in this area. I’ve accepted the fact that five miles can mean 30 minutes. Round Hill is about halfway between Winchester, Va. and Dulles International Airport, to give you an idea about where I live. And it’s the part of Loudoun County that has yet to be truly hit by the vast expansion of the D.C. metropolitan area.

This summer I will pay $5 in tolls (by taking what I think is the overpriced but at the same time wonderfully traffic-free Dulles Greenway) and $5 in parking per day, not to mention use up a quarter tank in gas for a roundtrip. My small sedan has an 18-gallon gas tank that I fill up at least twice a week. I have to get my oil changed every 1.5 months. While all of these costs add up to a hefty bill at the end of the month, it was still cheaper than trying to find temporary housing for three months during the summer. And if nothing else, I view this summer of commuting as a crash course in how to live on a budget.

The latest American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau in 2006 found that the average commute to work for someone living in the Washington, D.C.-Virginia area is 33.4 miles. That’s only 17.5 miles less than I travel one-way each day.

Forbes.com also wrote articles in April and May 2008 about the best and worst commutes around the country and cities with the worst fueling costs, respectively. D.C. ranks 7th for the worst commute in the country with 15% of drivers traveling over an hour to get to work and only 26% of drivers commuting less than 20 minutes. Forbes also ranked D.C. as the 3rd worst city for fueling costs with D.C. commuters spending an average of $6.32 a day for commuting (that was calculated with the average gas price of $3.72, so it’s a little higher now), which is about $14 less than what I pay a day. But on the flip side, D.C. also ranked second best for efficiency in carpooling, public transportation and walking.

Honestly, I’m not upset or frustrated by any of this. While it does hurt to put so much money towards commuting and not towards other “useful” things such as clothes or shoes, I actually enjoy commuting to work. I don’t know whether it’s the quiet time or the fact that I finally get a break from the constant human contact that comes with living in this area—but I LOVE commuting.

I used to commute alone, but I started to commute with my boyfriend this year. At first, I was a little hesitant because I was very protective of my alone time in the car. But with the cost of everything going up it didn’t make sense for us to commute separately. After a short adjustment period, I now love commuting with a passenger too.

The Washingtonian recently released its “Best of Washington List” and I-66 is ranked the second worst traffic bottleneck. I take this road every day (and get to take advantage of the HOV-2 restrictions) and feel proud that I am able to conquer this horrible road. I realize that I am only on the road for about 8 miles, but it’s great to move without stop and go.

I’ll stop rambling on more about my daily commute, and will simply add this: If you have to commute this summer, try to to embrace it, because it could make the time in the car very enjoyable.

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JUNE 12, 2008

While I hate to admit it, I am a distracted driver. I spend almost every morning while driving to work on my Blackberry, and I can’t even begin to count the number of times that I’ve been on my cell phone while driving. And I’m not alone. A recent Nationwide Insurance survey found that 81% of drivers admit to making cell phone calls behind the wheel.

I know it’s not good to multitask while driving, but I had no idea how bad it really was. This month is National Safety Month, and this week the focus is on distracted driving. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, distracted driving is responsible for most car accidents – almost 8 in 10. 8 in 10! Who knew? According to some experts, using a cell phone is similar to driving while legally drunk in terms of the impact on a driver’s judgment.

As you know, I like to blog about putting risks in perspective. What should we worry about and what shouldn’t we worry about? Well, this is definitely something I’m going to file in the category of what we should worry about.

We all spend so much time worrying about the risks that make front page news, we often ignore those risks we can control. As my boss, Dan McGinn, likes to say, most people focus on the extreme risks in our lives, or the kind of risks that make it on the evening news, at the expense of the day-to-day kinds of things that may pose an even greater risk to us.

Seems to me I should take my own advice. Now that I know about the impact texting and talking may have behind the wheel, I am definitely going to make more of an effort not to do that every morning while driving to work.

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MAY 15, 2008

OK, I know everyone is all green-conscious these days and concerned with efficiency, especially as it relates to cars, but I have something to confess.  I have a soft spot for muscle cars, particularly antique Chevy Corvettes.  Something about the low wide stance and curvaceous exterior design gets my attention.  And then, you hear it.  It idles at a low, throaty rumble.  It accelerates at a pace that dominates the road.  All eyes on you.  Seeing is nice, hearing is better, but driving is the ultimate experience of the senses.  You’re behind the wheel, practically hugging the asphalt, gripping the stick, just waiting for your moment to flex.

I think my obsession with this American muscle car started with the first Batman movie and the infamous Batmobile from the 1980’s.  I asked my dad, a gearhead himself, what kind of car that was.  He said it resembled the Chevy Corvette, and from that moment on it was love.  Every holiday road trip was spent competing over who could spot the most Corvettes on the road. 

The Corvette quickly became my “someday-I’ll-own-one-of-those” cars.  And that someday came when I was in high school, after saving up and working out a plan with my parents.  Yes, I drove a 1975, T-top, 4 speed, red Corvette in high school.  Spoiled, I know, but believe me, I really appreciated it.

With all the horses and aerodynamics involved, it’s easy to see why my little red Corvette got not-so-great gas mileage. And these days, driving around just for fun really doesn’t fit into any lifestyle.  I understand that there’s a need for prioritizing how we drive, but does the current emphasis on fuel diversity and advanced engine technology mean the death of the muscle car?  Along with so many other aspects of our New Persuasion world (like news gathering, education, and entertainment), will we simply redefine our reality, or permanently alter our thinking and behavior?

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