In a message dated 7/1/99 3:52:32 AM Pacific Daylight Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:

> Yes, right on.
>
>  Steve, have an aspirin to celebrate a hopefully inspirin job!
>  (apologies to Paul K).
>  TechNet just hasn't quite been the same lately - vital, but
>  somehow incomplete!
>
>  Just one request; pls don't remind us Europeans of the nirvana of
>  paying only $1.80 per gallon for fuel on a salary of $50-70K per year,
>  while we're probably paying about $4.80 on a smaller salary, on average!
>  Hey, let's not get into that one again. Just be here now.
>
>  --
>  Thx & best regards . . .
>  ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>  Norman S. Robinson      Tel. No.: (44) 1355 355349
>  Snr. Assy. Engr.        Fax. No.: (44) 13552 65201
>  TSG BE/OS PE            Email: [log in to unmask]
>  MOTOROLA EKB, SCOTLAND, U.K.

Hi ya' Norman!

Yeah, I hear ya'...was in the US Navy and traveled overseas. I'll admit it,
us yanks are pretty spoiled with the prices we pay for gas. But inna little
defense, my perspective is in comparison to what the prices are across the
US. If I were to compare the prices in relation to Europe or the Far East,
it's no question, I'm getting gas at a bargain!

But the big difference (I think), is your country's comittment to mass
transportation. If you didn't have a car (correct me if I'm wrong), you could
probably still (with a little inconvience) get to your job and do the the
things that you need to do without actually having to drive your own vehicle.
It's certainly not that way here in California.

They're trying to catch-up with that problem now. One of the biggest projects
that's been going on here recently is what they call the "Light Rail"...a
trolly sort-of, that connects most of the cities that are in the heart of
"Silicon Valley" and will provide a means of mass transit to get people out
of their cars. In my opinion, it's something that's way too late. We're
overun by people in cars! (myself included). But it's only because there
wasn't the foresite that needed to be in place to put a mass transit system
in place to handle the growth and population explosion that's happened here.
I would gladly take a bus or light-rail to get back and forth to work, if
there was something in place that I could use, but there isn't.

Anyways, I got off on a tangent that I know isn't very technical, but it is
one of the reasons that I'm glad I'm leaving the "Silicon
Valley"...everything is too reactionary out here. It seems that people won't
do anything about the upcoming problems they face until it hits them in the
square in the head like a two-by-four...ya' know, don't worry about crossing
the bridge until ya' get to it...nuff said.

-Steve Gregory-