Photo by versageek Fueling Up image:39683:2::0

The price of gas per gallon is $4. Of course the rising price of gas is excruciatingly painful for the most part. It is one of the two factors that cause the increase in food costs. I had a talk with a friend of mine about the price of gas. He had said that the price of gas is much higher in Europe. While he is right on that part, I had to explain to him, that more people use public transport.

In a nutshell, $4 for a gallon of gas sucks big time. This has really brought the talks of fighting alternative fuel sources. However, despite the severity of the situation, there are silver lines behind those dark clouds.

A Time Magazine article highlights the perks of $4 a gallon of gasoline. Yes, there are benefits to $4 a gallon of gasoline. However, it depends on where you live in the country.

Of course it still sucks to pay $4 a gallon for gasoline. At the same time, Americans are adapting to the situation. Those who are able to adapt are the ones that come out on top.

In the cities, more people have taken commuter-railing. In a nutshell, more people are using public transportation. Not many people are buying gas a result.

One could ask: How do we benefit from $4 a gallon of gas?

The article in Time Magazine puts it nicely.

Number one, the article explains that jobs will be returning home to the United States. It costs more to ship goods from different countries to the United States. In the case of John Smith, who owns a high-end furniture company called Willem Smith, bring his business back home helped deal with the shipping costs.

In short, it is enticing more industries to do business back home. This is one perk, jobs are coming back home. But, it seems that the manufacturing jobs are returning back home to the States. However, there are still jobs that can be outsourced such as tech support and programming. Then again, the media to contain such programs have to be manufactured as well.

Number two, more prospective home owners are looking to move closer to the city. It does make sense. Because there are many people that work in the cities. It is logical that you want to move somewhere closer to where you work. Especially with the rising gas prices, one would not have to spend all that money on gas to drive from home to work.

Number three, most of you will love number three. This I like myself. As a result of the rising costs of energy, there is the transitioning to four-day workweeks. Say hello to the three-day weekend!

Businesses, colleges, and government agencies are shifting to the four-day workweek. So far, Brevard Community College in Cocoa Beach, Florida, has utilized four-day workweeks in the summer. However, there is the possibility that four-day workweeks will be year-round.

Yes, one less day at the work place. And one more day you can spend with your loved ones. For you married or dating folks, this is one extra day you can use to spice up your relationships. A four-day workweek, you can’t complain about that. You get one extra day to lounge around your home and be lazy.

If you have obnoxious co-workers and bosses, it is one less day that you have to deal with them.

Number four, this will get environmentalists all joyful and giddy. The reason that environmentalists will get all happy is that with less fuel consumption, the percentage of vehicle emissions could decrease. That means the skies are nice and blue. In addition, the air is much cleaner to breathe.

Say hello to cleaner skies. Say hello to longer and healthier lives. It is highly toxic to be breathing car fumes. Who wants to breathe car fumes on a daily basis, anyway?

Number five, people are becoming careful with money and resources. In short, we are looking for more efficiency.

The better the efficiency, the less money is wasted. On an interesting note, more people have bought Vespa scooters. It really makes me want to buy a Vespa scooter.

It is bad for car companies as their sales in SUVs have decreased. Yes, more people are dumping their SUVs for more fuel efficient vehicles. Ever since the price of gas has risen, I have been tempted to buy a Vespa scooter.

With rising gas prices, you want to find more ways to be efficient with your travel.

Number six, with the price of gas rising, it would mean that fewer people will drive. The fewer people that drive, the fewer traffic deaths we will have. This is good for the bigger cities as traffic can get very insane.

Number seven, people will love number seven. Number seven on the perks of $4 for a gallon of gas is that less people will drive. Like number six, people will drive less. In this case, you could get lower insurance rates. If you are driving much less, call your insurance company. If you are not driving that much, you can save some valuable dough on your automobile insurance.

Number eight, which can be linked with number six and seven, is that there will be less traffic. Yes, the fewer that people drive, the less traffic there will be on the streets. Less traffic is always good. If you go on routes where there is less traffic, it will prove to be far more efficient. This perk can be connected with perk number five.

If you are in heavy traffic, you barely move. Heavy traffic causes you to burn up your fuel.

Number nine should satisfy those concerned with security. So far, the cost of gas is affecting law enforcement in cities across the United States. Instead of being laid off to deal with costs of fuel, police officers are told to cut down on the time they spend in their police vehicles.

As a result, you will see more police on foot and on bikes. While that will save on fuel costs, there are both social and health benefits that come along. If police are out on foot, they should be more active. The more active they get, the healthier and slimmer they will be. While on the beat, police officers will interact with more people. In turn, better relationships and bridges will be created.

Number ten is the most obvious. This is both a health benefit and a economical benefit. With the rising costs of gas, people will drive less. Instead of driving, they walk and bike more. It should also help with fighting off obesity.

On a personal note, I have noticed number ten first hand. Ever since the price of gas has risen, I have seen more people travel on foot or on bicycle. Back when gas was about two or three a gallon, I did not see that happening. Every day when I look outside my window, I see more people getting active. I see more walking, more running, and more biking.

Here are some of my personal perks not listed. Since I have driven far less, it has saved me a lot of money. In the town that I live in, there is hardly any place to go. Thus, I barely have any reason to drive around. With the rising cost of gasoline, it further cements my reason not to drive around town that much. In the long run, it has saved me a lot of money that can be used for something else or saved on a rainy day.

In short, the less I drive and the less I spend on gas money, the more money I have to spend on alcohol. Also, I’ll have money which I can use to spend on video games.

When you think about it, there are some perks to $4 a gas.

Also, for home owners, it may be beneficial in the long run to buy a manual push mower for your lawn. You don't have to spend money on fuel or motor oil with a manual push mower. Plus, it'll help you get healthier and more fit in the long run.

Overall, these perks are evidence that when there's a will, there is a way. Instead of waiting for an alternative source of fuel or for gas prices to lower, Americans are taking initiative to find their own alternatives.