Gas Prices are Good

I really love our new high gas prices.
Wait, hear me out! And you in the back, put down those pointy-looking rocks. High gas prices are actually good for driving enthusiasts.
I know it sounds ridiculous, but artificially low gas prices have been subsidizing an unsustainable automobile-based lifestyle, and we need to get back to basics, man. At least, that's what some beared guy on a bicycle told me. He did seem fairly with-it and groovy though, and anybody with that many facial piercings must know something I don't.
Anyway, for those of us who have the luxury of regarding driving as just a luxury, rather than a necessity, the recent rise in fuel prices is about to result in a second golden age of motoring. Steam may issue from my ears every time I pay for a fill-up of premium, but there's at least five good reasons I can think of to be happy my wallet is hurting.

1.] Less Congestion:
People who don't understand why I enjoy driving are often confused about what driving actually is, and no wonder. Here in the lower mainland, piloting a car from one place to another can be an activity far closer to parking than driving.
But good news everyone! Paying more per litre is finally pushing the cost of transportation into a greater factor than the minor inconveniences of public transit. Even car-pooling with somebody who's a Leafs fan is better than being stony broke after single-car commuting, and if you reduce the number of vehicles on the road by doubling up, we all get there faster.
Even better, can you imagine what the Sea-to-Sky would be like if people were commuting back and forth for their ski weekends by train, rather than forming kilometers-long congo-lines of motorists too testy to check out either the sea or the sky? Nothing is worse than getting stuck behind some ancient Winnebago that always seems to ooze along at twenty kph until there's a passing zone, at which point Bob and Martha turn into Han Solo and Chewebacca trying to break their Kessel Run record at hyperlight speed.

2.] Better cars:
I suppose SUVs are pretty good value per pound, but so is ground chuck. Now automakers are dealing with our new demand for extra-lean vehicles, and that means better design, more efficiency, and an emphasis on small and sporty, rather than big and beefy.[
High gas prices are sounding the death-knell of the Sport Utility Vehicle – those mastodons of the highways. Personally, I couldn't be more delighted, as the things are forever veering out of their lane, blotting out the scenery and blocking the line-ups at the pump every time gas dips below 1.40. Fact is, most people who drive SUVs don't need to, and those who are legitimately using a behemoth on a daily basis would be more than happy if it had a usefully efficient diesel engine, rather than some ludicrously large V8, swilling fuel and belching pollutants.

3.] Better roads:
Higher fuel prices mean less urban sprawl as people start to value living closer to their work. Greater densification in the urban core means that when you head out on the weekend for a trip to the countryside, not only do you get there sooner but you're also likelier to find cows, chickens and sheep rather than a massive new gated community in taupe and off-white. The secret backroads where driving nirvana hides will remain isolated, leafy and winding.

4.] Cheaper Insurance:
Cheaper insurance is not ever something I thought I'd see in my lifetime. Happily though, the more fuel-efficient your car, the further down the insurance scale it is. Small displacement engines that provide good bang for your buck are also easier on your insurance premiums, even if it's the sportier model of a compact car, rather than the V8 model of a luxury car.
Also, if you aren't driving your car for work, you can afford to take it off the road and insure it for pleasure use only. Not a huge savings to be had here, but there's something very pleasant about knowing that your car is there for you only when you need it, rather than being some slavering monster hiding in the garage that must be fed before the daily commute.
Better than that, you can always sell your boring minivan and buy the classic or hot-rod you've always wanted. Collector plate insurance is the cheapest you can get, and I'm sure heading out to pick up milk wouldn't be such a hassle if you had an Aston-Martin DB5 or an orange '70 Challenger R/T.

5.] Fitter Vancouverites:
I'm not just talking about the asthetics of Lululemon yoga pants here, although they are the really are the best leg-related thing to happen since the polio vaccine. When you and your friends are all fitness enthusiasts with the collective mass of a balsa-wood glider, your car is faster, handles better and burns less gas. Fantastic! Plus, there's a reduced burden on the healthcare system so taxes can be re-directed to finally paving that giant pothole called Cambie Street.
So embrace our new high gas prices, even if your Visa bill now looks like the GDP of Portugal. But just so everyone knows I'm only on the bus for the love of driving, I'll be wearing my race helmet.