Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Chivalry Is Still Alive and Well

From Wikipedia: "Chivalry is a term related to the medieval institution of knighthood. It is usually associated with ideals of knightly virtues, honour and courtly love. Today, the terms chivalry and chivalrous are used to describe courteous behavior, especially that of men towards women."

And to that last point, I must say I see this everyday on the bus and on the train - men giving their seats up to women. I see all races, all ages, doing this and it is honestly quite refreshing to see that we CAN be courteous to one another.

This morning there were six folks standing in the aisle because all the seats were taken. In the beginning, three of those folks were women. I closed my eyes for a moment and looked back up and the women had sat and were replaced by men. Nice, really nice!

The buses and trains are experiencing an increase in ridership, more than they've ever seen in the past. Obviously this can be directly attributed to the rise in gas prices (average in Atlanta area is $4.29 a gallon) and also to the fact that, well, some of us can't find gas at all!

And the governer had the audacity to say the other day that the gas panic was "self-induced". Yup, read it here, http://www.ajc.com/search/content/metro/stories/2008/09/24/atlanta_gas_governor.html. He says there is ample fuel in the Atlanta area. Well that was on September 24th. Folks are stalking gas stations waiting for deliveries. They're following tanker trucks to their next destination. They're stealing gas from parked vehicles. They're sitting in lines for hours on end just for a chance to put in $20-$25 worth, whatever limit that gas station might have implemented.

Now, on September 30th, news is that Governor Perdue is asking President Bush to release some crude oil from the nation's reserves. Go figure. Unfortunately that won't help the immediate problem because releasing any crude oil from the reserves will still take 4-5 days (or more) to reach the Atlanta area - after it hits the refinery, after it hits the pipeline, after it hits the gas tanker truck delivering it to the gas station, etc. It's not that there isn't any crude oil to refine, it's that the refineries were shut down due to the hurricane. They are now up to par and operating at full capacity. The pipeline is also flowing at full capacity. It will just take some time for everyone in the metro area to realize the next tanker of gas at their neighborhood gas station won't be the last. It will just take a bit of time and patience.

In the interim, I will continue to enjoy my daily commute via the GRTA bus system and the MARTA rail system, all the while using little to no gas on a daily basis. Oh, by using the word "enjoy", by no means am I implying that I really "enjoy" the commute (I could do without getting up before the roosters), but I do appreciate the fact that it truly is a safe mode of travel, the fact that I am lucky enough to be able to get from Point A to Point B via public transportation, and the fact that my fellow riders are usually courteous to one another. It certainly does help to restore your faith in the human race! Pin It

4 comments:

Addie said...

Nice to know that human decency is alive and well, and using public transportation. I really do enjoy reading about your commuting adventures and the things you learn about people on the way to and from work.

By the way, I clicked on the link about "courtly love" and Wikipedia says that's a combination of spiritual transcendence and erotic something-or-other. Spicy, spicy! :-)

KF-in-Georgia said...

An expert from AAA was quoted yesterday as saying gas in Atlanta should be back to normal by 13 October. That's another two weeks!

I passed 7 stations today in my search for gas, and finally hit it lucky on the 8th. Lines not too bad, either. (Roswell Road @ Old Canton, in east Cobb.) I was okay for work this week, but I needed to fill the tank to be sure I wouldn't have trouble with Greyfest this weekend. Have nail clippers--and gas--will travel!

Patti said...

Funny Adrienne, I hadn't even clicked on any of those links. But you're right, that's what Wikipedia says about "courtly love". It seems to me that a bit of that is still going on in this century! See you guys Saturday!

Patti said...

Kathy, so glad to see you were able to gas up for the weekend. I had one vendor email saying he wasn't going to make it but after that he was able to find gas, thank goodness. I'm at a half tank and have to drive to Canton to pick up yard art, to Newnan on Friday to set up, and then again to Newnan on Saturday. I hope I won't have any trouble finding any!! See you Saturday as well.