Crisis shows we should always plan for the worst |
A mate who'd booked his family Easter holiday long before the Middle East war upended everything is going ahead, despite the extra fuel costs. He says when he rang to confirm the booking, the coastal holiday park manager was delighted. And grateful. Many others had cancelled.
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The silver lining, I told my friend, was that he'd have the park and nearby beach largely to himself and the customary Easter traffic jams will be unlikely.
He works in Sydney, his family lives out west. Their regular get-togethers have been pared back now the round-trip costs $200 in fuel. While in the city, he gets to work and back by public transport. This week, the light rail he uses has been packed like he's never seen it before. But the normally busy restaurants around his workplace have been empty.
It's like watching the economy grind to a halt, he said, a note of alarm in his voice.
A neighbour who drives trucks at a local quarry says his hours have been cut back as business has slowed right down. He and his wife drive diesel powered vehicles and are spending much more just to get to work and back. Like most of regional Australia, public transport is not a viable alternative.
Research by insurance company Youi illustrates how people are adapting to this new world disorder. Its nationwide survey of 800 people showed that 49 per cent were driving less, 26 per cent were combing trips, 22 per cent were using public transport more frequently and 20 per cent were reducing spending in other areas to deal with surging fuel costs, with most spending between $50 and $60 more at the bowser each week.
Another friend in Hobart says everyone he knows is talking about the fuel crunch and Trump's Middle East war. This widespread anxiety is also reflected in the Youi survey, with 34 per cent of respondents reporting high or very high anxiety. The demographic most affected are young people, with 52 per cent reporting high anxiety. Families with young children come next, with 45 per cent feeling anxious. Only 8 per cent of baby boomers felt the same level of worry.
Had I been surveyed, I would have been among those with deeply furrowed brows. Not because I drive to work - I work from home. And not because I spend a great deal on fuel either. I drive a plug-in hybrid, which means I can press a button and go completely electric on those........