The Useful Engine
Posted by Jim Zeiser on Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Back when my sons were little they watched the adventures of Thomas the Tank Engine-alot. One of the ways that an engine on the show was congratulated for going above and beyond was by being called a "Really Useful Engine". My big scooter has attained that title this week by being my vehicle of choice on a pair of good sized rides and saving me a pile of gas money. I'm having a health dilemma this week involving a painful foot and it has required a pair of trips to my Doctor's office in Binghamton. The round trip is about seventy-five miles and the scooter has carried me there twice. That's not to mention a pair of trips to work on top of that. so its total for the week thus far is 220 miles. For the scooter that's a little over three gallons of gas as opposed to eleven for the car. While the savings of $32 in gas might seem trivial in some respects, it's ongoing proof to me of the value of having a highly fuel efficient vehicle around. So far this season I've used the scooter sixteen times as a commuter vehicle for a savings approaching $96. It's also allowed my aging minivan to rest in the driveway while I've ridden the scooter and added some more time to its days with us.
Sara, in the meantime, has taken to putting her Honda Rebel to work adding over 600 miles to its odometer thus far this season. Her motorcycle is a short distance away from 10,000 miles, a mark she is sure to attain this year. It has been the picture of reliability thus far and should be with us for a good, long time. If the weather holds this summer both our cars will be stationery for days at a time.
Sara, in the meantime, has taken to putting her Honda Rebel to work adding over 600 miles to its odometer thus far this season. Her motorcycle is a short distance away from 10,000 miles, a mark she is sure to attain this year. It has been the picture of reliability thus far and should be with us for a good, long time. If the weather holds this summer both our cars will be stationery for days at a time.
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