My guess, though, is that as India's and China's economies continue to explode, gas prices are going to stay high, at least, for a while because distributors know that they can get premium rates as long as people, such as the new "middle-classers" in India and China, are willing to pay for it. That, in turn, will keep our prices high because our economy is competing with those of China & India.

Also, what I've noticed -- and there are many recent articles on this-- is that more and more people are turning to transit. In my metro area (Miami, FL), there have been 2 new routes added and 7 route upgrades/improvements since Hurricane Katrina. Why? Because of the demand. I just hope this trend stays in place for a long time. I've even heard that some transit agencies are even beginning to turn a profit! While others that have been operating at a deficit for decades are now, in the last year or so, actually operating at cost! This is great news. Let's just keep our fingers crossed that this trend becomes an everyday reality. : )