A few months ago, when America was still vehemently protesting the high gas prices by whining about how much they were paying to fill up their Hummer once a week, I read a newspaper aricle addressing this issue in the Star Ledger, a prominent New Jersey paper. The writer, whose name I believe was Fran something, attacked the people of New Jersey, saying we have no right to whine and complain, that we should be riding our bikes to the corner store, walking to the part with our children, and taking public transportation to our jobs.

This was all well and good if it applied to more than 30% of our state. No one can really say that New Jersey is in the middle of nowhere, but New Jersians also know that the further south you travel in this state, the more difficult it becomes to get anywhere. I happen to live in highly disputed Central NJ, where it takes a half hour to get to the grocery store, and gas gouging is a common practice, since gas stations are twenty miles apart. This can be expected in somewhere like Nebraska (no offense) where you can drive for three hours and see nothing but corn and grass (or so I've heard).

Public transportation is a way of life for those people living in North Central NJ, where busses run from Newark to NYC, you can walk to the train station, and subways exist. However, it is nearly impossible to use public transportation in the other 70-80% of the state.

My example follows. I recently accepted a job offer located in Newark. I live about an hour and a half south, and decided to take the train, since I have always wanted to use public transportation, for numerous reasons including but not limited to current gas prices. I bought my monthly ticket, parked in the lot, and took the stress-free half hour ride squished next to a man who fell asleep on my shoulder. When I returned that afternoon, there, stuck to the windshield of my car, was a parking ticket.

"Permit only."

This didn't irk me quite as much as one might expect. What irked me was that the only place that wasn't permit parking were some 10 spots a ten minute walk from the station. I accepted this graciously, parked in the other spots the next morning, and enjoyed a short walk to the train. When I reurned that afternoon, there, stuck to the windshield of my car, was a parking ticket.

"No parking before 9am."

I then approached a train station employee and asked how much a permit costs. She said, in a dubious tone, "There's a five year waiting list."

"Well," I replied, oh so sweetly, "where can I park then?"

"Get here early and park in the daily lot. It's $3 a day to park in the numbered spots."

The next day I drove to the elluded to lot and subsequently found out that the lot fills up at 6:30am, and there is no other place within a twenty mile radius to park for the train station.

I drove to another station. There was considerable parking available, for the cost of $.60 for the first two hours and $.30 every hour therafter...metered. That's $18 in quarters per week, not including the extra fee for taking that train to the original train station.

How, Ms. Fran at the Star Ledger, am I supposed to take public transportation then? They could make gas $4 a gallon, and it would still cost less than public transportation, and at least I could find a parking spot.