It's a gas gas gas says Bill Kay

One of the features of Southern California that I find most appealing is its child-like ability to go into obsession mode at the drop of a hat - or anything else that happens to be in their hand at the time. Currently it’s gas - petrol to Brits.

I know, it’s still half the price it is in Britain, but we have had a severe shock over here. When I landed just under two years ago, a US gallon (the British Imperial gallon is 20% bigger) cost $2.50 or less. It was recently as high as $4.40, although it has declined a little with the oil price.

So it’s the speed of the jump that has sent Americans into overdrive, so to speak. The price has been creeping up in the past decade, but not at a pace that most Angelenos noticed. You filled a tank for may $50, grabbed the receipt so you could claim it against tax (many more can here than in UK) and hit the freeway without a care in the world.

Now, though, you’d think we were in the middle of a world war with rationing just around the corner. TV news runs stories about a gas scam that you would think a 10-year-old would see through. Crooks steal credit cards then stand around filling stations offering petrol half-price, taking cash using the stolen card to pay for the fuel! I suppose people reckon they will be miles away before the villains are arrested, but they have clearly forgotten about CCTV and the fact that their number plate identifies them as accessories to a pretty obvious crime.

Back on the legit side of the fence, it is amusing to see Americans adopting British ways of coping with high fuel costs. People are walking their dogs instead of driving them to the nearest park. Others boast of going in for “Euro-style shopping”, which means they buy a carryable bag of groceries on their way home every couple of days instead of driving 30 miles to Costco and filling the Hummer with bulk quantities of pap. Farmers markets are booming, as are neighbourhood restaurants.

The LA Times today leads its Business section with first-person reports by two of its staffers who have moved into flats downtown, within walking distance of the office. Amazingly, they are saving money! They are losing weight! They are talking to neighbours!

My hunch is that it won’t last. Like the stories in London about middle-class people shopping at Primark, the novelty will wear off. Downtown LA is like a graveyard at night and at weekends - full of spooky people. I bet those flat-dwellers will be bumming invitations off their pals in the valleys for BBQs and pool parties. The lure of the SUV will be simply too strong.