Kelly

If it seems like I've been harping about cars for the last few weeks, bear with me for one more column.

Even for one who is not yet endowed with a little putt-putt of his own, the rising (or make that rocketing) gas prices are making it more difficult to halve the tank, much less fill it.

Darn, there go my plans to buy the Tundra I've been dreaming of. Or was that the Pajero? I can't remember which one I've been dreaming about lately but what I can remember is the pain written across the faces of those who do drive when the latest price increase was announced.

Looks like we're going to have to do some downsizing when it comes to what gets us around. The small cars which were formerly dubbed 'mom cars' or 'girly cars' might have some big ol' guys weighing them down because their pickup trucks and SUVs are drinking too much of the fuel. Not even diesel is cheaper anymore. What a stress!

Some might go for motorbikes. However, it might have to be some of those mopeds you see in Asian countries. But the motorbike bothers me because 'bike nuh done mek yet' as they say. If you're hit by a car, the chance of you surviving is less. There's no guarantee the car will save you, but flying from the bike to the asphalt below is even less fun.

Bicycles

Then there are others who might end up going to bicycles instead. Nothing wrong with that, I suppose; all it takes is a little (okay, a lot) of leg power. The thing is some people live in hilly areas which doesn't bode well for going back home, aka pedalling uphill! And even coming downhill is a bit tricky if you don't know what you're doing. Imagine hurtling down Red Gal Ring in Stony Hill á la push cart derby races of the past!

So, I suggest we need some leg power of the four-footed kind. That's right, horses! But not everybody would be comfortable riding them (that's a high seat to fall from), so get out the buggies and hitch the thoroughbreds to them. Sure, we might not get where we're going as fast as with the car, but instead of splashing big bucks on gas, you can feed the horse all its veggies to keep it strong! Furthermore, with all the talk of global warming, it would be so environmentally friendly; horses don't give off noxious fumes!

So, I'm already searching for material to make my buggy. The top will be retractable (convertible) with two horsepower. Hey, I might start my own dealership.

Stop horsing around at daviot.kelly@gleanerjm.com

A dog enjoys a ride in the handcart, The Hummer, while his master steers it through the Cross Roads area in Kingston recently. - Nathaniel Stewart/Freelance Photographer