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| I haven't been able to maintain 31MPG while commuting |
What I said was "eco driving", but my daughter's misheard comment from the backseat was probably more accurate than I wish it was.
Here's why.
Everything turns into a competition at some point in time. When I was a kid it was whose car pulled off the line the fastest (for those amongst us who were into drag racing) or how well we could maneuver the back roads at unsafe speeds (for those of us who were into rally). We all had cars with exhaust systems that were too loud and fuel economy measured in single digits (even for those of us with the six cylinder engines).
It was always a competition. Whose car looked better, drove better or was simply cooler. I doubt I ever really won any of those things, even though I did have a 1969 Plymouth Barracuda fastback for awhile (great car, but not really in great shape, but it sure was fun).
Now with the environmental issues and gas prices as they are, the competition has turned to who has the best fuel economy and the best car for "green" reasons. Kind of depressing, really, but it's the new reality.
So on our recent trip I was trying to maximize the fuel economy making the trip cost as little as possible on the fuel issue (that, and I always drive properly when the family is in the car; might make me seem a little boring to the kids, but really it's right thing to do). I had thought I was just being practical, but I have to wonder about that. Perhaps I was viewing it as a competition and my daughter, having misheard me, really didn't (mishear me, that is).