What will it take to change behaviour?

The first time gas was edging up towards $3 a gallon locally, I got into a conversation with colleagues about how high prices would have to go before people started changing their driving behaviour. I estimated that people would continue to complain, but wouldn't start to seriously change their driving habits until gas prices reached $6 or $7 a gallon.

Gas is now well over $3.50 and edging towards $4. But I have to say, prayer doesn't count as changing your behaviour.

I'm still waiting to see evidence of people doing something different in how they drive. I'm terribly disappointed my university has done nothing to encourage carpooling, say.

I'm thinking about this quite a bit, as I want to make more trips to the Coastal Studies Lab for research this summer, and there's a meeting of The Crustacean Society in Galveston that I'll be attending. Luckily, I'll be driving the friendliest car in the world which gets good highway mileage, but suddenly these in-state trips take on more significance.