Fuelish Economics

A May 16 story (“Fore! for Less,” Weekend Escape) inadvertently revealed how irrational people are about the price of gasoline, and how the California attorney general’s investigation of the recent price rise is a pure political circus. The story was about a low-budget golfing trip to Monterey for two people. Here are the costs, rounded off: motel, $326; dinners, $235; greens fees, $156; breakfasts, $67; gasoline, $41. Total: $826.

The cost of gasoline was only 12.6% that of lodging, 17% that of dinners, 26% that of golf and 5% of the total. Gasoline would have cost just $10 less before the recent price rise, so that increased the trip cost by only 1.2%.

All I can suggest here is that the attorney general investigate the costs of motels, dinners and greens fees. Now, that might produce real savings for consumers!

ROBERT H. PASCHALL

Bishop