Fuelish days

It took some effort, but I finally scored some waste vegetable oil to run my truck. Not that many years ago, it was fairly easy to get restaurants to let me pump their waste tanks. Those days are gone. Biofuel plants are now paying for it, so supplies are tight. It's a symptom of the overall tightening of all liquid fuel supplies.

I was able to pick up about 175 gallons of WVO for just under $1/gallon. After paying over $4 for diesel in the Keys, it's a bargain. Sure, I save a few hundred dollars, but I also have fuel security. There's just about enough for me to get home. It took a lot of phone calls, Craigslist Ads, e-mails, and Internet searches to find this waste veggie. Not only that, the guy I got it from is getting out of the business. He wants his backyard back.

I've heard stories of grease burners who have resorted to late night grease bin raids. I wasn't there yet. However . . . in an emergency . . . I have the equipment necessary to do the deed.

I've given some thought to other alternative fuels, but I don't think I'll put my efforts in that direction. If things get really bad, darn few people will be traveling by private car. With government plans to tax travel by the mile, it doesn't look good. Of course, most of us alternative fuel guys don't pay road tax because we burn untaxed homebrewed fuel. Most states don't bother with us because there's aren't a lot of us. (there are exceptions.) With the potential of electric cars and high efficiency vehicles, the government figures a mileage tax would get everybody.

They won't get me. I'll stop driving first.

-Sixbears