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2004年11月01日
Drive from Calgary to London
I know you are dying to know about my trip to Boston and much less interested in the inanities of three days driving about which I have bored you in the past. The only difference between this story and the last is that it is backwards and I was flying solo. However, I have some new insight and maybe a tale or two.
You may think it is more efficient to drive in at least pairs. That way one can navigate (or sleep) while the other drives and the driving can be shared. I found that it is much easier to accommodate the biological needs (food, bathroom, sleep, sex) of one human being than it is two. Alone, I can pull over for any of the above mentioned needs and take only as long as necessary to fulfill each one.
As for navigation, I find it is easier to check the route ahead of time than it is to double back at the next interchange when the navigator announces the exit five seconds too late.
I drove across Saskatchewan on Highway 1 (the TransCanada) and when I reached Winnipeg, I headed South across the US border and drove mostly along Interstate 2 until deeking through Michigan to cross back into Canada towards London. Everything went smoothly except for the US border guards confiscating my Jamaican beef patties. The exchange went something like this:
Guard: What's in the tin?
William: Snacks.
G: [opens tin, takes out Ziploc with beef patties] What's this?
W: [looking back at the guard] Jamaican patties
G: Is that a sandwich?
W: Uh...
G: What is it?
W: Uh... Jamaican beef patties
G: Did you say beef?
W: Yeah.
G: [sternly] Didn't I ask you if you had any food?
W: No, you just asked me if I was arrested or had a criminal record.
G: [confiscates Jamaican beef patties]
Now for some statistics. The van, a 1993 Mazda MPV was entirely empty except for myself, a backpack, duffle bag, laptop, suit, and a tin of provisions. Even the middle bench seat was removed. I remembered for once to record the odometer readings as I left Calgary, Alberta and as I entered London, Ontario. The total "kilometerage" was about 3300 km.
In Canada, 213.872 L of fuel was purchased at a cost of 176.87 dollars for an average price of 82.7 cents per litre. In the United States 55.705 gallons of fuel was purchased at a cost of 114.58 US dollars for an average price of 2.06 US dollars per gallon. To compare apples to apples I will convert the prices to Canadian dollars (at 1.25 per USD) and the units to litres in the table below.
| Fuel Costs | Amount (L) | Cost (CAD) | Avg Price (CAD/L) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | 213.872 | 176.87 | 0.827 |
| United States | 210.866 | 143.23 | 0.679 |
| Combined | 424.738 | 320.10 | 0.754 |
Interesting things to note:
1. Fuel is cheaper in the United States.
2. The cost per kilometer is about 9.7 cents.
3. A one way flight between Calgary and London with Westjet on a couple of weeks notice costs about 200 Canadian dollars and takes four hours.
UPDATE:
I forgot to mention that usually I stop three nights on the road. This time I made it stopping only in Regina, Saskatchewan and Grand Rapids, Minessota.
Posted by William at 2004年11月01日 07:29