So long, Hummer? Say it isn’t so

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I know some of you are tired of reading about rising gas prices on this blog, but I’m not tired of writing about the subject. News items:

From the L.A. Times: ‘The average cost of gasoline in California, climbing 37% in four months, reached a record $4.24 a gallon Monday and helped drive the national average to the brink of $4, the Energy Department said. ... Pump prices in the state were the country’s most expensive, according to the department’s weekly survey.’

In related news, from the Associated Press this morning: ‘General Motors is closing four truck and SUV plants in the U.S., Canada and Mexico as surging fuel prices hasten a dramatic shift to smaller vehicles. ... CEO Rick Wagoner also said the iconic Hummer brand may be discontinued.’

Analysis: No other vehicle comes close to the Hummer as a symbol of the days of cheap oil and cheap credit of the late ‘90s and early 2000s. If you took all 28,000 comments posted on this blog, and searched them for rants about the toys that Americans bought with equity extracted from their homes, no toy would be mentioned more often than the Hummer.

What do gas prices have to do with L.A. Land? If they keep rising, they will change the way we move across L.A. Land, and where we live.

Your thoughts? Comments? E-mail story tips to peter.viles@latimes.com