The Real Oil Shock - NYTimes.com When Adam Davidson writes, "In Europe, where taxes keep gas prices well above $5 a gallon, citizens are more likely to take public transportation and live near the center of town," what he's doing is expressing a real "let them eat cake" attitude. Outside the downtown areas of a handful of huge cities, Americans have very little access to public transportation. Europeans are more likely to take public transportation because nearly the entire map of Europe is served by affordable, clean and safe public transportation that runs frequently. ELSA PETERSON OBUCHOWSKI, Norwalk, Conn., posted on nytimes.com I would love to find ways to live a greener life, but the reality is that there are very few ways to do that in rural areas for low-income people. KARLA, Mooresville, N.C., posted on nytimes.com Letters should be addressed to Letters to the Editor, Magazine, The New York Times, 620 Eighth Avenue, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10018. The e-mail address is magazine@nytimes.com. All letters should include the writer's name, address and daytime telephone number. We are unable to acknowledge or return unpublished letters. Letters may be edited for length and clarity.