Nearly every major American city is surrounded by suburbs without trains/subways, and most of those people are driving 30-60 minutes (one way) every day for work.

It's not really reasonable to compare petrol prices between Europe and America because the requirements are so different.

If your gasoline prices double, you just skip some leisure activities. Maybe take public transport to work if you usually drive. If our gasoline prices rise, working people can no longer meet their monthly expenses...and there's no wiggle room. There's nothing left to cut back on. Certainly not the fuel that takes one to work in the first place.

I every other sense, I agree with you. I wish American cities were not this way. But they are.