810,000 federal workers, give or take a few, were furloughed this week as Shutdown 2013 began. Those employees had to report to work to "prepare" for a shutdown, in many cases simply reporting, signing a form acknowledging the furlough, and leaving again. The "average" American lives 16 miles from wherever they work, driving 32 miles round trip in a car that averages 24.6 miles per gallon. This trip uses 1.3 gallons of gas, at an average price of $3.39 per gallon, which comes out to $4.41 per trip. Going on national averages for fuel economy, commuting distance, and gasoline, these 810,000 furloughed federal employees collectively shelled out at least $3,572,100 on gas for a short, short workday.
