We in the US are just starting to see high prices. Prices have been high in Europe for a long time. I took a trip to there a few years ago, and you know what? Over the years, they actually adjusted to it. Most people either take the public transit system or drive scooters or small cars with great mpg ratings. I saw one SUV the entire trip.
For contrast, think of the US. One one hand, we complain about gas prices; on the other, we continue to buy gas-guzzling vehicles.
Hummer H2 -- about 10 mpg
SMART car (I hear it's being launched in the US soon!) - approx. 50 mpg
QED?
Oh btw, gas prices are about 2.89 where I live in GA. Not bad, eh?