Sky High Gasoline

“SS does not go very far and placing a heavy foot on the gas is not much exerise.!”

“We're at 2.00 per for "regular" gas.

What a f---ing joke, yet thos SUV's still roll off the line and nobody seems to be pissed about this (gas prices) around here this time around. These are the same people who #&%!$ about the economy, yet full up their SUV's.”

“You guys are killing me. 10 cents more a gallon? Big deal. For 20 gallons that's a lousy $2. Lets say it went up 25 cents. Thats $5 added to you next backpacking trip (less for most of you who don't have to burn a tank a gas to get to the mountains and a tank to get back). So buy a pack of lipton noodles instead of the Mountain House food and you break even.

And to think you should switch parties becuase of this is idiocy. Hell, you'll spend more money on ATM charges if you use someone else's bank than you will for the increased cost of a weeks worth of town driving.”

“hyway - yer right. A ten cent jump really is nothing to #&%!$ about, but when a ten cent jump in gas is on top of the 75 cent jump it has taken over the year (and it's only May), it really adds up.

Let's keep this in perspective and not dumb down this issue.”

“$.10 a gallon is a big deal when you have to drive 40 miles one way to work every day. I'm glad I got rid of the truck when I did.”

“

"Hell, you'll spend more money on ATM charges if you use someone else's bank than you will for the increased cost of a weeks worth of town driving."
Hyway

Why pay to use another bank's ATM? Walmart (and others) will give me cash-back along with my next purchase!”

“you got it, 'Zac.

I'd like to see where this thread goes after Labor Day. I'd like to see if hyway still has that same opinion.....


THANKS AGAIN, MUTT!!!!!!!”

“The demand curve for gasoline is inelastic- we'll still buy nearly as much even at $3.00.”

“Whats the issue? That if you work 40 miles from your home, or if you drive a big gas gussler, or if you want to drive 400 miles (like I have too) to go backpacking then you will have to pay more for gas. All of those things have downsides that should have been considered when you made your original choices.

Gas is expensive that's true, it does this every year at this time. The price goes up. Its pretty damn high and thats a fact. But there are plenty of other things that are going up around us that will cost you more.

I guess my whole point is that it made me laugh that someone would suggest that people change their political stance over a few dollars bump in gas prices.”

“If I had a bike and wouldn't get run over in Charlotte I would ride the bike my 8 miles to school...but I would get smushed my 1st time out...sooo I will have to pay the fee and buy less gear to drive my car.”

“Adjusted for inflation, the price is about $0.90 lower than the peak price in 1981.”

“All of those things have downsides that should have been considered when you made your original choices.
My choice was done because of my financial situation. If I had the money, I would live much closer to work. But just filling my gas tank isn’t the end of this. Prices for any good that is shipped around will start to go up, because companies will just pass the added cost of shipment to the consumer. It’s a viscous cycle that is very hard to break out of.”

“During recession - the price of everything went up.

during good tme - the price of everything goes up.

Limit supply, and drive up demand.

God Bless the U.S.A.”

“In 1981 the nominal (actual) average US price for regular unleaded was $1.38/gal. The real (adjusted for inflation) price was $2.21/gal.

today's US avg. is $1.96, so it's actually cheaper than in '81. Hopefully your wages have gone up, though.”

“The price of gas (until it really goes skyhigh) is inconsequential to the quality of life the automobile brings whatever the type of vehicle you drive.

I want to visit family in Atlanta. Even if I wanted to walk the whole way there is no way my wife and kids would go along with that. And the expense of flying is out of the question for a family of 5. So I drive. So maybe it costs me an extra $10-15 in gas to do the 1000 mile round trip in my car. Its beats walking teh whole way. And I would rather have the 5 of us in our van or in a big suv, than bunched up in a tiny fuel efficient box on wheels.

I suppose I could #&%!$ and moan about something I can't change.”

“"I suppose I could #&%!$ and moan about something I can't change......"



No offence, but I have not given up. Additudes like this is what makes these "companies" walk all over us.

We the PEOPLE must tel our EMPLOYEES that this is not acceptable, and to change it immediatly.

Bush could put pressure on the Saudi's, but doesn't. I think his family ties are too strong with them.

The fact that most American people out there don't relize Bush's ties to the Saudi's and must create a conflict of interest is beyond me.

Facts are facts:

Dems in office = low gas prices

rep's in office = high gas prices.”

“now who is dumbing down the thread with simplistic terms”

“I did get an interesting email a while ago on a way that we (the general public) can help keep prices down. While it is nearly impossible to not by gas for our cars, we can boycott the larges of the oil company (Mobil) that has the most control on the prices.

Wouldn't it be nice if this country had a good mass transit system like they do in other countries.”

“"now who is dumbing down the thread with simplistic terms...."

Sorry, I thought I was doing you a favor by keeping it simple so you could get it.

My bad!”

“Low oil prices have allowed us to be more mobile, move to the suburbs, drive bigger cars, commute further, avoid mass transit and expect to live that way forever. Now we're hooked, essentially, and we'll pay whatever price we have to to keep that standard.”

“"Wouldn't it be nice if this country had a good mass transit system like they do in other countries......"


YES! I completly agree; however, you won't see that happen unless there was some sort of major event on the horizon, ie. Floods due to global warming, a tie directly to pollution and lung cancer, etc.

A change like you mentioned would burry my home town of Motown. That's why we do our best in this area to defeat any kind of progressive thinking that you mentioned, 'Zac. Our economy would go bust, and you'd be paying our welfare!”

“Last November, I was thinking about buying a pick-up truck. Instead I bought a Honda Accord, and I really appreciate the difference between 28 mpg and 18 mpg when I buy gas, which is about $1.80 here in Houston.

Buy the way, many oil industry analysts believe that $40 oil will not hold. Refined product stocks relative to demand and available oil supplies do not provide the technical support for prolonged high prices. The current prices are largely resulting from oil futures speculators, and that bubble will eventually burst.

I am not saying go out and buy a gas hog. Prices will probably drop to $30-35/barrel, and natural gas is not likely to fall much below $5. Its not a bad time to consider energy conservation in our lives and alternative energy sources which will take some time to develop and to implement on any scale. Its too bad most of our cities tore up things like trolley systems to build roads. Now we are spending millions of dollars to rebuild trolley systems and other light rail systems, even here in Houston.”

“"Buy the way, many oil industry analysts believe that $40 oil will not hold. Refined product stocks relative to demand and available oil supplies do not provide the technical support for prolonged high prices. The current prices are largely resulting from oil futures speculators, and that bubble will eventually burst....."



Hey, Texas - Would it be fair to parralle this to the tech bubble of the 90's?”

“With a limited income, about 20% of what I had during the 80's, I have to make choices. The price of gasoline only draws attention to what is the most expensive item for me, a car! The vehicle cost, insurance, plates, repairs, routine maintenance, gas and oil add up to my largest expense. I'm already planning to dump some expensive life insurance, which is my second largest expenditure. A close runner are the medical costs, both out of pocket and insurance, but that I need.

It's too late for me to prepare better for old age. So I have to make choices. To increase my expendible income, I have to eliminate some things.

I did go without a car for most of a year. It was great. I discovered that, for the most part, use of the car was mainly to go spend money!”

“The choice isn’t between a van or big suv and a “tiny fuel efficient box on wheels”. Back in 1983 when I bought my first new car, fuel efficiency was a major consideration for me (and most buyers). My Nissan Sentra got nearly 50 mpg. Do you believe that in 20 years our engineering talent couldn’t have produced far more efficient and powerful engines suitable for large, comfortable cars? Big Oil bought enough legislators to defeat even a slight increase in the required fleet mileage and we’re paying for it through increased prices, pollution and global instability. Nice work. Sometimes markets don’t work so well and this is a prime example of where government needs to step in.

Don’t worry so much about price increases in the near term. Our great friends the Saudis have called for increased production to prevent their golden boy from getting booted out in November… errr… I mean to prevent high oil prices from harming global economic growth. Yeah… that’s it.”

“From Vi's link:

"We in the kingdom estimate the required increase of the ceiling should not be less than one and half million barrels per day," he said......"



We in the Kingdom. We in the Kingdom. WTF? We deal with these people and poo poo other unDemocratic countries!!?


PHUCK SAUDI!



BTW - The upcoming gas increases did play a roll in me dumping my van and buying a smaller car. I have spent in almost one month about the same I would've in a week with that van and I get the same amount of travel.

This big savings allows me to put my money into better, more important things, like GOOD BEER!!!”

“PS - to put it into perspective (with all joking aside), this move saves me about 115.00 a month, total. That 1,200.00 will go along way this year!”

“The rise in gas price pretty much vaporized Bush's tax rebate.”

“Laqtis there is something to be said for having a smaller car right now. I use to fill my nissan on 10.00 and drive close to 400 miles on that tank..now it's 17.50 to do the same thing but compared to people that have trucks and suv's I am not so bad off.”

“Thats great. You did what you needed to do instead of whining about it. I like my van and plan to keep it. I have a young family and they have lots of gear from the sports they play - soccer, softball, karate, etc. - I don't want a smaller car. I do pay attention to the MPG difference between the vehicles I am looking to buy, but it isn't in the top ranks of what I will base my decision on.

I would have figured the environmentalist would be loving the increase in the price of gas. If it stays this way it should provide impetus to other non-fuel type energy research.

And about the conspiracy of the big automakers to prevent the introduction of fuel effeciant vehicles. What baloney. If there was a market for those vehicles they would be selling them. Once upon a time, the big 3 were all you could buy in a America, then the Japanese saw a market that the big 3 weren't adressing and moved in with small cars and kick American carmakers butts. What is keeping that from happening now?”

“Yes, rox1.


The goot thang is that by going from a larger vechile to a smaller one, I get a big shot in savings right now. You've been saving all this time, and the increase to you is much more tollerable than to a person with a truck.



Even the price of diesel is going up and that will impact our foods, drink, etc.

Hell, even Mountain House food went up this year!”

“Hyway - the oil and car lobbies.

Its cheaper to produce a car that runs at a lower MPG (and/or higher emmissions). So they lobby Congress to keep the EPA, etc. off their back and to keep the mile-per-gallon requirements low.

The oil industry doesn't want to loose its largest market.”

“"What is keeping that from happening now?......"


Us, the consumer....


I agree that it's baloney to think that the big three is preventing more fuel efficant models.....alone. It's does play a role in it as so much as the companies don't want changes that will effect their bottom line. With more fuel efficant vechiles, different dye's, processes, etc would have to be put into practice. The auto peeps like to keep it the same if they can help it, which never happens, but they try.”

“Of course they like it that way. they are all about making a profit. But they liked making big cars too back in the, but when The Japanese started outselling them in the marketplace they changed their practices.

Like laqtis said, once the consumer decides it wants something, someone will build it and sell it.”

“I guess you're right hyway.

However, the Union of Concerned Scientists developed an SUV that gets 50% better mileage than is available now (UCS Exemplar), with basically the same performance and designed one getting 75% better mileage using emerging technologies (Exemplar Plus). I know I sure as hell would buy a 25 or 30 mpg SUV if I could.

Senators who voted to stall fuel efficiency standards received an average of $41,630 apiece in PAC and large individual ($200+) contributions over six years from the auto lobby. The seven senators who sponsored the September 1999 amendment that would have asked the Transportation Department to strengthen fuel efficiency standards received an average of just $8,150 in PAC and large individual contributions ($200+) from the auto lobby.
source.”

“A week ago $1.99, over the weekend it jumped to $2.13

USA
10:07:53 PM
05/04/04


Today, one week later, $2.22.”

“Remember how one of the benefits of invading Iraq was to put pressure on Arab states to lower gas prices?”

“No, I don't remember that.”

“I thought the benefit of invading Iraq was watching attack dogs maul the dick off some naked prisoner.”

“Gotta go get some popcorn and softdrink for that program.”

“Hee hee. The milk one is great. BTW gas here jumped from $1.94 to $2.05 over the past 4 days.”

“FUEL CELL”

“When I bought my pick up truck 3 years ago gas was $1.20 a gallon.
it cost me $38+ to fill up.
Now it costs me $65+ to fill up. I cant even do the card at the phucking pump anymore due to it goes over the $50 limiit.
The difference is $27 a week for me. Which is $117 a month at this rate. $117 would pay my phone,electric, propane..... The cost does add up and it pisses me off.....
Dateline was saying that the supply is low due to China and it's "booming" economy. I wonder why china's economy is "booming" maybe it is due to all our phucking jobs are going over there and we idiots buy the sh1t back from them. Dateline also said it would only take OPEC to agree in raising production to lower the cost. OPEC as wee all know is more then just the Saudi's. I'm getting a Moped or a Dual sport Motor cycle to drive/ride the 30 mile one way trip to work....

I may also just move to Alaska and buy a horse and a cabin and live in the woods alone...”

“I may also just move to Alaska and buy a horse and a cabin and live in the woods alone..."
snafu29
07:49:10 AM

Now that sounds like a good plan.”

“OK Lum,
We could ppol our resources and do it together. We go to town once in awhile for supplies and hookers.
LOL

I got a pension and a 401k that I could live off for a long time. also I'm a heck of a handyman, capenter,plumber,mechanic and other things I could pick up a few jobs if needed for extra $$$
My Neighbors broither did it and has not returned home for the last 8 years. He loves it there.
We could create our own backpacker society, sorta like the Amish.
Anyone else in?”

“We should call it a Church. Then we could get out of paying taxes. I may have to fake my death to get out of paying my student loans.”

“Sounds Good, Works For Me!”

“"Dateline was saying that the supply is low due to China and it's "booming" economy......"



Dateline is full of bullchit. OPEC will have yo u believe this, but logic sez that if there was more demand,OPEC should have cut oil production the last 2 years. That, compiled with too little refineries help drive up demand.

This is just one area of the problem. Plus, this is where Capitalism does not work. When you have not enough competition, the companies can control the market, just like the Monopolies of the past. They learned there lesson. We need to break these phucks up.....all of them....and set limits on how many companies a "company" can own. Sounds "unAmerican", but me getting screwed in the ass, when it's me supporting this economic based is unAmerican to me. Make a fair profit, I don't care......I start caring when I see them coming down the road with that tube of lube in their hand......”