on Wednesday after work and I SOOOO badly wanted to take the public transportation, instead of driving in. Part of it was because of gas prices, but another part was driving into DC during rush hour, in rainy weather, and trying to find a parking spot. Well, I went to the nearest subway station, and lo and behold they don't take cash anymore at the parking lot! I would've had to buy a parking pass!
So at that point I said screw it, and drove in. The drive might have been 11-12 miles, max. To take public transportation in, I would've had to pay $3.50 to park (actually, buy one of those passes, and then have $3.50 taken out of it when i parked). The fare down would've been about $2.80 (rush hour) down and $2.40 back (non-rush hour).
In all, that little trip to DC would've cost about $8.70. Or, about what 4 gallons of gasoline runs these days. I figure driving in and out might've used a bit more than a gallon.
Public transportation would be nice if they didn't go out of their way sometimes to make it so danged annoying!
I won't drive too far out of my way specifically to fill up on cheaper gas, but if I happen to be out somewhere and see it's notably cheaper, I'll usually stop and fill up, even if I still have a half tank or more left.
I have the same problem here in the Chicago suburbs. If I want to take the train, it is a one mile walk each way from the house to the station and a one mile walk from the station to work. Four miles a day.
Then the fare is $2.90 each way to go 10 miles. If were to head all the way into Chicago -65 miles - the fare would only be $6.10.
What is the incentive to use public transit? It is a lot more inconvenient and also more costly.
Drove by the local Chevron this afternoon (luckily I didn't have to stop, as my car has a 24 gallon tank - huge range, but huge fill up $$$) - $2.31 for regular, $2.55 for premium. That means a tank should cost me around $60 or so. Awesome.
Sheetz (big regional supplier based in PA) lowered their prices from $2.099 to $2.059 for 87 on Wednesday. Yesterday, it was back up to $2.099. Lowest I saw yesterday is Hess for $2.069 for 87.
Interesting also about Sheetz is that their spreads between 87, 89, and 93 are now the standard 10 cents. For years, the spreads were only 7 cents.
It seems to me that the spreads used to be more like a percentage difference between grades. At higher prices, the spreads would be larger,and lower prices showed lower spreads. But 10 cents does seem to be the norm now, whether the price is the current $2.13 for 87 or down at $1.69
It's great the way the media uses the press releases from the petroleum institute and just reads them without analysis. They help give excuses for the gas prices being raised on the smallest rise in crude or a gas pipeline breaking, etc.
mid-South Dakota (the capitol, Pierre). 87 was $2.29 and 87 Plus was $2.19. What's with the flip-flop? The next grade up is a dime a gallon cheaper? :confuse:
come to think of it I think I read something about an ethanol additive right there on the gas pump signage. My mind was distracted somewhat by the pictures of the two SD State Troopers who would track anyone stealing gas down if they even dared to try it. :surprise:
Yeah, I think the 87 Plus had an additive, indeed. Good response on that one.
2.05 on Friday, 2.09 this morning for 87 in Goose Creek, SC. Was 2.15 for 87 in Mt. Pleasant, SC on Friday, a lock for 2.19 later today on my way home. It's always 10 cents more closer to the house.
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the Shell station was up to $2.279 for 87, and $2.459 for 93. Really makes me glad I don't have to depend on my old high-octane guzzling Gran Fury police car that would get 11-13 around town anymore. Only thing is, the way prices have gotten, it cots me about as much to drive my Intrepid now as it did to drive my Gran Fury back when prices were more "reasonable"!
Honestly, why get up in the morning?? I have a legitimate question. Why do some people act as if EVERYTHING is going to move in the same direction forever when you know it's not? The "no end in sight" is straight out of a lot of the news reports lately. Here's a news story from 12 hours ago that I haven't heard reported on any of the major news networks: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000102&sid=a_SVQ0bG7ee4&refer=uk
Crude Oil Falls From Record on Signs Supply Is Meeting Demand
Why isn't this trumpeted? Because it's good news and apparently that doesn't sell to the masses who seem to want to see everything as a crisis.
Some points that a lot of people seem to be ignoring:
• There is no worrisome lack of supply. With 1.8 million barrels a day of excess production capacity, Saudi Arabia can quickly pump enough oil to offset any disruptions, short of the most catastrophic scenarios.
• Higher prices eventually will cause gasoline demand, which is now about 2 percent higher than a year ago, to taper off. And higher prices will lead producers, including Saudi Arabia, to pump more oil.
All of these factors have been ignored by the growing number of hedge funds and other speculators betting on crude futures. At some point, betting on higher crude prices is going to be wrong and the pendulum is going to swing the other way. Emotion has a LOT to do with how the market behaves. Once some of the commodities folks start thinking that it might be time to get on the other side of these contracts, watch how fast things start to swing back.
.....anything but a gloom and doom outlook when prices have increased more than 15% over the last month, and every day I drive by the pumps the price is higher still.
It's also true that gas prices do fluctuate up and down. The long term trend of everything is generally up, but when I see folks lining up at a gas station because the price is TWO cents cheaper than a place down the street, I get a bit antsy. I don't like to see people driven to panic, especially over something that, while annoying and uncomfortable, is nothing to panic over. Keep watching it. The price is having an incremental effect on demand, which will ease pressure on prices, and the sentiment in the market for crude is starting to show signs of change.
I guess the thing that REALLY bugs me is someone will look at the 4 cent bump at the pump today and say something like, "If we get 4 cents a day for the next month, gas will be WELL over $3 before Memorial Day!!"
A killer asteroid might get us too
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I remember the following things that I was told as a teenager the first time that my father took me to a bar in 1975:
1) All jobs would be moved to Japan and unemployment would be over 15%. 2) The world would be out of oil by 1978. 3) Inflation will one of these days stabilize at 5%. 4) Going to college is a waste of time as the GM - Norwood plant is hiring.
The station I paid $2.65 for premium last Friday is charging $2.79 today. Has supply and demand really changed that much in 5 days, or are some people unjustifiably cashing in? Can't wait to see oil company profits next quarter...
The hows and whys of prices changing at the pump leaves me scratching my head. I obviously can't understand it. And this has happened at all pricing levels, not just the current ones. Drive past in the morning and see one price, come by at noon, see a different price, and then that night prices change again. The cost of the product in the tanks hasn't changed has it?? It's enough to make your brain hurt!
I don't even want to know sometimes, as I know it will just make me mad. I don't think it is really just pricing. I am just glad I have a fairly short commute, and don't drive a horrible guzzler. The idea of a motorcycle for city use is more tempting by the day though.
$2.599 a gallon at my Shell station in a suburban hell 40 miles south of san francisco. Luckily, i don't drive that often and only fill up every other week, but my usual $18-20 fill-up was $26 yesterday. The pick-up truck in front of me was still going past $50 mark when i drove away :surprise: ...so i didn't feel too bad
my wife and I were wondering what gas was going for in our old stomping ground Seattle. I guessed around $2.50/gal for reg. 87. We're paying around $2.20 here in mid-MO and I have a sick feeling it's not gonna reverse itself anytime soon.
$2.19 for 87, still holding at $2.23 for the moment in State College.
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omg yesterday gas at Costco was only $2.32!!! Here in Berkeley I'm seeing a lot of $2.70 regular. It was gradual and we're all resigned to it, but if I had a premium-only car I'd have felt a bit of a shock at $3.00.
Some news article that I've since lost track of said to expect this spike to last a couple of years, then it'll back off. I just hope they don't mean it'll increase at this rate, for two years. (*edit* apparently this current mini-spike will peak in May, according to MSNBC)
I find myself trying to keep the revs lower than usual nowadays.
Seems that the way the commodities markets work is that traders try to wring every dime out of it in the upward direction by overbuying and essentially creating their profits as the emotion of the market swings wildly in that direction. This seems to be eagarly assisted by the media who love a good crisis. Check the market news today. I'm thinking the worm has turned. I expect that the traders will start positioning themselves to make money as oil and gasoline prices drop. They will, of course, eventually oversell the market in the downward direction, which will signal a change in direction and the circle of life will be complete
Since decreasing prices at the pump would be GOOD news, the only thing left ot figure out is what will be the "crisis" that's caused by decreasing prices. Maybe it will be the fear of "deflation"!
During the day today I did hear that CA had passed Hawaii to take the top spot in average price at this point
but I think 20 cents per liter comes out to around 75.8 cents per gallon. I don't think gasoline has been that low as long as I've been driving (got my learner's in 1986). I do remember paying like 85-90 cents per gallon back in the late 80's, though. But then, as recently as late 2001/early 2002, I had seen it around the $1.00 mark.
The two gas stations nearest me are still at $2.259 (Citgo) and $2.279 (Shell) for 87 octane. 93 octane is $2.45 for both of them.
Kuwait hasn't changed much since I was last there then. It took about 4 KD to fill up a Mitsu Pajero last year. Pajeros were everywhere. They also run a higher octane than you can get here, like 97 or something. The gas is clear as water.
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So at that point I said screw it, and drove in. The drive might have been 11-12 miles, max. To take public transportation in, I would've had to pay $3.50 to park (actually, buy one of those passes, and then have $3.50 taken out of it when i parked). The fare down would've been about $2.80 (rush hour) down and $2.40 back (non-rush hour).
In all, that little trip to DC would've cost about $8.70. Or, about what 4 gallons of gasoline runs these days. I figure driving in and out might've used a bit more than a gallon.
Public transportation would be nice if they didn't go out of their way sometimes to make it so danged annoying!
I won't drive too far out of my way specifically to fill up on cheaper gas, but if I happen to be out somewhere and see it's notably cheaper, I'll usually stop and fill up, even if I still have a half tank or more left.
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Then the fare is $2.90 each way to go 10 miles. If were to head all the way into Chicago -65 miles - the fare would only be $6.10.
What is the incentive to use public transit? It is a lot more inconvenient and also more costly.
The Sandman :-)
Paid $2.13 at the Dominicks grocery store in Shorewood this brisk morning.
Interesting also about Sheetz is that their spreads between 87, 89, and 93 are now the standard 10 cents. For years, the spreads were only 7 cents.
The effect of the never ending drumbeat in the news certainly showed in the lines forming at the stationing pumping gas at $2.11
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
A Shell down the road had 87 at 2.38 but others were 2 cents more than Chevron apiece
The wife reports that in Altoona, PA where she works she saw $2.09 today
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
Yeah, I think the 87 Plus had an additive, indeed. Good response on that one.
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
87 - $2.059
89 - $2.129
93 - $2.199
Diesel - $2.099
5 gallons won't hurt my Camry, right?
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http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000102&sid=a_SVQ0bG7ee4&refer=uk
Crude Oil Falls From Record on Signs Supply Is Meeting Demand
Why isn't this trumpeted? Because it's good news and apparently that doesn't sell to the masses who seem to want to see everything as a crisis.
Some points that a lot of people seem to be ignoring:
• There is no worrisome lack of supply. With 1.8 million barrels a day of excess production capacity, Saudi Arabia can quickly pump enough oil to offset any disruptions, short of the most catastrophic scenarios.
• Higher prices eventually will cause gasoline demand, which is now about 2 percent higher than a year ago, to taper off. And higher prices will lead producers, including Saudi Arabia, to pump more oil.
All of these factors have been ignored by the growing number of hedge funds and other speculators betting on crude futures. At some point, betting on higher crude prices is going to be wrong and the pendulum is going to swing the other way. Emotion has a LOT to do with how the market behaves. Once some of the commodities folks start thinking that it might be time to get on the other side of these contracts, watch how fast things start to swing back.
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I guess the thing that REALLY bugs me is someone will look at the 4 cent bump at the pump today and say something like, "If we get 4 cents a day for the next month, gas will be WELL over $3 before Memorial Day!!"
A killer asteroid might get us too
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1) All jobs would be moved to Japan and unemployment would be over 15%.
2) The world would be out of oil by 1978.
3) Inflation will one of these days stabilize at 5%.
4) Going to college is a waste of time as the GM - Norwood plant is hiring.
AVERAGE price for gas in California is now $2.59.
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
87 - $2.039 - up 12 cents from Mar 23
89 - $2.139 - up 12
93 - $2.219 - up 12
94 - $2.259 - up 12
diesel - $2.259 - up 10
Just put 31 gallons of D into my Ram... $70.00. :surprise:
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With the news from the oil and gasoline markets today, I think the sentiment has started to switch.
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Some news article that I've since lost track of said to expect this spike to last a couple of years, then it'll back off. I just hope they don't mean it'll increase at this rate, for two years. (*edit* apparently this current mini-spike will peak in May, according to MSNBC)
I find myself trying to keep the revs lower than usual nowadays.
Since decreasing prices at the pump would be GOOD news, the only thing left ot figure out is what will be the "crisis" that's caused by decreasing prices. Maybe it will be the fear of "deflation"!
During the day today I did hear that CA had passed Hawaii to take the top spot in average price at this point
***trying to remember the song from the sixties about Big Sur...who did it?***
No wonder the most common vehicles here are Expeditions, Suburbans, Yukons, Tahoes, Crown Victorias, Grand Marquis and Chevrolet Caprices!
The two gas stations nearest me are still at $2.259 (Citgo) and $2.279 (Shell) for 87 octane. 93 octane is $2.45 for both of them.
Kuwait hasn't changed much since I was last there then. It took about 4 KD to fill up a Mitsu Pajero last year. Pajeros were everywhere. They also run a higher octane than you can get here, like 97 or something. The gas is clear as water.