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Report Your Local Gas Prices Here (retired discussion, please see the new one)
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If the oil company's would of retooled the old refinery's we wouldn't be having this problem because Saudia Arabia, said they can provide as much oil as the world can consume. :surprise: I also find it amusing but sad at the same time that president Bush said their isn't anything he can do to control gas prices. He told us all to basically buy hybrid cars and is leaving it all in our own hands. I know he doesn't believe the free market will resolve this problem and he is throwing up a cloud of smoke and mirrors and is trying to avoid the issue all togeather. Imagine that.....:confuse: The Oil Cartel buils McMansion, and go from Alpo to store brand for a meal :mad: It's sad when a old person is going to have to choose between puting petro in the car or cuting his/hers life saving prescription drugs in quarters.
Rocky
:sick:
A couple of my coworkers are riding their bikes to work now, but cycling was already a hobby of theirs.
It almost doesn't matter what it costs, we'll pay for it. Almost anything is cheaper than scrapping our way of life (as in sprawl) and starting over in well planned urban areas. Or building subways at hundreds of millions of dollars per mile, that people can actually get to without sub-commutes just to the station (no one walks to BART stations in the Bay Area - they drive, sometimes from 30min away).
At the point where people do change their lifestyles over the price of gasoline... that'll be its "true market value." I'm nervous that we're used to artificially cheap gas, but it's starting to go up to the price point it deserves.
Since oil companies pay the same per barrel, there isn't much competition between them. All the competition will be between gasoline and other energy sources.
And when the next great fuel comes along, I don't expect anyone to drop their price to significantly less than whatever the price of gasoline will be at that time.
We'll know the gas prices have started to hurt when the pick-em-up drivers and SUV drivers slow down to the speed limit to get better gas mileage. I drove to Cinci last Friday and the fastest cars on I75 were the biggest ones--and they weren't being used for work; they were being used for commute with ONE person in each. The cars that were driving closer to the speed limit were the ones that already get good mileage-smaller or efficient like my 3800 getting 30+ at 62 mph.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Don't expect that cell phone to go into storage just because they're behind a 5,000 lb.machine, either. Oh no, that cell phone's gotta be right up there to their important ear, because, remember, they're more important than you and I. And they've got to work to keep that reputation. So get that gas-miser out of their way. They've got someplace to go and they've got to get there fast. And burn gobs and gobs of fuel while they're being more important than you and I.
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
Have you forgot about the private meeting Congress had with the Oil Companies?
There were a few gas stations out of fuel last night. The Exxon and Sunoco at Roosevelt Blvd. and Welsh Road had no gas. I heard a lot of stations in S. Jersey were out of gas as well. This is due to some changeover in the fuel and the underground tanks need to be cleaned. They could've done this sporadically, but it seems the all did it at once. Man-made fuel shortage?
By the way, our watered-down "ultra?" 93 is now $3.15 a gallon. My Seville and Brougham are still topped-off with the real stuff.
Here in DE gas is 2.94 (87) and 3.19(93).
iluvmysephia
I know what you mean about the pompus SUVers. My job requires me to spend a lot of windshield time (approx 2500-3000 miles a month). I generally run about the speed limit +5 and I could count the number of SUV's I've passed over the last year on one hand. They are all mega speeders (men and women alike), and about 70%-80% of the ones passing me have a cell phone stuck to their heads. If there's any type of a silver lining to these high gas prices it's the fact that the pompus SUVers are really getting their wallets pounded! It would make me even happier if Uncle Sam started to make them pay a luxury tax of $1 a gallon for these dam apartments on wheels. I absolutely hate SUV's and would love to see them go the way of the dinosaurs!
me: well I guess the government could force us into hhigher mpg vehicles by raising the CAFE standard. But couldn't people have done that on their own. How many people drive the most fuel efficient vehicle to meet their needs. I don't. I will pay the extra money for gas for power, comfort, or safety. Do you drive the most efficent vehicle you could? Do you know people who just drive to go out somewhere? Then you're looking at a big part of why gas is so expensive.
By the way Saudi Arabia's claims that they can increase production again may be true to a point - if they have more rigs, more workers, more pipelines, and more ports and ships. And yes we need more refineries.
But Saudi Arabia has no interest in flooding the market with oil if they could. They want the highest price they can get without hurting the world economy. They don't want $100/barrel if the world economy would go into recession. That would decrease demand and thus the price, and meanwhile they would have lost billions off their investments. Remember for the last 30 years OPEC countries have been investing in western companies. They do not want to hurt their investments.
me: I doubt it, unless there are several refineries supplying an area. Think of it this way, if the refinery is making MTBE gas on Fri. and on Mon. starts using ethanol, that means all the shipments to the stations will occur within a few days. So yes it is likely that all the stations in an area will be affected in a short time period. That time period is based on how often the stations are replenished.
Yep, us SUV owners are the cause of all our problems. BTW, I'm willing to bet a tank full of gas, I burn less fuel in my Suburban each week than the avg. fuel efficient car owner. Last week I drove the burb 100 miles, which is about avg. That's approx. 7 gallons of gas. Oh the horror. 80% of the miles come from vacation trips towing the boat. Can't quite do that in a Prius. My wife burns probably 5 times that in her car. Which is the gas guzzler?
In my experience I drive the Suburban much slower than when driving my wifes car. The burb just isn't fun to drive fast, so I just drive the speed limit. When ever I'm in the wifes car I find myself going 80+ w/o realizing how fast I'm going.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
At $75 a barrel (42 gal per barrel) the cost for the barrel
is $1.7857142 per gal.
At $100 a barrel (42) the cost is $2.3809523 per gal.
This is before all other costs plus taxation.
Go figure. There is a combination of costs between coming out of the ground and tax per gallon. Also, demand is starting to play a role for the same product.
In reviewing several articles from Edmunds and other sources, I see several car and truck companies trying to increase the mpg. Those same companies are giving everyone a choice to switch to a hybrid and/or a flex fuel auto.
We all have to make a choice.
As far as gas prices, regular is $2.89 here, and I hope we don't start seeing shortages. I am glad I have a fun to drive car that is good on gas (around 30 mpg), and still has the utility to carry things around (Mazda3 hatch). I doubt we will see prices that would make me drive less...I'll just have to cut back on eating out less etc.
Regular still less than 3 bucks around SW WA.
(I don't drive an SUV & I would not laugh.)
The dead don't laugh, but the injured can sue and otherwise destroy the lives of errant SUV drivers. It needs to happen more.
Cheapest gas today in Bellevue is an ARCO at 2.81. Most expensive in Seattle is a Unocal at 3.19
me: and pickup owners. My wife uses our Silverado to commute bback and forth to work and run all her errands on the weekends. We have a few horses and use it to haul dirt and wood and such 1-2% of the time, and its really good in getting thru our unplowed roads. She wants to get rid of it, for an SUV to have more interior room. I asked her if the higher gas prices bothered her, and she said "no", that the benefits outweighed the extra cost.
I think that is what you will find with many people, is that they will not change until the cost really begins to hurt them. What'll happen is that those at the bottom of the economic ladder will be hurt most, and will be forced to curtail or reduce their driving. This already is the case in this country, and is more prevalent in many other countries. There are people who can't afford to drive, because people who have more money are willing to pay higher prices for that gas.
There has never een enough as for everyone in the world to drive how much they want. The world population keeps growing and the world economy keeps growing. If you want to be able to afford gas long-term, you better face the facts that you are going to have to increase your income (or put more of your income) towards gas.
It is bad for the economy - all of us - to buy manufactured foreign goods in the quantities that we do. We are shipping what used to be good paying jobs here in the U.S. to other countries where people are now using our money to increase their life style. You're wealth is going down while foreigners is going up. Who's going to get the gas if that continues?
We are in an economic battle for the resources of this world. We as a country need to do well, and you as an individual need to be smart, hard-working and productive. If you're not, someone's going to eat your lunch. And if you think the government is going to bail you out, or take some action, you should go watch some tapes of the non-evacuation of New Orleans.
Rocky
P.S. I love that slang term "Trophy wife". It comes out of the mouth very funny.
Pocatello, ID 1.98
Kailua Kona, HI 3.89
Prices will increase no matter what, due to China and India and other countires coming into the western way of life....
Sure, SUVs use more gas ....like a large sedan or a sports car..... but in general, larger vehicles are safer than smalller vehicles.
SOme people would rather buy safety, some would rather economize and buy economy car. IT is a fact of life.
Gas usage by all .....ALL Americans and the rest of the world....is the reason why prices are high. People buying houses in the suburban sprawl , and drive solo to work when they could have made other choices...is the reason why gas is high.....
There are multi factors ...and all add to the increase of gas prices.
\
OK....there are two that does not...
1- riding bicycles
2- walking.
both are better choices. But those are hard to make...and it is easier to demonize one group , rather than face reality.....
1-....people drive what they want, what they can afford. IT is their right....in this free country. Just like it is your right to drive....or take a bike...or take a hike....
2- When oil goes up to $100 or 150 per barrel, most rich can still afford to drive what they want....IT is us commoners and the working class that will have to cut back...way before anyone else has to. I do think most will cut back...
OK...I was fillling up my minivan yesterday at $2.99/gal....and this guy with a cell phone drives in inside a dodge ....leaves the engine RUNNING....and starts to pump gas. I asked him if it would be a good idea to turn off the engine when pumping gas...since there is a latent hazard of sparks and it is an unnecessary usage of gas....but he said there is no problem....so I let him be......
People will burn and use gasoline if they pay for it. Whether it is responsible or not ...like the Iraqi supporters of Saddam Hussein burning oil wells,....or the above mentioned guy , it is all a judgement call. It all depends on the particular circumastances of each situation.
One has to be able to see the other side, and if you do not walk in the other persons shoes...you will not see their need.
:surprise:
Nope, I'm the trophy husband driving around in the Burb! LOL;)
It would have been tempting to lock him out while he was busy paying for the fuel.
Rocky
Anyways Gas is $2.89 yesterday at the corner Valero gas station in Dumas, Tx. I'm not sure about the rest of the town ? The Shell station, on the North end of town in Amarillo is still perched at $2.83 a gallon and is getting lots of traffic because of us out of towners that is paying more. I usually drive by since it's only $0.07 more in Dumas and I don't have to wait behind 3 or 3 cars and spend 10-15 minutes waiting my turn.
Rocky
Rocky
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
I think they want me to be a tree hugger living in a tent.
Honestly, I'm 100% for energy conservation. If I were to build a house that I would be living in for a long time, I'd be willing to pay extra (even if it was cost prohibitive) for energy saving features such as high efficiency windows, geothermal heating/cooling etc.
I'd also love to have a compact car to run errands in. But I can't justify spending $10-$20k, plus insurance, license fees, maintenance etc, just so I can save 3-5 gallons of gas a week. That makes absolutely no sense.
You should have!
I see the phone talkers here all the time, pumping gas and yapping away. I've always suspected the cellphone/sparks bit was an old wives tail, but I don't feel safe enough to say for sure.
Rocky
Rocky
Hell, no, they wouldn't because they and their 5,000 lb.pick-em-up truck or SUV are on the road, yapping about nothing on their stupid expensive cell phone and they have someplace to go.
Would you just get out of their way and let them get there? How dare you drive your Honda Fit, Kia Rio or Toyota Yaris with a...what is that thing...stick...shift?
Hurry up and get out of their way, they've got an automatic, they don't know what a manual tranny is, much less how one uses it and they've got somewhere to go. Out'a'their way, now, you small little nuisances!
Now that's the Amer-i-can way.
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
Several months ago, a Lincoln Navigator almost rolled in a panic braking maneuver about 300 ft ahead of me because the driver was doing close to 100 MPH on Florida turnpike.
You know, these idiots are going to wreck sooner of later and get seriously hurt or worse in the wreck. If they had any common sense, they would realize that these vehicles were not designed for 100 MPH speeds. I just do not want to be around when it happens.
whether someone helps others has nothing to do with what they drive...but with where their heart is and how they view the world.
It is kinda disappointing to see that people would villify what other people drive...and then with a self righteous look , hop into a vehicle and drive around , be it cruising or just to the corner store for cigarettes/milk.
So the question is : do you waste more gas cruising around in a econocar, or in a large car that is used to run errands efficiently ?
DOes it matter what vehicle one uses...if it is the people and culture that is causing this gas wasting ?
Yes...larger cars may have worse mpg than smaller cars...but they also have more safety.
You make your choices and pay your dues.
I can only see a person who mainly uses bicycles and public transportation, to really self- righteously complain about cars.
It is the culture of car usage and wasteful "" hey , I can get into my car and do anything I want, whereever I want"" attitude that is causing a disproportionate use of energy , with gas in particular.
SO while one complains about gas....remember who is burning it ? EH ?
OTOH, one could argue and say these "tinaments" should be banned off the road because of safety.
Rocky
Energy conservation is going to take downsizing from everyone...not just SUVs...or sports cars, or large sedans. Any unneeded driving, idling of engine...going to the store that is only 5 blocks or 1 mile away....all may be considered a waste of gas , if more practical means/alternatives exists.
:P
Rocky
I have nothing against large SUVs and pickups if the people who buy them have a need for them (ie, large families, contractors, people who frequently haul and tow a lot of stuff). However, when these vehicles are bought as a stupid fashion statement, driven by only one person aggressively, intimidating other smaller vehicle drivers, while the SUV/pickup driver is yakking on his/her cell phone, well, I tend to get a little irritated.
Rocky
Things sure have changed on the Turnpike. Long ago my wife got a ticket for going 62 onthe turnpike. I swore we'd never give Florida money again. We flew back to see my sister who lived in Boca the next times. Haven't done any tourist things there since!!!
Earlier in the trip we'd been on I95 near West Palm with traffic flying at 80-85 in 55 zones. And up near Orlando a cop is looking for out-of-staters.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Believe me, I have a new '06 siverado crew cab Z71 pickup, and any emergency braking in this truck, even at low speeds is scary! So I tend to drive it very conservatively.
Rocky