Normally, I don't like fowards and "pass-it-ons", but this one actually has a good idea attatched.
Please read.

I hear we are going to hit close to $3.00 a gallon by the summer. Want
gasoline prices to come down? We need to take some intelligent, united
action


Phillip Hollsworth, offered this good idea:


This makes MUCH MORE SENSE than the "don't buy gas on a certain day"
campaign that was going around last April or May!


The oil companies just laughed at that because they knew we wouldn't
continue to "hurt" ourselves by refusing to buy gas. It was more of an
inconvenience to us than it was a problem for them. BUT, whoever
thought
of this idea, has come up with a plan that can really work.


Please read it and join with us!


By now you're probably thinking gasoline priced at about $1.50 is super
cheap. Me too! It is currently $2.75 for regular unleaded in my town.


Now that the oil companies and the OPEC nations have conditioned us to
think that the cost of a gallon of gas is CHEAP at $1.50-$1.75, we need
to take aggressive action to teach them that BUYERS control the
marketplace.... not sellers.


With the price of gasoline going up more each day, we consumers need to
take action. The only way we are going to see the price of gas come
down
is if we hit someone in the pocketbook by not purchasing their gas!


And we can do that WITHOUT hurting ourselves.


How? Since we all rely on our cars, we can't just stop buying gas. But
we CAN have an impact on gas prices if we all act together to force a
price war.


Here's the idea:


For the rest of this year, DON"T purchase ANY gasoline from the two
biggest companies (which now are one), EXXON and MOBIL. If they are not
selling any gas, they will be inclined to reduce their prices. If they
reduce their prices, the other companies will have to follow suit.


But to have an impact, we need to reach literally millions of Exxon and
Mobil gas buyers. It's really simple to do!! Now, don't whimp (sic) out
on me at this point... keep reading and I'll explain how simple it is
to
reach millions of people!!


I am sending this note to about thirty people. If each of you send it
to
at least ten more (30 x 10 = 300)... and those 300 send it to at least
ten more (300 x 10 = 3,000) ... and so on, by the time the message
reaches the sixth generation of people, we will have reached over THREE
MILLION consumers!


If those three million get excited and pass this on to ten friends
each,
then 30 million people will have been contacted! If it goes one level
further, you guessed it..... THREE HUNDRED MILLION PEOPLE!!! Again, all
you have to do is send this to 10 people and DON"T purchase ANY
gasoline
from EXXON and MOBIL. That's all.


How long would all that take? If each of us sends this email out to ten
more people within one day of receipt, all 300 MILLION people could
conceivably be contacted within the next 8 days!!! I'll bet you didn't
think you and I had that much potential, did you! Acting together we
can
make a difference.


If this makes sense to you, please pass this message on.


PLEASE HOLD OUT UNTIL THEY LOWER THEIR PRICES TO THE $1.30 RANGE AND
KEEP THEM DOWN. THIS CAN REALLY WORK

Please don't post chain letters. Please don't send chain letters.

If you seriously want to do sth. against the high gas prices - these methods are guaranteed to work (unlike chain letters):

Short-Term: Lower your consumption by driving less (only when necessary); driving economically (not speeding, shifting at the right time)

Middle- to Long-Term: Buy a small car with an economic engine (european cars achieve around 5 liters for 100 kilometers - convert yourself into imperial terms!)
Remember all the other ways oil is used, that also influences the gas price, so:
don't waste plastics in any form, first, by avoiding them (shopping with a cloth bag, buying reusable glass bottles instead of throway plastic ones etc.)
save electric energy by truning down the AC in summer, heating in winter, and build sensible (energy-conserving) houses (Over her, we are able to build houses which need only 3 liters of hearting oil per square meter per year to heat!)
And campaign in Washington to use renewable sources to produce elctrictiy (sun, wind, water, biomass, geothermal, ...) instead of burning oil for that.
Campaign to use compostable starch for food trays (at McD etc.) instead of plastic

If your car is a Diesel, there is a kit available to alter the engine so you can use salad oil or any other kind of vegetable oil (just drive by your local french fries shop and collect the waste). No joke.

Also set realistic goals: $1.30? Truth be told, we were pretty spoiled for a while with the gas prices.

I'm predicting $3.00 per gallon soon for Unleaded

Yes we where spoiled with gas prices. I love workign for a car lot right now. I have had 4 cars run out of gas under me on the lot as the new rules are unless the vehicle is under an 1/8th of a tank we cant put anything in it unless it is a delivery (someone bought it). And we have not moved any of the big sport utes or trucks in about a month. Civics, neons etc.. are moving faster than we can keep. Even total junkers.

And I have no doubt about the $3.00 per gallon soon either.

I will never rant about the price of gasoline as I consider just being able to drive my own vehicle a wonderful privilege. In the US we've had it pretty good.

Just for comparison: the current price over here is about 1.20 ? (roughly the same in U$ - I don't know the exact transfer rate) for 1 liter (you need 3.8 liters for one gallon), and most european countries have similar prices.

here is snope's explanation of why the above scheme of boycotting one or two companies won't work, anyway.

I know what you mean. America has had it way too easy to just get in whatever kind of vehicle we can afford (or not with easy credit) and go wherever we want guzzling down cheap gas and thinking that we own and rule the world and forget the consequences. Oh well that kind of attitude will eventualy catch up and bite ya. And I think we are finally starting to see the jaws of doom opening.

But anyhow some of the other ways of cutting back on expenses are replaceing as many light bulbs in your house with flourescents. I've done this with the trailer and the lights are a negligible part of the bill. I only have 5 incandescent bulbs in the trailer and they all added together only total about 130 watts. (60 watt bathroom, the rest 15watt appliance in a fancy lamp of the wife's and the fridge)

Also of course the three Rs Reduce, Reuse and recycle. reduce your total consumption, reuse as much of your items/materials as possible and recycle your trash/leftovers.

One other thing always look for energystar compliance or a lower energy use rating. The more efficient the item the less your power bill will be when it comes due.

m predicting $3.00 per gallon soon for Unleaded

Obviously you don't live in Califonia

scottn,.pacific grove ca is selling $3.49 gal. full service unleaded.

the prez cant drive around complaining about the gas price 's??? Didn't he cause it?

That was my point Anon. In CA, $3/gal is long since come and gone.

I'm not shocked about $3.49 gas, I'm shocked you can still get full service somewhere in CA!

enjoy your gas at $2.99 gal, its supposed to be 4-5 bucks next summer not even full service

Im taking the bus soon

Snick where do you live?

NorCal.

Hurricane Katrina is being used as an excuse by the "oil cartel" (Exxon-Mobil, BP-Amoco, Citgo et al) to raise prices to record levels. And of course, no one in Washington has ever spoken one word against this. Doubtless, Big Oil has Congress and the White House right where they want them.

Actually, I could understand that. There's a lot of drillrigs in the Gulf, and any offloading facilities in New Orleans (and I believe there are several) are completely useless.

Now, the fact that gas prices shoot up the instant oil prices go up/oil supplies go down, while when the opposite happens we have to wait for "the high priced oil to get through the system" before gas prices go down... that's another matter.

Well, I've been heering the possiblility of $4+ starting on the east Coast, eventualy spreading west. Yet, people still buy these huge gass guzzling
SUVs, not for some off road adventure, but to go to
the local grocery store. Insane.

Amazingly, I was walking down the street, and I saw a giant billboard for the new H3 hummer right across the street from the DMV!

What's probaly going to happen is that these $UVs will end up being dumped enmasse, and sold at reduced prices. People with lower incomes might buy these used $UVs, but won't be able to afford to maintain
them properly while more and more components break down on them.

Expect to see many $UVs belching smoke and having
mis-matched colored doors from salvage yards, and
all of the other ugly trappings of a junker. I
shudder and gag at the thought. :|

Expect to see this by 2010, if not sooner.

Gas hit $3.17 in Northern Illinois today.

Gas hit $3.17 in Northern Illinois today.

Self-serve of full, John? Self-serve regular is about $3 per gallon as of this morning in Staten Island (it may be higher this afternoon.) Full-serve premium is at least 50 to 75 cents more.
On the news this morning, I saw some gougers in Georgia charging $6 per gallon.

I just got in from filling a car at work (ford taurus) and it cost $45.00 at $3.09 for regular self serve. i swear I don't care if it is 20 miles between work and home I am goign to be riding my bicycle from here until the weather gets too rough.

Ouch. Gougers should be gouged with a spoon.

In the rest of the country we have it "easy at $3.00 per gallon. In the south, with supplies disrupted by Katrina, prices are double that.

BTW Here is Milford Ohio. And the place was a UDF. The local BP I drove by had regular at 1.12 and the exxon had it at 1.10

UDF?

$1.10? Can you buy a few hundred gallons and ship it to me?

Re: Adam: Self-serve...this morning it was $3.19 for Unleaded.

It jumped 2 cents overnight!

Sorry wishful thinking. I goofed up. 3.09$ per gallon, $3.10 and $3.12 respectively. I wish it was $1.09 as I have no idea where I got those numbers. teach me to try talking and typing at the same time.

What's UDF?

United Dairy Farmers.

I don't know if they are outside the tristate (OKI) but they are another quickie mart/gas station/ice cream parlor chain.

Like I promised on another thread. Today was crazy. We now have only a small number of 4cylinder cars left on our lot as people where trying to trade in their boats and get smaller cars.

Not to mention trying to get gas for the cars as the manager decided that it would be a good idea to give everyone who bought a car a full tank today and tomorrow. This was advertised before the gas price jump but it went better than expected to say the least.

Also going down to the UDF where we have a credit line was fun as people where acting like the end of the world was coming. I saw one guy get very irate with the clerk like it was personally her fault that he had to pay 85 bucks to fill his hummer H2. So every chance I got I went in parts and hid to calm down. People are gettign a little nasty about things.

I mean I don't know what is goign on. One of the mechanics was talking about how he caught someone last night trying to steal gas from his pickup. I am not exactly thrilled with the propects so I got a locking gas cap for my cars. A good investment right now. Also I am having him load some rocksalt shells for me as well.

I am wondering how many of the vehicles on the lot are goign to have people try and get gas out of them. The new chryslers and gms have various gizmo's in the fill tube to prevent the ol hose down the tube siphon trick and you have to have a special tool to get it out or get a little midevil or tricky. I know how but will not broadcast it.

So we stand at the edge of a long cliff. Do we back away and look for other resources and options or continue to plow straight over the edge being the typical boorish americans. I am jumping off the SUV greedy resource guzzling train and try and get back on the slower country road.

I have a better idea. Lets arrest some oil execs and charge them under R.I.C.O. They can whine about supplies being low and costs being high all they want. If that where the case their profit margins and thus stock earnings would be flat, at best. Even a superficial glance at their stocks performance over that last 2 years shows clearly thats far from the case.

It seems that DaimlerChrysler may soon change their minds about notimporting their Smart range, into the U.S.A, given the events resulting from Hurricane Katrina.
The (grey market) importers Zip have a potential backlog of U.S orders for the Smart range amounting to $750 Million Dollars, according to a item in the U.K Motoring Magazine Intersection...
The Smart FourTwo sub-A class subcompact reportedly has a fuel consumption of over 50mpg...

According to the news over here, the US will up their imports from Europe, not because there isn't enough crude oil, but because the equipment to get the oil and the refineries can't work fast enough to meet the demand; and now with the hurricane, several facilites are unavailable.

There's also a report on snopes about how the price of crude oil is only one factor in gas price. (link will come later, or you can look yourself.)

in some places, gas was 6 $ (though not for long).

here's some background as to what the govt can (and can't) do about the gas prices.

and this explains why a boycott as proposed doesn't work

this is a related story about how oil companies buy from one another

constanze, where are you, Im in Ca, $3.49 and up,

and Im not the Anonymous on the star trek motion pix board

I'm in Germany, and the gas prices here are somewhere around 1.20 Euros a liter (1 Euro roughly 0.7 to 0.9 $, and 3.8 liters are 1 gallon, if you want to convert to imperial system.)

But since I don't own a car, I'm not quite up to date. (My mom uses a car to travel during the weekends, and she complains how expensive it's become.) (If you're wondering, my city - Munich- has a wonderful public transport system, or I can rent a bike. For longer distances, our train system is pretty good. I usually need a car 2 or 3 times a year, when I need some big/heavy stuff moved or go shopping at IKEA, and then I ask my mother for help.)

I have a better idea. Lets arrest some oil execs and charge them under R.I.C.O.
Good idea, but the odds are better for the Pope to convert to Buddhism, as long as oil man Bush occupies the White House.

I gotta go with Adam Bomb's assement of the situation. Oil is King as long as their favorite son occupies the white house.

I would love for our parent dealership to get a smart franchise but whenever i have asked/mentioned smart down there I get rather disgusted comments about how those pieces of junk wouldn't sell and how ugly they are and other negative commetns. I wonder what they would say now. Especially sicne several of the flagship vehicles are not selling so hot right now.

I wish America would develop as good a public transit system as europe. That sounds wonderful constanze. Only needing a car 2 or 3 times a year.

R, parts of America *do* have excellent public transit. It's one of those things that is, and *SHOULD BE* local.

Take NYC or San Francisco, for example. Then you have the flip side: Los Angeles.

I could go on and on about the (lack of decent) public transit in L.A. How the budget has been gutted, service has dropped (where I live, buses ran every 15 minutes in 1980. Now its every hour); how all public transit in L.A. is based on a faulty assumption (tunnel vision -- the planners all work downtown, therefore they assume everyone wants to go downtown), etc....

I paid $3.09 last night for Mobil unleaded regular. Cost me $30 to fill up. The price was up more than 20 cents from that morning. But, no lines. Not yet, anyway.

I visited both LA and San Francisco in 1985. Like night and day. In LA, you need a car, as the city is so spread out. I drove up to San Francisco, the car was a burden there, and I dumped it. I also take public transit to work, so I can go days without driving (the car sat in place from Sunday to Thursday.)
I remember the gas lines of '73 and '79. Waiting hours in front of gas stations, only to be told there was no gas. In both oil "shortages," it was the oil companies holding back supply, to get the price up. Were they held accountable then, No. With oil man Bush, they have even less accountability now.

That's the other issue with LA. The city is so geographically spread out, that the city of LA is larger than Rhode Island and possibly also larger than Connecticut.

The "Greater Los Angeles County Area" consists of five counties (LA, Ventura, Orange, San Bernadino, and Riverside), and definitely is larger than many states.

In LA City, all transit is predicated on the theory that everyone wants to go downtown. This is patently false. LA has 3 major city centers: Downtown, the Westside, and the Valley. There is no transit other than buses from the Valley to the Westside. Given the state of the freeways, it's no wonder people prefer to drive. The Valley is unhappy in general, and tried to secede from the rest of the city -- it tends to get the short end of the stick in everything, including transit, while paying more than its share in taxes.

Given the woeful state of LA's public transit, it could easily take two to three times longer to get places using it than it does to drive one's own car. Since that can often take an hour or more, is it any wonder that people drive instead of taking the 2-3 hours that the bus would entail?

Sorry I am used to the local (cincinnati) area. Where they used to have trolleys and tore them up because they wouldn't need them with cars, they started a subway back in the 20s but that fell through and the fight over getting light rail is taken to new levels of stupidity. And if you even consider being a bicyclist you get laughed at or run over or otherwise regarded as a fruitcake for the most part. And cincinnati isn't that big.

Also what I am talking about is I have seen on travel shows where a person can get on a train in munich and be in paris without ever using a car. Right now if I wanted to get across the state of Ohio my options would be rather limited.

Yeah mass transit should be local for the most part but there should be some degree of national cooperation or incentive to make it where a person could go from NY to LA or so without ever having to use a car.

Also what I am talking about is I have seen on travel shows where a person can get on a train in munich and be in paris without ever using a car. Right now if I wanted to get across the state of Ohio my options would be rather limited.


Well yes, of course I can go by train from the main station at Munich to every major European city (nowadays, even to London! - since they built the Eurostar, the tunnel beneath the channel... although it's more expensive then ferry, I think.) (How else could I travel to those cities that don't have airports? And it's rather pretentious to use a plane to travel the short distances - unless I were an important business person short on time.)

Bad connections are only for the remote countryside, and even then, for holiday, there's always the option of using the train to travel to the destination, and rent a car to drive around the closer area.
Some of the resorts here in Bavaria, who advertise their "clean air", have developed alternative concepts for that - free or cheap buses in the community, so tourists don't need their car once they stay at the village (by having several small villages form one area, or region.) They are planning (or have already done? I'm not quite sure) to forbid car traffic in the villages, so the tourists can indeed still breath the clean air and not the stink of car emissions.

But Europe's good train system is also enabled because of it's dense population - there are no big empty areas like the Midwest or Western states; and the big cities aren't as spread out as LA is (from what ScottN tells about it).

But outside the big cities, people still need a car - when I stayed on a farm in rural Bavaria, there was a bus twice a day. Not practicable, so I always had to arrange to be driven somewhere.

And, of course, public transport in the city is endorsed and encouraged and partly financed by the local authorities - which I guess wouldn't work in the US. (Gasp! Tax money being wasted! Gasp! The state interfering! )

LA transit is so lousy only because Judge Doom got rid of the Red Car.

Yes, Snick, I was thinking that too.

If you haven't done so already, buy a locking gas cap. Auto Zone sells them for about $12 (if you can find them now.) That's about the cost of four gallons of gasoline (well, at least, the cost as I write this.) I've had one on almost all my cars for the past 30 years.

Doubtless, oil man Bush will try to use the situation in the Gulf to give his oil buddies even more tax breaks than they already enjoy (and they just got a lot, due to the energy bill Bush signed last month.)

Ahh I see Constanze. The way the travel programs always make it out like you can get anywhere in europe without haivng a car or not taking some sort of public transit. Rick Dees especially. Since I doubt I'll ever get to see europe in person those shows are as close as i get. :-(

And not meaning to be offensive but i keep forgetting that geographically you could almost drop europe over the us and still have room left over.

But here in Ohio AFAIK if I wanted to go from my home to cleaveland atthe opposite end of the state I would ahve to drive as there are no bus or trains that go from here or even near here to there. Or I could hire a cab or charter a bus or limo but that would be a bit on the expensive side of things.

Not meaning to bust your bubble Adam Bomb but working in a garage I run into trade ins with locking caps where people have forgotton to give us the key. It takes about 2 seconds to get a locking cap off a car with a simple screw driver so it really isnt worth it if a person really wants to get into your car. Like I said earlier most of the newer cars have gizmos in the filler tube that unless you know the trick or have the right tool you arn't going to siphon gas out of them.

What might be more expensive but is available on some cars is a locking gas door. I think some toyotas comes with that option as does some of the newer jeeps. Also if you have a car that has a remote fuel door release locking your car can help slow down a person. They then at least would have to bust a window.

Sorry but working on a used car lot with a mechanic who used to be a car thief I am not bothering to lock my car or anything anymore as a determined enough person can get into a car in nothign flat. (to give an example I locked my keys in my car one day with the windows up and using a coat hanger he was in my car within about 30 seconds, with the locktool kit he has been able to get into brand new cars within about a minute. Most of that time is getting the right tool)

Oh I forgot to mention previously that the remote release fuel door can be defeated by a screwdriver in about 4 or 5 seconds as well. So if a person is determined enough all you can do is slow them down to the point where either you or someone else notices them and calls the cops or stops them.

R,

Ahh I see Constanze. The way the travel programs always make it out like you can get anywhere in europe without haivng a car or not taking some sort of public transit....

Well for the "interesting" cities - Venice, Paris, London, Moscow, ST. PEtersburg, Rome, Florence, Naples, Munich, Berlin, .... this is certainly true - traveling there by train, getting around with public transport. And those who travel to the Bavarian forest or similar for a week of quiet holiday don't need to get around much (except for taking walks in the forest).
Neither my fiance nor I even have a drivers license (or know how to drive ), and yet we get around, since even if we go to remote areas with no direct train station, we call ahead and are given a ride from the nearest train station.

But here in Ohio AFAIK if I wanted to go from my home to cleaveland atthe opposite end of the state I would ahve to drive as there are no bus or trains that go from here or even near here to there...

I know that the US train system has been gutted, but what happend to all those Greyhound bus lines in the 70s and 80s? Don't they exist anymore, or is Ohio not worth the bother to establish stops? (No offense...)

And not meaning to be offensive but i keep forgetting that geographically you could almost drop europe over the us and still have room left over.

You aren't offensive - we value Quality over Quantity

So if a person is determined enough all you can do is slow them down to the point where either you or someone else notices them and calls the cops or stops them.

But that's pretty much the purpose of all anti-thief measures, whether in the house or the car - any measure can be broken by somebody determined enough, but you bet on the St. Florians principle that the thief doesn't want to waste 1 min. on your secured car if the next car is unsecured.

About the greyhounds. About the only time I see one is on the freeways and very rarely on the highways. I went to greyhound's website to find out where the stops/stations are inOhio and this is all they had listed. (B)Indicates Limited Service Bus Stops

Akron
Ashtabula
Athens
Cambridge
Canton
Chillicothe
Cincinnati
Cleveland
Columbus
Dayton
Dover
Elyria
Fairfield (B)
Findlay
Kenton (B)
Lima
Mansfield
Maple Heights
Marietta
Marion
Nelsonville (B)
Portsmouth
Sandusky
Springfield
Steubenville
Toledo
Van Wert
Warren
West Salem
Youngstown
Zanesville

The closest one to me is on Gilbert Ave in cincinnati. A distance of about 48 miles into a major urban center that has very limited public parking outside of garages which cost 3.00 per hour. Chillicothe is about 50 miles the other direction or about the same to dayton. So not exactly a great option.

Being out in the country I have to have a set of wheels to get just about anywhere major. As the only thing within bicycle distance is a small minimart/gas station, a small mom and pop restraunt, and a post office about 4 miles from me. The next largest town of any size is 10 miles away. And it is only about 1500 people.

Well I guess, but in a minute a lot can happen. What I usually do is park my junker next to someone else's nice car that way a thief might wanna go after the cream puff and leave the day old bread. Working with car mechanics that also used to be car thieves has shown me just how quick a determined thief can get. Also if you make things too hard they might just smash things or mess up your stuff out of sour grapes. Fortunately though it does seem like most people (around here at least) are not that bad.

What I find ridiculous is that car companies, in both TV and print advertising, are still pushing gas guzzling, super-sized SUV's. OK, I know the ads were bought and paid for before the hurricane, but this still stinks on ice. Anyone who buys an SUV now, IMHO, is a fool. Oil man Bush could push for higher mileage for both cars and SUV's. But, you know he won't.

I doubt that people would try to siphon gas out of my compact Ford (15.9 gallon tank) when there are plenty of SUV's out there with 25, 30 or even 40 gallon tanks ready and waiting.

They're considering petrol rationing in the U.K if things get worse, according to current news...
(This is due to the proposed "picketing" of fuel storage facilities & refineries by protestors, concerned by rises in the costs of fuel, who intend to force the Government to reduce the duty on fuel, & as a result fuel costs, by "illegal action".
The main political opposition are seemingly encouraging this behaivour by pointing out, that rival European hauliers for example, pay less for their fuel, but delibrately ignore the added costs, in the form of mandatory tolls, on European main roads that said hauliers have to pay).

Adam,

What I find ridiculous is that car companies, in both TV and print advertising, are still pushing gas guzzling, super-sized SUV's. ...

Sadly, that's the case over here, too - not SUVs, but all ads show how wonderful and cool it's to drive close to supersonic speeds on empty roads, when the reality is driving on crowded cities or highways, with lots of jams.

The IAA (International Automobil Exhibition) now taking place also shows economic cars only as small corner, not main topic. (I guess this is because still mostly men buy cars, and they think "more power, more speed = better", instead of thinking of long-term costs like efficiency, reliability, manevrouability and parking space and all those other practical details...)

Mark,

... The main political opposition are seemingly encouraging this behaivour by pointing out, that rival European hauliers for example, pay less for their fuel, but delibrately ignore the added costs, in the form of mandatory tolls, on European main roads that said hauliers have to pay).

Ah, yes, we had a similar argument with the LKW (trucks) toll for the highways introduced recently (with a big fiasco due to bad project-management...), where pro and con arguments cited those countries which have a toll, too, while others cite tax on gasoline and on the automobiles, which pays for the roads, when the opposition countered how many foreign trucks used the roads without paying automobile tax, etc...

For those who actually are interested in driving with vegetable oil, here's the (german-language) TV report, with some links at the top. (If Babelfish & co. mangle the content too much, tell me, and I'll translate the site.)

And this site (Driving with Saladoil) is in english a forum with advice on how to do it.

while this site belongs to a company who helps with the initial change to your car.

Senate Democrats are demanding an investigation into possibly artificially high gas prices in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Also, gas station owners say that ExxonMobil had ordered tham to raise prices. More here.
Guess what oil man Bush will do about this? Absolotely nothing, except protect his pals in the oil industry.

Lame, Adam, lame.

Guess what? There are high gas prices everywhere , not just the US.

Blaming high gas prices on Bush is pathetic.

one day in La La land I was visiting a freind of mine in West Covina and i locked myself in and we used a coat hanger to get the car keys. A motorcycle cop came along and asks you stealing this car? Then we told him and at least he saw the car keys in the car. What if I told him yeah?

(it was a ol dodge dart)

----------------------------------------------

also while in Disneyland once we got into the same dodge dart and the keys unlocked the car but not start the engine. We went to the wrong Dodge.

ps. last I heard,gas prices is $6.79 unleaded, if you can find it, in New orleans since the hurricane.

Rene, but here in the US the oil companies are saying that they are being forced to raise prices because of market forces, supply and demand and all of that. Meanwhile every quarter they post new record profits they likes of which they have never made before. Seems to me if they were really getting squeezed by the market and raising prices to keep their heads above water they should be posting smaller profit margens than before.

Anonymous22,

one day in La La land ...

I didn't know the TeleTubbies have cars that run on gas at all!

Brian,

over here, the companies are blaming not only the high raw oil prices, but also the high taxes for the high gasoline price (even though Austria e.g. has cheaper prices, it's only about 10 or 15%). While I haven't seen their profits, I guess companies will always find some excuses for high prices!

Please don't call it La La Land.

What you thinking that the oil companies are lying so they can jack the prices up while still making outrageous profits for their already rich CEOs? Impossible that would be unamerican. /sarcasm

Yeah if the oil companies really where hurting they wouldn't be making as much profit as they have been doing. The more things go on the more I begin to agree with R.

The oil company executives testified before Congress last week on the record profits they made. (Exxon Mobil just made the highest quarterly profit of any corporation ever.) Those SOB's basically laughed in the faces of everyone.
And, Oil Man Bush has the lowest poll numbers of his presidency. Possibly of any presidency.

What's really insulting to me is that the Republicans did not want the Oil 'Xecs to testify under oath. In other words, the conservatives basically let Big Oil lie if they want and not be held accountable for it. That just leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

I was listening to Matt Drudge the other night (because I was in my brother;s car, and he had Drudge on.) Drudgery was actually defending the ludicrous $400 million retirement package given to Exxon Mobil CEO Lee Raymond last year. I guess when your corporation makes the largest corporate profit in history ($36 billion in 2005) then $400 million is chump change. More on that here

My local gas station is now charging 2.86 a gallon for regular unleaded. There is also suggestions that it will be over three bucks before the end of May. When will this insanity end? Somethign needs to be done.

Which already a manager in a Hillsboro gas station was attacked and wound up in the ER because he was raising the prices and someone didn't like that. I mean the first round of price hikes caused two gas stations in my area to stop selling gas and one is almost about to go out of business.

You know a company making 36 billion in profits has to be doing something illegal, at the very least price gouging.

And I do want to point out that I do not advocate attacking the folks at the gas station as it is not their fault they are getting shafted just as much as we are. The average gas station does not have as strong a margin on the gas as they do the pop and chips. Drive offs do not help either as they are criminal (Here in Ohio the station owner can file criminal charges for theft as well as the state sieze your plates and driver's liscence) and do not hurt the oil company as the station has already bought the gas from their distributor so the only person you are hurting is your local gas station.(or at least the franchise which is still generally a locally owned or run facility)

Its the fault of the megacorp oil companies and their greedy bstrd ceos who deserve the ballbat upside their heads until they quit raping and pillaging from the people.

In Central Ca, its $3.47 a gal. Used to be under $2.99 a week ago.


the gasstation giants made a 4 billion dollar profit.The Congress wants to give us a rollback from the profits made. What if you take the bus or walk to work?

Not if there is no buses or walking is too far.

Glad I don't drive. Watch this ongoing gas price crisis is like being a fly on the wall for me, for which I'm grateful.

somewhere in Ca its $4.24 a gal. Ouchhhhhh

We need the Trek Transporter today

Must be nice to be you Luigi. As for the rest of us poor saps who have to drive somewhere there isn't as much to be grateful about.

When I was in college I was thrown out of the bus for eating gum. (I was not).The girls next to me were and they said He (me) did it.Guess who the bussy picked?

I walked to college or rode my bike 4 years running.My dad was not happy when it went up to $1.25 a gal.Those days the gas prices was under a dollar.

Hey, Anon22, keep it on topic. We're talking gas prices, not how everything bad in the world happened to you.

Yes, please anon.

I am very fortunate that while my life is in a weird transition right now, I live right across the street from work and haven't had to drive anywhere in a while. Oregon gas prices aren't near so crazy as other places but still. Ick.

Somewhere in Ca its $4.24 a gal.

In Brooklyn Heights, it's close to $4.50 per gallon at one station.

I just returned from a trip to Paris, France, and the gas prices over there are over $7 per gallon. Out of necessity, most people there drive small cars. You rarely see minivans or gas-guzzling SUVs there.

I personally saw it at $3.75 for regular unleaded, $3.99 for premium here in NorCal. What's strange is that one station, a Valero, is way out of the normal range for my area. Most stations here have it at $3.09, and the station closest to my workplace is always about 10 cents cheaper than the area rate.

My local station in dodsonville had it at 2.95 in lynchburg both stations there where 2.85 for regular. My wife said that the krogers in hillsboro was running at 2.75 for regular. So we are still running high but not as painful as some of the rest of the country. Of course we run ethanol blends in many of ours (and have done so for as long as i can recall) so we are doing a bit better.

Yeah Adam my friend in the Navy said that gas in Japan was closer to 10 bucks a gallon, and this was a year or two ago when he was last stationed there.Thats One of the reasons Japan is so much more advanced than America in getting horsepower out of small engines with such great fuel efficiency as well as hybrids and other alternatives. Also I was told that a lot of why the cars and such are smaller is due to the old streets and such in the old cities.

Also diesels are a lot more common in europe from what I understand. And a lot more advanced in many ways.

As for smaller cars being more common in Europe: yes, definetly. The advantages are not only less consumption, but also parking spaces in the cities are rare, and European cars are small, so if you want a big car (besides the big Mercedes and BMW models, which are mostly for managers), you'd have to buy an American car, which would be unsafe (crash tests, road stability etc.). (Not to mention the hassle with spare parts, service etc for foreign cars.)
While the flat, broad American cars do have more room when driving cross-country for days, that's not very common in Europe - driving to Italy from Bavaria takes one day, but then people stay there for one or two weeks, so it's not that hard. Buying a big car only for the holiday drive once or twice a year wouldn't be worth the hassle during the year of finding a parking space, driving through small streets etc.

Oh, and here is the latest not-working proposal for lowering the gas price: only buy gas for 10 $. And yes, that's an old joke (at least over here, where gas prices have been high for ages.) The crunch of the bad analogy is that hens continue laying eggs, which then spoil, but oil wells don't gush forth like artesian wells, and gasoline can be traded much farther then perishable eggs. Even if the no new gasoline is made, raw oil is still wanted by the petro-chemical industry for all the plastic stuff.

just remember that you can't transport a shipment of goods to stores in the backseat of a small car. Those semi-tractor trailer trucks don't exactly have the option of using something smaller... so for them to survive, they'll have to charge more which means everyday goods will cost more.

Actually in europe they still use a lot of rail to transport stuff large distnaces (As of my last info) so they are able to use smaller trucks (about the size of our big uhauls or UPS trucks. The Dodge Sprinter is a mercedes design for a common delivery truck.)

Here in America we foolishly destroyed the rail systems and put most of the eggs in airplanes and trucks. Not to say anythign against truckers but trains are able to transport larger amounts of cargo and goods over longer distances for better costs (or at least would in a realistic world) than multiple trucks. I mean look at the operation range on a diesel electric train vs your common jimmy or pete as well as the amount of cargo they can carry.

But yeah thats where getting more Biodeisel into production which would, once economies of scale come into play ,be able to drive prices down of fuel and then delivery costs.

And yeah if you stop and think about how much stuff is made from petrochems (Plastics, Cleaning fluids, Medicines, etc..) just reducing fuel usage is not going to be enough. Fortunately biotech can help in that as well. Soybean, corn, flax etc... can also be used to make plastics, citrus for cleaning fluids (I've used some really nice orange citrus based cleaners back at the dealership and they worked as good if not better than the petrochem ones.) Medicines might be one place non petro alternatives might have some problems but thats just a matter of research. Either that or get NASA to get out there and find the oil planet.

Actually in europe they still use a lot of rail to transport stuff large distnaces (As of my last info) so they are able to use smaller trucks (about the size of our big uhauls or UPS trucks. The Dodge Sprinter is a mercedes design for a common delivery truck.)

I don't know the percentages of how much stuff is transported with trucks vs. trains, but the Alpine countrys (Bavaria , Austria, Switzerland, Italy) have passed a resolution to put more goods on rail than on trucks, because all the trucks passing back and forth over Alpine passes are very bad for enviroment.

Though much more goods are transported with trucks now than 20 years ago, because Just-In-Time production in factories has increased. And a special EU factor we have is exploiting subventions and tax breaks by e.g. transporting peanuts from Germany to Italy to package them, and then re-importing them.

Another transportation mode is ships - the Rhine, the Elbe (connecting with Eastern Europe) etc. Ships can carry large cargoes most cheaply of all.

...Fortunately biotech can help in that as well. Soybean, corn, flax etc... can also be used to make plastics..

The first step is to avoid unnecessary plastics use - e.g. use a cloth bag instead of plastic when shopping.
The second step is to recycle plastic where possible - e.g. making sweaters from plastic garbage, if it's one sort, like PPP.
The third step is, as R already said, using different source materials to produce plastic, when it's necessary.

Ok. Well Like I said as far as my last info was regarding that. Just in Time or as we called it in Sprint Just in Transit as half the time our stuff didnt get there until a day or two past "In time" But that is interesting to know.

Yeah I forgot about the rivers and canals of europe. I should have thought of it given how much stuff travels on the Ohio river just a bit south of me. (Sitting on the bank fishing watching the barges go by is a real nice thing to do in the summer)

True I wasn't addressing the Reduce, Reuse, Recycle aspects of Biotech. Just examining the alternatives to regular petrochem technology. But you are right The triple Rs are goign to have to become a common and normal aspect of everyone's lives if we are going to decrease the reliance on petrochems among other resources.

European cars are small...

In Paris, I saw many smaller cars that are not sold here in the States. Renaults, Citroens, Fiats, to name a few. I also saw a few Ford Focuses, which look identical to those sold in the States, at least from model years 2000-04. In addition, I saw a small two door sedan called the "Smart." This car is so tiny, I can imagine one getting stuck between two gigantic SUV's, and the SUV's laying waste to it and the driver. I doubt it could ever be sold here, due to our safety and emissions requirements.
A lot of European cars have air bags and center mounted stop lights. Are they following America's lead? Center mounted stop lights have been required since September, 1985, and air bags since the 1994 model year.

Congress won't give us the $100 rollback from the gas-gouging gas makers.Some people do take the bus or walk or even ride a bike to work or school!


I wonder why?

Actually Adam Daimler Chrysler which makes the Smart was goign to bring a model over here. I know because the dealership I worked at was goign to be the only one in the tristate to have them (at least at launch). They decided not to do so because they felt there wasn't sufficient market to do so and went ahead with other options. The model they was going to bring over here would have been called the formore or somethign like that.

It actually would have exceeded driver safety regulations due to crush cage construction and materials design. (ie the car would have crumpled around the passenger compartment like a tin can absorbing the impact coupled with airbags and soft interier materials to keep the passengers alive. Maybe. I agree a good solid hit by an expedition or hummer and you'd be toast. But you can say that about most cars on the road.

A lot of European cars have air bags and center mounted stop lights. Are they following America's lead?

I've heard that it's the reverse, that cars in Europe have tougher safty requirements than in the US and many american cars can't be sold over there because of it.

Actually yeah Europe does and has had higher safety standards than american cars. When Chrysler wanted to sell the Dodge Viper overseas they had to redesign a few things. And for one reason or another there are several models that are not able to be sold in europe, which is why there are european versions of many popular american cars.

Europe and Japan have lead the way in such things as Traction Control, Crash Avoidance Systems (The radar based cruise control by mercedes is very promising), pollution controls etc... For one reason or another the american car manufacturers are always behind the times on almost everything to do with developing automobile technology.

The funny thing is that sometimes, US emission standards are quoted as being tougher on some minor aspects than the European ones.

As for the Smart, yes, it looks like a Matchbox Toy car - but it was specifically designed for city traffic, where you need to find a parking space. With about 2 m sth. in length, a Smart can fit in where other cars can't.

And as for safety aspects: we do have a lot of crash tests in Germany by the ADAC (the german AA), and their voice carries some weight with the manufacturers if they declare a car too unsafe. There's also a European Crash Test.) In fact, it's because of consumer organisations and state-owned control organisations like the TÜV (Technischer Überwachungsverein = Technical control organsiation), which tests most applicances to certify them safe for the market, that the safety standard in cars has improved since the 50s - safety glass, seat belts, air bags, frames and crumple zones. Plus the electronic systems - ABS (Braking), EDS (steering) and all the other abbreviations.

As for who was first in adopting what security or emission control system - I guess everybody wants to have been first, not last. I tend (naturally ) to think that german/European regulations about safety and emission were more strict because we have a tougher, more responsible state, but that's only a guess, I haven't looked at the dates.

When Mercedes brought the A-class onto the market (another small car like the Smart), it failed the "Elk test" (a test common in Sweden, where you have to suddenly break and swerve, as if an Elk stepped onto the road - the Mercedes fell over onto its side), and everybody laughed themselves silly, esp. when it turned out the Trabant (Trabbi, one of the two East German cars, which had been previously mocked for being made out of plastic) passed the Elk test with flying colours.

So Mercedes hastily improved the A-class (and sulkily complained that whatever happens in Sweden, there are no Elks on German roads, and who cares about an obscure test, that's all so unfair... buhuhu).

The other point is, of course, from a standpoint of physics, the heavier car, say a Merceds C-class, always has the advantage over a small car, whether it's a VW, a 2CV, or a Smart. But against each other, or in normal situations, these new cars are quite safe, because there's so much improved technology the manufacturers could use when building them - decades of crash tests, computer models, new materials, better electronics.
Besides, it's simply not possible that everybody drives a Mercedes C-class - too expensive, uses too much gasoline, needs too much space.

About the air bags: European air bags are smaller, because the law requires people to belt in, so the air bags are only required for additional safety together with the seat belt system (and the electronic systems have been adjusted to first tighten the seat belt and then release it very slowly to take full benefit of the air bag). Whereas in the US, the law says the air bags have to protect passengers not belted in, so the air bags are bigger, but not optimized for those that do belt in.

Besides, there aren't nearly as many SUVs on European streets and cities as in America.

our local news said its $4.34 a gal somewhere.

ouch. I need Bus fare! Our bus drivers also wants 25 cents for transfers that used to be free.

to save gas, just use a donkey to get around town. I hear a lot of them can be bought in Washington D.C. Just make your way through the zoo of disorganized elephants.

BP will shut its Prudhoe Bay oil field, to alegedly repair corroded pipes. It may be closed for weeks or months. This seems like another scheme to raise gas prices, which will jump another ten to 15 cents per gallon. Of course, Oil Man Bush will sit on his ass at his ranch, singing cowboy songs with Karl and Dick, and let the oil companies do pretty much what they want. Just like he always does.

the powers that be will tax us for using our legs soon


they already make us pay for air and water.

Polls- how about a donkey tax?

Polls- how about a donkey tax?

Is that a tax to drive a donkey or to own one in general? And is there an elephant tax?

the powers that be will tax us for using our legs soon

they already make us pay for air and water.

That's why I use Nitrogen inflation!

How about a breathing tax, eating tax (we got that already) and a driving your car tax? each time we go out a taxometer wil be charging you.

How about a CO2 tax. Excessive C02 ruins the environment, so we should start taxing people who's activities result in elevated C02.

Here's a funny Ziggy cartoon that's pretty good.

http://us.news1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/uc/20060809/lzi060810.gif

What? Forget that... I want an I-Pod...

(they seem to be the promotional gimmick these days)

I paid $3.89 in Needles, CA on the way home found $2.99 within 25 miles. Actually paid $2.75 today in Arkansas, it's a miracle!

gosh I rememeber when gas was under a dollar a gallon.Where in Ark?


My dad was so mad when hit it $1.25 a gallon!

It was at a Pilot Travel Center just across the Oklahoma line, also saw $2.79 at other Pilots on I-40 past Memphis.

74s, it's not worth travellign 2000 miles one way to get $2.75 gas.

for Scottn-Tom Vane-My dad was a defense language teacher at Monterey ca, used his vacation time to visit NYc, La,Chicago, Texas, etc.he was so frugal, he stayed at the Ymca. He would drive to Arkansas to save $ xx dollars. No joke.He shoulda stayed at the Hilton, spending his paid vacation money.He lived in the depression times, so he would spend that money to save money.

btw,Did you read today's Peanuts? That was me all over. I borrow a comic book and get yelled at.I remember that one vividly.

I just saw the documentary Who Killed the Electric Car? this evening. It was really good, and those of you who drive might want to lobby for electric and/or hybrid cars.

I saw the film as well--it was interesting, but it was clearly a shill for electric cars. I think it would have worked better if it eliminated the pretense that it was conducting a balanced investigation into who was at fault and concentrated on just trying to either tell the story of the electric car or pitch me on the benefits.

I just felt it glossed over too many things: it blames GM for not pushing harder when even electric car proponents admit that they only had a waiting list of about 50 people, it makes the car companies look evil for wanting their discontinued cars back when I'm pretty sure this is standard policy to prevent the cars from being sold to competitors/foreign markets.

However, I can't argue too much with its main findings. Oil prices at the time were quite cheap--the consumer didn't believe the negs of the electric car outweighed the pros and weren't ready to buy. Car companies obviously didn't want to back a non-seller, plus as the film points out, electric cars would have eliminated the need to sell replacement parts.

Re: R's May 5th comment
I suspect that said vehicle was the ForFour, which was Smart's attempt to produce a larger vehicle. Said vehicle was produced in conjunction with Hyundai & Mitsubishi as a "common" design.
However, in Europe it was priced several thousand pounds/euros higher, than it's "sister", the Mitsubishi Colt, with the result that relatively few were sold.
Coupled with the failure, sales wise of the Brabus tuned Roadster & Coupe models, the future of Daimler-Chrysler's Smart division is now in doubt, & it's continued existance may depend on how well the second generation ForTwo model a/k/a the Smart II sells....

I just saw the documentary Who Killed the Electric Car? this evening. It was really good, and those of you who drive might want to lobby for electric and/or hybrid cars.

I'd also lobby for them to build some sidewalks around here so I don't have to drive period. I'd walk or bike a lot of places but this township wasn't developed byt far thinking individuals.

Prices for used SUV's are plummeting, as gas prices go way up. More here.
I have no pity for people who bought those gas guzzling beasts, and are now crying like babies because they can't afford the fuel for them.

How about the rest of us?

I have a (used) '05 Camry. $60 on my last fillup.

Daimler Chrysler which makes the Smart was going to bring a model over here....The model they was going to bring over here would have been called the formore or something like that.
The "Smart Fortwo" went on sale in the U.S. either late last year or early this year. I saw one a few weeks back; it's prominently displayed (outside) at Ray Catena Motors of Edison, New Jersey. It doesn't look much different from the ones I saw in France back in 2006.

How about the rest of us?
I have a (used) '05 Camry. $60 on my last fillup.
I do have sympathy for you, Scott, as you're in the same boat as I am. I paid $36 last week to fill up my aging Tempo, it has a 15 gallon tank and I had about a third of it left. I had to travel from Edison N.J. to the Meadowlands, and I didn't want to chance getting stuck in traffic and running out of gas. That didn't happen, though. In fact, the ride home was unusually easy. The people who bought gas guzzling SUV's (Hummers, Ford Explorers and Excursions, Chevy Suburbans) are really getting hammered; it costs $100 or more now to fill those things up. I have no pity on them. They made their bed, now they can lie in it.
I drive a lot less now. When I see my son, I stay at my ex'es place in Jersey instead of bringing him back to mine in New York. She's not there, and my son is more comfortable. That's only half the gas and travel, and it saves me on tolls as well. Unless I'm doing something out of my routine (like driving up to Pa. to see my girlfriend) I gas up only every three to four weeks.

Now Scott's car is the "Tempo of Doom"


(Parody title of 2nd Indiana Jones Film)

Sorry. That's Adam's car.

$5.04 full service , U76 in my home town.
I gotta ride the bussssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss

I visited my girlfriend this past weekend. I stopped off at the Exxon "Joe's Qwik Serve" on Route 6 in Honesdale, Pa. The price to fill up the "Tempo Of Doom" was $43; the per gallon price was $3.699. (That was an average price, and I had to fill up, as I was running on fumes.) When I started driving in 1973, expensive gas was 45 cents per gallon. How times have changed.

Consider yourself lucky. Out here in LA, $3.899 is a good day.

$3.699? That's cheap even in Michigan!

In McHenry, Il. it's $3.94

Last time I checked, it was $3.59 here in Athens, Georgia.

Susan (my girlfriend) told me last night that the price at "Joe's" went up six cents per gallon between Sunday afternoon and yesterday morning; it's now $3.759. (The price is for self-serve, by the way. I'd rather fill the tank up myself, given the choice.)
My nephew is getting married next month, and I'm schlepping from New York City to Albany to go. I dread how much it's going to cost me, between gas, the hotel for the night and a gift. But, I wanted to go, as I haven't been to a wedding in five years. So, I'll just hold my nose, and bear the cost. (I'll gas up in Jersey, rather than New York, as it's cheaper.)

Still better than Europe.

cheapest gas is $3.99 now...Enron anyone?

Without question gas will be $4.00 or more by Memorial Day and near $5.00 by July 4.

I never thought the day would come that I would find a gas station that had regular for $3.37 and be very happy. (Last Monday in Memphis) Most places around here are $3.55 or more and I saw several at $3.69 yesterday.

Still better than Europe.
Tell me about it. As I said above, when I was in Paris with Susan in 2006, the Esso station near our hotel had prices around seven bucks a gallon. I can only imagine what it is now. We did not drive at all in Paris; we never bothered to rent a car. We made the right call, as there was heavy traffic all the time. The rail system in Paris is excellent, and we took trains everywhere. In fact, when we left the hotel to sightsee each day, the same cars seem to be parked in the same spots. I guess if you get a spot on the street, you hang on to it.

$7.00 a gallon in Paris? GEEZ!
And we're whining about $4.00 a gallon!

The way I understand it gas taxes in many European countries are more than the actual price of the gas itself, it's the price one pays for having free health care if one gets sick.

$7.00 a gallon in Paris? GEEZ!
That was over two years ago; I nave no clue what it is now. Probably more.
Self-serve regular unleaded broke $4 per gallon at the BP/Amoco near me yesterday; the price was $4.05 per.

somehere in Europe its $17 or $18 American dollars a gal....

Big Oil executives were called before the U.S. Senate yesterday, to answer about gas prices and the oil companies record profits. To me, it was just another big fat election year show, as I'm sure a lot of Senators (and other politicians) take campaign contributions from the same oil companies (or their executives) that they "called on the carpet." More here.

instead of only $5 a gallon it 'll be $7 ..or 8?????????????

I am gonna walk to work....or ride the busssss...
or use my handy dandy nifty transporter...one to beam up.

pretty soon we got the taxometer on donkeys,walking and breathing...

The SUV is on life support. Sales are waaay down. GM may put its Hummer brand up for sale (but who would buy it?) More here.

$70 for filup unleaded.It is cheaper by bus now.

$5.69 a gal where my wife works.Enron anyone?

$70 for fillup unleaded.
We drove to Albany last weekend for my nephew's wedding. My brother drove, and my mom and I chipped in for the gas. It cost $70 to fill up the (close to empty) tank of a 2008 Nissan Altima. The price was $4.34 per gallon at a Sunoco station on the New York Thruway.
Rental car companies are now offering discounts on SUV rentals. There are few takers.

I hate to say it but as a society we did this to ourselves. Back in the 70s with the energy crisis we saw what could happen. When the price came back down everyone just went right back to business as usual. We've had 30 years that we could have spent improving the gas millage of our cars, improving and expanding public transport and developing renewable sources of energy. Instead people got bigger cars (SUVs that one could take camping being used to haul a latte from Starbucks) and suburban sprawl expanded. Now people have hours long commutes in land yatchs and are saying "who could have seen this one coming."

I agree with Brian.

Quick etiquette question:

I drive in a carpool with three other people. They all have cars, so we all drive once a day and trade off on who has to drive twice a week. That's fair. Since we all drive, we don't bother paying for each other's gas.

Another group of friends has a carpool of four people, but one person does not have a car, so this necessitates a little bit more driving. Do you think it is fair to ask the person who does not have the car to contribute money for gas?

I'd say yes that's fair to ask someone to kick in some gas money since everyone else has to gas up their cars.

Do you think it is fair to ask the person who does not have the car to contribute money for gas?
It's not only fair, it should be required. Sounds like he's freeloading and not pulling his weight, in that it's implied that he does not drive nor pay for any of the gas. If he is paying some, than he should kick in more, to compensate for his not driving.

somewhere in the far east its $.97 a gal. I gotta go there!

no joke.

a Cbs News reporter says gas will be $7 by July 1.uh, what happenned to $6?

No, he isn't paying at all. But it's not my carpool, so I don't want to get too involved--I just wanted to see if others agreed with me or if I was just cold-hearted and greedy.

Someone can build an all- electric car if you happen to have $100 grand..your power bill will go up...

---------------------------------------

and I lost my bus pass in my wallett. and I got
tossed by my wifeee.., she grounded me,

In Saudi Arabia, gas is 45 cents a gal.(supposedly. On the other hand another country is $17 a gal, Us money!) Our local newspaper
.That's lower than my time in the 60s in Ca!

At the BP station on Route 27 in Edison, N.J. (right near a new WalMart), the price for a gallon of unleaded regular was $1.45. The cheapest I've seen it in several years. Lower gas prices are the only good thing to come out of this tanked economy.

Yeah, my dad and older cousin were talking about it at Christmas Eve. Unbelievable.

It didn't last too long. Tonight, the same BP station was selling regular for $1.75 a gallon. New York gas stations charge about $2.05 for the same stuff. Still cheap compared to what it was most of last year.

And, Exxon-Mobil posted (again) the largest corporate profit in history - some $45 billion. Read the gloating news here.

I wrote, back in 2008:

---

quote:

The price was $4.34 per gallon at a Sunoco station on the New York Thruway.

---

Thankfully a gallon isn't over four bucks anymore. I paid $3.70 last night at the corner self-serve BP. New Jersey gas, when I was there last week, is some 30 cents cheaper. For full serve. I doubt it will ever be $1.45 again. How times have changed. I remember back in the oil crisis of 1973-74, when a dollar a gallon gas was considered scandalously expensive. Now, less than $3 is considered dirt cheap.
Mistubishi is touting its manufacturing of an all-electric car in its Normal, Illinois plant. It's a tiny car, that reminds me of the old Candid Camera gag of a "car" (actually two motorcycles, each with half of a fake car body attached) splitting in half while going around an astonished traffic cop.

somehere a Chevron is $5.69 a gal.

I need an arm and a leg .

somehere a Chevron is $5.69 a gal.,unleaded.

I need an arm and a leg .

I was in Stroudsburg, Pa. with the girlfriend this past weekend. We got gas on Saturday, as she had about 60 miles left to empty. Good thing, too, because prices jumped ten cents overnight, from $3.75 to $3.85 a gallon. And, the rise was universal; every station we passed had raised their prices that same amount. I guess those digital signs gas stations use come in handy quite often. Supposedly, the increase is blamed on Hurricane Isaac.

Or maybe someone sneezed.

New Jersey State Senator Raymond Lesniak will propose an annual four cent per gallon increase in the state's gas tax, to be phased in over the course of six years. The money will be designated for road repair. More here.
If that money actually goes for road repair, I'll eat my shorts. More likely, it will wind up in some politician's PAC. Now, if they would only allow self-serve in New Jersey...

Due to the supposed oil glut, gas prices have dropped a great deal. In New York, it's about $2.49 per gallon. In the Edison/Fords/Perth Amboy area of New Jersey, the lowest I've seen is $1.85 a gallon (as of 1/17/15).

Just bought a 45 MPG vehicle. Sooner or later the Saudis are going to close the tap.

Now, gas is about $2.59 - $2.79 in the New York City area. In central New Jersey, it's hit as low as $1.99. Especially in stations that are across from one another. Like a 7-Eleven and a Speedway in Perth Amboy; I guess they're engaged in a price war.

In central New Jersey, gas is now between $1.39 (central Middlesex county) and $1.49 (Middlesex/Monmouth county, on the way to the shore). It won't stay that way long, IMHO. FCA chairman Sergio Marchionne wants to end production of the Dodge Dart and Chrysler 200 by mid-2017, to concentrate on gas guzzling SUVs (which, I assume, are back in demand.) All because of low gas prices. Get your head out of your ass, Mr. M. Remember summer 2008, when gas was close to five bucks a gallon, and SUV's could not be given away? That could, and probably will, happen again.

Gas in central New Jersey is currently priced between $1.99 and $2.13 per gallon. It will be going up very soon, though. The New Jersey state legislature has cut a deal to raise the gas tax by 23 cents per gallon (to replenish the close-to-broke transportation trust fund, they say.) In exchange the (7%) sales tax will be cut by one percent by 2018. The gas tax hike will take effect this Friday, July 1. (Watch the sales tax reduction never see the light of day.) More here.

The gas tax hike will take effect this Friday, July 1.
No it didn't. Sunk by political infighting, no doubt. Meanwhile, the transportation trust fund dries up. As a result, necessary road work is suspended. Tire shops must be cleaning up, as the awful roads make alignments and other front end work almost a necessity.

Well, the gas tax finally did pass; it takes effect tomorrow, November 1. I wonder if gas lines will form today; the Costco gas station on Route 27 in Edison was pretty packed yesterday.

And, FCA chairman Sergio Marchionne still has his head up his ass. The Dodge Dart has stopped production; the Chrysler 200 will be put to bed by the end of 2016. The assembly lines will be re-tooled to build the new Jeep Cherokee and Ram truck.

The assembly lines will be re-tooled to build the new Jeep Cherokee and Ram truck.
Just as gas prices are headed back up; they're expected to hit $3 per gallon in early 2017. I would have told Mr. Marchionne, but his head is so far up his ass, I doubt he would have heard me. More here.

Gas prices now are between $2.35 and $2.55/gallon in New York, and about 10 to 15 cents less in central New Jersey. President Lard-Ass is, of course, taking credit for it, equating it to a tax cut. Here's why Mr. Prune-Face of full of you-know-what, and proof that he knows sh*t about economics. (Like the past two years haven't proved that Fat Man is a big know-nothing)

Will President Lard-Ass take credit for the recent spike in gas prices, up about fifty cents over the past month? Probably not. Regular unleaded was $2.99/gallon in NYC today; last month at this time, prices per gallon were about $2.50. When I was in L.A. last month, prices there were about $1.50 more than in NYC. I wonder why...maybe it's a special blend that, AFAIK, is required there.

That, plus higher gas taxes.

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quote:

Sooner or later the Saudis are going to close the tap.

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Due to the current Corona virus pandemic, and a consequently tanking economy, oil prices are dropping, and gas prices are going down as a result. At the Sam's Club in Edison, N.J., a gallon of regular is $1.99. At an out of the way off-brand station on Route 27 in Edison, the cash price per gallon is $2.05. Prices dropped about thirty cents in the past two weeks.

Yes, I usually buy a week's worth of gas at a time (about 2/3 of a tank), but this week I filled up.

Good move. You should not let the gas tank get much below 1/4 full. The reason for that is - Since the fuel pump is in the gas tank, if the tank gets too low, the pump will draw air in place of gas, and quit. On some cars, changing the fuel pump isn't too bad, as access to the tank is under the back seat. On a lot of cars, though, the tank has to be dropped to replace the pump. Not an easy job at all.

I spoke to my brother a few weeks ago; he pretty much implied that keeping gas prices low was reason enough to vote for the 74 year old crybaby Trump. He kind of reamed me out for voting for Joe Biden, saying gas prices were high under Obama, and with Biden, those days will return. But, if you check out the timeline in the posts above, when posters were complaining that gas was over four bucks a gallon, you see that the posts were done in 2008. When Oil Man Bush, who let Big Oil get away with anything, was in the White House. (Of course, crybaby Trump is letting Big Oil get away with a lot, too.)

Not quite true. When I bought my VW Diesel (yes, I got hit by Dieselgate) in January *2016*, part of the reason I chose the diesel was that -- at least in California -- gas was about $4 for regular and about $2.25 for diesel. I figured that between better mileage and lower prices, I was saving between $100 and $200 per month.

I figured that between better mileage and lower prices, I was saving between $100 and $200 per month.

Did you, Scott? Are you still? Here in New York (and I think New Jersey as well) diesel is 20-30% more expensive than gasoline. Back in the ancient days of the 1970s, diesel was that much cheaper than gasoline.
Back in the late 1980s, a fellow I knew from work bought one of the infamous GM diesel cars. Specifically, an '87 Olds Cutlass diesel. When those cars turned out to be some of the biggest lemons that came out of Detroit, I asked him why. His answer was that he "wanted to try something different." Well, he sure got that. At one point when the diesel became a burden, I even contacted a local repair shop for him, who advertised that they did "GM diesel to gas conversions". Nothing came of it, though. Last I remember, he got rid of the diesel (who would take those lemons?) and got a (gasoline powered ) Toyota Camry.

Back then, as I said, I was saving about $1.75 per gallon.

Nowadays, I figure that with the extra mileage (rated 45mpg post-Dieselgate, actual measured mpg between 45 and 50), I'm breaking even compared to gas.

At least one station was recently charging $7.99/gallon. This was the result of the Colonial Pipeline, which supplies gasoline to much of the eastern U.S., being shut down by hackers. Who demanded, and supposedly got, a $5 million ransom. Hoarding and 1970s style gas lines, shortages and closed gas pumps were the result. More from Newsweek here.
There were warnings earlier this year about shortages and increased gas prices this summer. Not due to any pipeline closings, but a shortage of trained drivers to drive the delivery trucks. Don't know if that will happen, though.

New York State has joined two others in banning the sale of gasoline powered cars by 2035. More on that here. Read the article to see what's needed to do that (but not what it will cost).

Gas prices in the U.S. are now averaging over $5 per gallon. More in California. A gas station manager in Rancho Cordova was fired when he mistakenly set the per gallon price at 69 cents, instead of $6.99. More on that here.