Gas!

[EdWort]

What really chaps my ass is that there are still some places in the country paying under $3.80. I don't care about the economics, supply and demand, or other reasons, I'm just jealous. In the end, I am thankful that my job pays well enough that I can still afford to buy gas and drive for fun.

Chevron had regular for $3.79 just around the corner from AHS in Austin today. Head on out to www.gasbuddy.com to check for prices in your neighborhood.

 

[joejaz]

I hope gas goes up to $10 a gallon. I have Canadian oil trust stocks, oil tanker, coal stock and they keep going up and pay hefty dividends --- one is paying 18 percent. We deserve what we got. How many of you are driving SUV's. We have had this problem since the Carter Administration and nothing has been done. Wait till they start rationing gas; how many of you remember the odd and even gassing days. We have no alternative fuel source, no mass transit initatives, no new refineries, people refuse to carpool. Where are the electric cars, the ethanol, solar, wind, water and nuclear alternatives. What about all that oil in ALASKA? And I don't want to hear that crap that drilling won't make a difference in oil supplies, they don't even know how much oil is up there. Now ya's went and done it and got me all worked up.

 

[Danek]

This seems slightly uncharitable, but perhaps apposite:

 

[EdWort]

I hope gas goes up to $10 a gallon. I have Canadian oil trust stocks, oil tanker, coal stock and they keep going up and pay hefty dividends --- one is paying 18 percent. We deserve what we got. How many of you are driving SUV's. We have had this problem since the Carter Administration and nothing has been done.

Yep. The price of gas has doubled since the Democrats took control of Congress on the promise of lower gas prices. Go Figure.

 

[PeteOz77]

Yep. The price of gas has doubled since the Democrats took control of Congress on the promise of lower gas prices. Go Figure.

No Ed, the price of Gas has Tripled since the republicans took control of the white house....

 

[wihophead]

No Ed, the price of Gas has Tripled since the republicans took control of the white house....

I am sure Clinton's veto to drill in ANWR didn't help with gas prices today then you have Nancy Pelosi that has absolutely no clue...


[youtube]PKB7E6cg8IY[/youtube]

 

[user 574]

The "war for oil" plan is working wonderfully . Oh and gas is up 12x since Nixon was elected.

 

[middleofnowhere]

Our gas is at $1.50 CDN a liter. I think that equals $6.60 a US Gallon. I think you Americans should consider yourself lucky...lol

 

[wihophead]

Oh and gas is up 12x since Nixon was elected.

But todays dollar has about the same buying power of 17 cents back in 1969 so that statement is pretty much meaningless, inflation has driven everything up.

 

[McKBrew]

I don't think any of us are lucky. I consider myself fortunate that I can afford to pay for gas, but I think about all of the other things that these high fuel prices are affecting.

1) Prices for air tickets
2) Food Costs
3) And something that most people probably don't directly correllate to high fuel prices. The fact that food banks/charitable donations are way down. I think alot of low/low-middle income families that would normally have some extra cash laying around to give to someone who is more in need are not able to do it.

We haven't gotten to a crucial tipping point yet, but if gas prices don't stabilize soon, it's going to affect all of us in ways we might have not seen coming.

 

[user 574]

Satisfying my curiosity:



http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/income/histinc/f07ar.html

 

[wihophead]

I don't think any of us are lucky. I consider myself fortunate that I can afford to pay for gas, but I think about all of the other things that these high fuel prices are affecting.

1) Prices for air tickets
2) Food Costs
3) And something that most people probably don't directly correllate to high fuel prices. The fact that food banks/charitable donations are way down. I think alot of low/low-middle income families that would normally have some extra cash laying around to give to someone who is more in need are not able to do it.

We haven't gotten to a crucial tipping point yet, but if gas prices don't stabilize soon, it's going to affect all of us in ways we might have not seen coming.

I am curious to see what happens this year with all of the flooding that either destroying crops or simply preventing farmers from even planting. Corn production has to be dramatically impacted.

 

[Rhoobarb]

The weak dollar and speculators have driven the price of gas up. Plain & simple. Party affiliation has very little to do with it. Our own stupidity doesn't help - idiots buying big SUVs, mini vans and Hummers all driving around with no other passengers made a heckuva lot of sense, didn't it? That cartoon was dead-on.

 

[McKBrew]

The "good part" of all of this. I saw on the news last night that if you are actually in the market for a truck or an SUV, now is the time to buy. People can't even get bluebook when they trade them in.

The thing I don't get is that in the end, many of these people buying new fuel efficient cars are not really getting ahead. If you trade in an older/nearly paid off truck/SUV for a new car it's going to take quite awhile for the fuel savings to pay off.

 

[jfrizzell]

Our gas is at $1.50 CDN a liter. I think that equals $6.60 a US Gallon. I think you Americans should consider yourself lucky...lol

Yeah, but that's Canadian dollars. That's like $2.50 American.

 

[z987k]

Anyone ever thought about driving a bit slower? The question hit me when I had hours upon hours while I was crossing the country on my bike. I was only getting about 45mpg cruising along at 80mph, but one day we were forced to do about 45 all day long due to weather and roads. That tank of gas I got about 70mpg. Now this would effect bike a bit more than cars because of our small gas tank, but even factoring in speed, what is the break even point where you get the best millage (for range purposes only) and even though you're driving slower, because your range is so much greater and you stop much less(to fill up) you actually get there at the same time but spend less money. Anyone follow that?

 

[McKBrew]

Yeah, but that's Canadian dollars. That's like $2.50 American.

Remember when we used to mock the Canucks about the value of their dollar, now those beaver eating, moose humping, mukluk wearing lumberjacks are laughing at us.

 

[user 574]

Anyone ever thought about driving a bit slower?

I just recently started. All major city road driving but once I get to 40 I got my car in 5th gear instead of 3rd. Having a GPS and watching that ETA; 5-10 miles per hr faster really doesn't do that much for you on longer trips unless you have a catheter installed .

 

[McKBrew]

Anyone ever thought about driving a bit slower? The question hit me when I had hours upon hours while I was crossing the country on my bike. I was only getting about 45mpg cruising along at 80mph, but one day we were forced to do about 45 all day long due to weather and roads. That tank of gas I got about 70mpg. Now this would effect bike a bit more than cars because of our small gas tank, but even factoring in speed, what is the break even point where you get the best millage (for range purposes only) and even though you're driving slower, because your range is so much greater and you stop much less(to fill up) you actually get there at the same time but spend less money. Anyone follow that?

You make a very valid point. If you read up on hypermiling, that's one of the things they do to save fuel. As long as you stay in the left lane and stay at the minimum posted speed on the freeway it's totally legal. (You'll probably get honked at and flipped off all day long, but at least your saving gas).

 

[MikeFlynn74]

Originally Posted by z987k View Post
Anyone ever thought about driving a bit slower?

Nope I actually drive a little faster.

2007 Suzuki SV1000s

 

[z987k]

well to be honest I really have no interest in hyper-miling, but rather the break even point. I still want to get there as soon as possible, but there is a point at which if I drive a bit slower, I'll actually get there at the exact same time as driving faster. I'm sure if I did an equation you'd end up with two curving graphs intersecting at some point.

If you go really fast the slow gas savings will never catch up, but if you go too slow you'll take much longer to get there. It's that point where ther two meet that I'm interested in.

As far as 5-10 faster on long trips, well that's really when it does make a difference. Short trips (20miles) is where it only gets you there like 15secs faster.

 

[z987k]

Nope I actually drive a little faster.

2007 Suzuki SV1000s

I'm looking at a 2002 Suzuki GSF1200S, but I'm on a '88 Kawi zx600.

 

[EdWort]

No Ed, the price of Gas has Tripled since the republicans took control of the white house....

That's because Bush is not a conservative.

 

[BuffaloSabresBrewer]

Both of you can just kiss my $90 arse...

You all can kiss my $6 ass!
Been driving my scooter for a week now and its almost ridicules how much less gas I go though!

 

[z987k]

eh only problem I have with scooters is for the same price you could have bought a 250 and had something useful. Plus even if you paid $1000 for that, and you get 100mpg you have to drive it like 18,000 miles to break even what you paid for it, not to mention insurance, tires etc.
It took me 2 years to put 18k on my bike and I drive it every day unless it's snowing.

 

[Philip1993]

Yeah, but that's Canadian dollars. That's like $2.50 American.

Not today. That's like 6.58 USD

That's because Bush is not a conservative.

Bingo!

 

[TwoHeadsBrewing]

eh only problem I have with scooters is for the same price you could have bought a 250 and had something useful. Plus even if you paid $1000 for that, and you get 100mpg you have to drive it like 18,000 miles to break even what you paid for it, not to mention insurance, tires etc.
It took me 2 years to put 18k on my bike and I drive it every day unless it's snowing.

Now that's what I'm talking about! I've been thinking about picking up a new or used Yamaha TTR and putting a baja kit on it to make it street legal. I could ride almost all the way to work on levees, trails and dirt roads. Plus, I'd have something I could ride on the weekends!

 

[z987k]

exactly, that thumper will probably get 75mpg if you don't beat the **** out of it and you could probably pick up a used one for like $1500.

 

[PeteOz77]

Now that's what I'm talking about! I've been thinking about picking up a new or used Yamaha TTR and putting a baja kit on it to make it street legal. I could ride almost all the way to work on levees, trails and dirt roads. Plus, I'd have something I could ride on the weekends!

+1

You can avoid (using those levees trails and dirt roads) and drive around traffic (down the shoulder) and probably get where you are going twice as fast! It's certainly more useful than a scooter... but then people driving scooters look SO COOL....

 

[Laurel]

$70 to fill up this morning, and I do it with a smile. Driving my Corvette is worth paying a little extra for premium.