An arm, a leg and half a foot: the gas price thread

[NorykoAngelcry]

[color=darkred][SIZE=1]I don't think I've ever really had a problem with gas prices.. My car goes a pretty good distance before I have to worry about breaking down in the middle of no-where.

My problem comes into the cost of having to pay so much for everything else.. I mean, I pay as much for a tank of gas as I do for a dinner at some resteraunts.. and those dinners don't last nearly as long as a tank of gas. It makes me cry =( lol.. I think if they just popped up the price a dollar at a time spread out over a long period of time, instead of the little increases at a time, maybe that would help people see that getting a better car is perhaps more in their interest?

But, overall, it's like stamps.. we'll complain about each step in price till we're blue in the face, but we'll still be there in line, getting more, because we have to mail that next letter/bill. [/SIZE][/color]

[SilentSecurity]

[quote name='foolycooly6363']I just filled up my friends H2 today and the total came to over $90, luckily he's picking up the tab. Why would anyone buy Hummers these days anyway, with gas prices and all. In my area gas is only a few cents off $3.00 per gallon and yet I see some idiot driving around in a hummer with a temporary license plate on back. Now, Hummer is trying to make their tanks more wallet friendly with the H3, it's still huge to me. Seriously, why would anyone besides the army buy Hummers right now, you'd be paying $100+ in gas a week (If you drive a lot).[/quote]

Now, lets not be too hasty to criticize hummers. Sure they pollute like mini refineries and suck up resources like a camel drinking water, but let's look at the good side. I'll get back to you on the good side when I think of one. Oh I know, war!. Can that really be considered a good side though.

Seriously, who'd want a hummer these days. They're gas guzzlers and that's about summing it up. I'm downsizing from my van to a RX-8 (it is downsizing in size :animeswea ). If the problem continues you'll start seeing more and more hybrids or coupes. Gas is now $2.95 a gallon in my city, and a van (even though its sweet) is just to expensive.

[B]I feel bad for soccer moms.[/B]

[ChibiHorsewoman]

[QUOTE=SilentSecurity]

[B]I feel bad for soccer moms.[/B][/QUOTE]

[color=darkviolet]I think all the soccer moms should get together and buy one big soccer bus to use. If they did that there would be more room for the Hockey mom's to cart their kids' crap around. (My cousin palys youth Hockey and you can stick him in his equipment bag)

And Silent, I'm waiting on the good side of Hummers. I went to a car show once and saw one (how they got it in the building [i]don't[/i] ask me ) and unlike most of the vehicles in there the city and highway gas mileage wasn't on the window so I asked the guy. My God you would have thought I said he was ugly when I asked. By the way it's 10 city 13 Highway. Wow![/color]

[Semjaza]

The only people I feel bad for are the ones making minimum wage, which is a bit over $5 here. If they have to drive a decent amount for their job, that effectively kills off a good amount of their money after taxes are taken out. I cannot imagine supporting myself on that, let alone a family.

Regular here is averaging around $2.99 a gallon right now.

[SilentSecurity]

[quote]Originally Posted by [B]ChibiHorsewoman[/B]

By the way it's 10 city 13 Highway. Wow![/quote]

My uncle gets on average 6 city and 11 highway. Why would I pay sooo much to have a tank in my garage and have to fill it up so often.

[NorykoAngelcry]

[quote name='SilentSecurity']My uncle gets on average 6 city and 11 highway. Why would I pay sooo much to have a tank in my garage and have to fill it up so often.[/quote]

[SIZE=1][COLOR=darkred]I think the point of owning a vehicle like a Hummer, is because you really don't have to worry about filling it up. Many of the people I know that own a Hummer (not like it's a lot), are businessmen with really cushy type of jobs, that are really well paid. So, the inconvenience of having to fill up a car like that, really is outweighed by the fact that they drive an attention grabbing vehicle. Same with the really exotic sports cars.. Not big on gas mileage, but how many times does a Honda Civic catch your attention while you are driving down the road (note: the non-neon colored ones, the ones that make you shudder, lol).. bet you not as often as a Lamborgini does..

I'm not really taking their side on this, but if I had tons of money just blowing a hole in my pocket, I'd have a flashier car too.. Not that I would drop as much on a car as they would =P [/COLOR][/SIZE]

[SilentSecurity]

[QUOTE=NorykoAngelcry][SIZE=1][COLOR=darkred]I think the point of owning a vehicle like a Hummer, is because you really don't have to worry about filling it up. Many of the people I know that own a Hummer (not like it's a lot), are businessmen with really cushy type of jobs, that are really well paid. So, the inconvenience of having to fill up a car like that, really is outweighed by the fact that they drive an attention grabbing vehicle. Same with the really exotic sports cars.. Not big on gas mileage, but how many times does a Honda Civic catch your attention while you are driving down the road (note: the non-neon colored ones, the ones that make you shudder, lol).. bet you not as often as a Lamborgini does..

I'm not really taking their side on this, but if I had tons of money just blowing a hole in my pocket, I'd have a flashier car too.. Not that I would drop as much on a car as they would =P [/COLOR][/SIZE][/QUOTE]

Sure people with the money can blow it on gas, but what about our environment. If earth could speak I'm sure it'd say "Get these ******* hummers off me." Global Warming is getting more and more severe with each hummer purchased, well maybe not that severe, but it's still a problem!

[ChibiHorsewoman]

[quote name='SilentSecurity']My uncle gets on average 6 city and 11 highway. Why would I pay sooo much to have a tank in my garage and have to fill it up so often.[/quote]

[color=darkviolet]So you can feel more like a man even if your [spoiler]package[/spoiler] is lacking. I've just noticed that more men than women drive those.[/color]

[SilentSecurity]

[quote name='ChibiHorsewoman][color=darkviolet]So you can feel more like a man even if your [spoiler]package[/spoiler'] is lacking. I've just noticed that more men than women drive those.[/color][/quote]

That's because women are smarter than men in general. They don't feel like they need to pollute and buy Hummers to feel good.

[Lafleur]

[quote name='SilentSecurity']Sure people with the money can blow it on gas, but what about our environment. If earth could speak I'm sure it'd say "Get these ******* hummers off me." Global Warming is getting more and more severe with each hummer purchased, well maybe not that severe, but it's still a problem![/quote]
[COLOR=DarkRed]
Global Warming isn't all bad, you know. At this rate, in less than 100 years, the North West Passage, above the Artic, will have opened up, dramatically inscreasing countries like Russia, Sweden, and Canada's abillity to trade throughout the world. Overall this will leade to a dramatic increase in prosperity for the entire world. Yes, the ice-caps are melthing, but that too isn't as bad as it's made out to be; even in 300 years at this rate the Ocean levels will only rise by a few meters or so. This means that the most we'll see is a slow-but-steady increase along costal areas; but it will happen so slowly that it can be easily prevented; Florida would lose a few cm of coast, Indonesia would lose a few KM of land, and overall the world would go on. The biggest problem is the GreenHouse gases, but even then those are actually on a [I]decreese[/I] from the years where people were burning unaltered petrol left-right-and-center. By the time more of the heavily populate countries move on and put in place these fuel-restriction laws the Greenhouse effect will DRASTICALLY decress, and the world will continue as it was. The biggest threat right now isn't the girl down the road in a Hummer who puts 50 lieters in her car to roll on down to the gasstation, it's countries like China that have a massive population and ****-all for pollution control. Probably the biggest threat this side of Bagdahd is McDonalds, cutting down the rain-forest to make room for cattle. Not only do they make terrible food they kill the planet to do it! Screw boycotting hummers, DEATH TO RONALD MCDONALD!

Oh man that really got long-winded...[/COLOR]

[Raiyuu]

[font=Trebuchet MS][quote name='Ilium][/font][color=DarkRed]By the time more of the heavily populate countries move on and put in place these fuel-restriction laws the Greenhouse effect will DRASTICALLY decress, and the world will continue as it was. The biggest threat right now isn't the girl down the road in a Hummer who puts 50 lieters in her car to roll on down to the gasstation, it's countries like China that have a massive population and ****-all for pollution control.[/color'][font=Trebuchet MS][/quote]
Or America, which still hasn't signed the Kyoto Agreement because George Bush doesn't accept the science behind global warming. You make it sound so easy to decrease the greenhouse effect, but the fact is that heavily populated countries [b]aren't[/b] putting in fuel-restriction laws and have no plans to do so in the future.

Also, the sea level rising a few metres is pretty drastic.
[/font]

[Red]

[QUOTE=Ilium][COLOR=DarkRed]
Global Warming isn't all bad, you know.[/quote]

I can't wait until people who say this have children, and have to explain all the things that go with global warming that will be left to generations down the line to 'fix'.

[quote]At this rate, in less than 100 years, the North West Passage, above the Artic, will have opened up, dramatically inscreasing countries like Russia, Sweden, and Canada's abillity to trade throughout the world. Overall this will leade to a dramatic increase in prosperity for the entire world.[/quote]

Dramatic increase in prosperity? No.

If it were the case, it would be at the cost of higher temperatures, ice sheets & glaciers melting resulting in higher sea levels, increased carbon dioxide levels, species extinction, habitat destruction, drought, and so on.

The increased extremes of destructive weather (hurricanes, storms, tornados, and so on) would be enough to offset the 'increased trade' with the cost of rebuilding, let alone half of what I've mentioned. And that's just the tip of the iceberg, so to speak. ;]

To Raiyuu - a few meters could be an underestimation. The area of Antarctica alone is a formidable 13,200,000 square kilometers, coupled with an average ice thickness of 2.7km, you have yourself quite a bit of water locked away.


[quote]Yes, the ice-caps are melthing, but that too isn't as bad as it's made out to be; even in 300 years at this rate the Ocean levels will only rise by a few meters or so.[/quote]

It's not made out to be as bad as it actually is. Watch the videos of kilometer-long chunks of ice falling off the antarctic edge and tell me again that it can't be that bad.

Read above for the part about sea levels.


[quote]This means that the most we'll see is a slow-but-steady increase along costal areas; but it will happen so slowly that it can be easily prevented; Florida would lose a few cm of coast, Indonesia would lose a few KM of land, and overall the world would go on.[/quote]

All I can say to this is do your reading first. :p

[quote]The biggest problem is the GreenHouse gases, but even then those are actually on a [I]decreese[/I] from the years where people were burning unaltered petrol left-right-and-center.[/quote]

Can you please show me the scientific evidence behind this? I have seen nothing but to the contrary for years. Car petrol is not the only cause of increased carbon dioxide levels - and altered fuel or not, an inefficient/old engine will do little to compensate.

Considering that it seems physically impossible for emissions to have gone down when nations like China are industrialising at a pace only matched by Russia in the 30's, and China is investing a lot into coal-based power.

[quote]By the time more of the heavily populate countries move on and put in place these fuel-restriction laws the Greenhouse effect will DRASTICALLY decress, and the world will continue as it was.[/quote]

Again, please do at least some research.

[quote]The biggest threat right now isn't the girl down the road in a Hummer who puts 50 lieters in her car to roll on down to the gasstation, it's countries like China that have a massive population and ****-all for pollution control.[/quote]

Really? If you'd care to look on the top polluter's list, you'll see your friendly down South neighbour has no qualms with the greenhouse effect & more than happily laughed in the face of Kyoto.

That isn't to say the recent agreement between the US and the other nations won't have an impact, but considering Mr. Bush's reasoning behind not signing up to Kyoto, we will just have to wait and see.

Oh, and that agreement includes China. The country that, as you so eloquently put it, does **** all for pollution control. ;]

As for oil/petrol, the prices here in England are very inflated, and I couldn't be more happy with that being the case. I'd be far more worried about what we do when it runs out, and the fact that we don't really know how much is left.

[SilentSecurity]

Necessity is the mother of invention.

Thanks to hurricane Katrina gas prices in my area have gone up to $4.39 a gallon. I'm not a poor guy but this is too much for me. My morning commute is about thirty miles. So I end up filling my tank 2 or 3 times a week. I've decided to invest in public transportation until i get a hybrid.

I have sympathy for kids in school. Gas for busing and and all the other expenses come out of one sum that our local schools are allotted (for my county at least). This means money that was supposed to go towards education is going to fill up the school bus. I hope they make hydrogen powered buses soon, 'cause we're gonna need 'em.

[Lafleur]

[COLOR=DarkRed]Well, my mom said that the gas prices were going up to 1.50/lieter in town, 1.80 in Montreal. There is aprox 4 lieters to a US gallon - apperently there is a difference between American gallons and regular gallon, go figure - so the whole time I thought that it was 3 lieters to a gallon, I thought the US was getting screwed; now that I know we've been paying what they're paying now... the only thing I can say is 'Bloody hell...'[/COLOR]

[Harry]

[QUOTE=Raiyuu][font=Trebuchet MS]
Or America, which still hasn't signed the Kyoto Agreement because George Bush doesn't accept the science behind global warming. You make it sound so easy to decrease the greenhouse effect, but the fact is that heavily populated countries [b]aren't[/b] putting in fuel-restriction laws and have no plans to do so in the future.

Also, the sea level rising a few metres is pretty drastic.
[/font][/QUOTE]
They didn't sign the Kyoto Treaty because it's ineffective and a gigantic waste of money. All it did was put massive and expensive restrictions on countries like the US, while allowing all developing nations (India and China are the big ones) just to do whatever they felt like. So why would we sign something that will have no effect on the environment? The Kyoto Treaty needs major revamping for it to even begin have a positive affect against global warming.

[Sage Kaley]

I'm glad this thread came back...I was shocked to see gas jump so high so quick. I know, before anyone tells me, that the hurricane has had an effect but it's also a holiday. I hate to be cynical in such a time but well, business men in the oil business love to make money. Everyone loves to make money but price gouging happens all the time. I'm fairly sure it's been happening.

I'm not entirely sure on this next part but the oil rigs that were hit...weren't they mostly exporting? I;m not sure, I know we do export some but I wasn't sure if those ones were. If they were the mainly exporting ones then wouldn't the hurricane not effect oil prices as badly? Ah I don't know on this one if someone wants to help me out.

Although with the new rise in prices, it brings my original point into sharper focus. In some areas gas has hit 4.50 and minimum wage is 5.15 [B]before[/B] taxes. Wow. It actually made me sick today thinking about it. Minimum wage is most certainly not a standard of living now more than ever. I don't even like thinking about it. My parents are already freaking out now.

And also about all that global warming, I remember learning if the sea temperture rises another 2 degrees, most coral reefs will die. That will have a massive impact, a negative one, on well, everything. Global warming is real and in no way good. The ice caps are important, if they melt...ugh...more unpleseant thoughts.

Last I knew though, the Kyoto Treaty was our current best shot. Not many businesses here are trying to do anything. It would be nice if at least something was done to help the environment.

[ChibiHorsewoman]

[color=darkviolet]Gas prices in my area have risen over a dollar in some places since last week. Plus there is such a fluctuation in my area between one gas station and another it just isn't funny.

A few examples:

The gas station next to my workplace is ten cents less than the gas station [i] accross the street![/i]

Two gas stations selling the same brand of gas-but owned by different people- in less than a .5 mile radius have aboyt a six cent difference (the abocve gas stations are differnt in every way)

I drive a small car (2003 Olds Alero) I usually fill up my tank when it gets to around 3/4 a tank, but sometimes less. Thursday I was at 1/4 a tank and filled up at a station for $2.99 a gallon (mentally kicking myself for not fueling up before work since it was [i]twenty cents more[/i] than when I went into work.) I spent $32.54. THen I filled up today because I saw gas for $3.09.9 near where I was going. I spent $19.24 to fill up from 3/4 to full. So I have spent $51.80 in gas since Thursday.

I make $7.50 an hour right now and nearly a quarter of my paycheck goes to gas! This is ****ing ridiculous! Last year I got bored and drove around surrounding towns and enjoyed my sollitude (with my daughter of course) because gas was so cheap- I don't think I'll be douing that any time soon! My friends and I even canceled our shopping trip today because the place we were going was a bit out of the way and one of my friends would be driving her mom's van.[/color]

[Ryo the Tactician]

Bush..don't get me started on the Kyoto Act.......too late.

I cannot believe Bush did not accept it! This epitomizes everything wrong with his sickening administration! To think that he would continue to let big businesses, factories and the like spew God knows how much pollutants into the air just so they wouldn't have to lose some money reforming themselves! I can see no other reason for that pig-headed president to reject the act than to keep businesses from having to do a thing to care about the environment. Heaven forbid they would have to lose money at the expense of Earth.

And Harry, of course the Kyoto Act would help! Sure, it needs some changes - I wont' dispute that - but it would cut down on tremendous gas emissions in our country. It seems every day I turn on the Weather Channel the air pollutant warning is getting higher. I can't remember the last time it was in the green (good). Even if it does need renovation, cutting down on the pollutants our businesses are throwing heedlessly into the environment would most certainly have a positive effect.


~Ryo

[Harry]

[QUOTE=Ryo the Tactician]

And Harry, of course the Kyoto Act would help! Sure, it needs some changes - I wont' dispute that - but it would cut down on tremendous gas emissions in our country. It seems every day I turn on the Weather Channel the air pollutant warning is getting higher. I can't remember the last time it was in the green (good). Even if it does need renovation, cutting down on the pollutants our businesses are throwing heedlessly into the environment would most certainly have a positive effect.


~Ryo[/QUOTE]
How can you say that when science and logic doesn't even back that up?

[Aaryanna]

The only good thing about gas prices for me is that I?m to young to drive anyway. But knowing my luck in three years it will probably be at least $5 dollars a gallon and I seriously doubt that minimum wage will go up.

I know that other countries already pay more, but that doesn?t make it any less annoying to those of us who are use to not paying so much. Especially since so much of America doesn?t really have a good public transportation system.

The thing that really makes me mad is that so many of the oil companies are reporting record breaking profits. So you just know that they are taking advantage of natural disasters like the hurricane to charge us even more. Or rather to charge my parents more that is. :animesigh

[Lafleur]

[COLOR=DarkRed]This is exactly what I predicted... Right now, the gas is 1.34/lieter (aproximatly 6$ gallon) but it's been weeks since the disaster. Oil is back under full swing, but still the prices remain high. The Oil companies [I]will[/I] eventually reduce the price; but when? The gas prices skyrocketed up, but the Oil Companies are going to squeez every penny out of us by dropping the price cent by cent over the next few months. This is seriously bad for the worlds econemy - I know people who cant even go to work because it costs too much, the trucking industry will suffer... the Oil Companies may cause this disaster to be MUCH worse than it is now... This certainly is terrible, isn't it...[/COLOR]

[Harry]

[quote name='Ilium][COLOR=DarkRed]This is exactly what I predicted... Right now, the gas is 1.34/lieter (aproximatly 6$ gallon) but it's been weeks since the disaster. Oil is back under full swing, but still the prices remain high. The Oil companies [I]will[/I'] eventually reduce the price; but when? The gas prices skyrocketed up, but the Oil Companies are going to squeez every penny out of us by dropping the price cent by cent over the next few months. This is seriously bad for the worlds econemy - I know people who cant even go to work because it costs too much, the trucking industry will suffer... the Oil Companies may cause this disaster to be MUCH worse than it is now... This certainly is terrible, isn't it...[/COLOR][/quote]
Gas prices are decreasing here in Texas. Also oil isn't back in full swing yet, a good majority of the refineries are still shut down.

[YohsAnna]

i think the prices of gas is rediculous in the morning it was $2.70 and by noon $3.00 its so stupid! somday the people are going to wake up and find out we cant afford it anymore! some people will die from hunger beacause we spend it all on gas. my friend dosnt get lunch or breakfast just dinner and very little of it beacause his parents have to spend every cent they get on gas! i say we start a righit or somthing but that wont do anything. those gas people need to get those stick out of their butts and think about others not just themselfs! come on we need to stop what there doing! those people actualy need to be killed i swear! i cant afford breakfast and i wont be able to go to the collage i want to. i can hardly buy stuff for school now! i say we stop buying gas for a while and thell bring the prices down. and dont give me the bull crap that the reason prices are up is beacause of the hurricane we get most of our gas from Mexico! this needs to be stopped either by choice or by force!

[ChibiHorsewoman]

[quote name='Harry']Gas prices are decreasing here in Texas.[/quote]

[color=darkviolet]Yes, there in Texas. :animesigh

New York has sales tax and gas tax for gasoline. Right now Monroe county is trying to get approval to suspend the 4% sales tax which will mean a ten cent decrease at the pump.

Yes I know that ten cents doesn't seem like a lot, but last week I paid $3.09.9 to fill up from 1/4 tank. 11.37 gallons of gas ran me $32.56. This past Friday I paid $37.98 to fill the same ammount at $3.19.9 . Today I went by the same gas station and it's $3.29!

I don't make a lot of money. I have more expenses than gas including a baby sitter for my daughter ($100) car payment ($217) car insurance ($153) and diapers ($6.99) I have to get a second job to suppliment my income! I only make $7.50 an hour and I have to take off the next few weeksfor doctor appointments and going to court to testify against my friend's ex boyfriend. So my paycheck will be quite pitiful. Really it seems like I'm working soley to feed my car.[/color]

[Lafleur]

[QUOTE]
Gas prices are decreasing here in Texas. Also oil isn't back in full swing yet, a good majority of the refineries are still shut down.[/QUOTE]
[COLOR=DarkRed]
Don't you think that the Oil companies have enough surpluse to easily cope with this? They do. They have shitloads of oil just lying around - it seems to me they're just trying to use this tragedy to profit. Tabarnak!

Anyways... Gas prices here have become so severe, local radio stations are giving away [I]free gas[/I]. Ya, no more Stone's tickets, free gasoline. The prices here are insane! What I don't get is this: considering about 50% of oil in Quebec comes from Alberta and New Brunswick... why the hell are our oil prices so damn higer than those of the US? I mean I can understand the UK, they don't have a massive abundance of oil. But when your country has one of the largest surpluses of oil in the Western world... What the hell is going on?[/COLOR]