The Gasoline Blues

[BERIGAN]

Don't forget folks, higher fuel prices that many here seem to want mean airlines will run into even more trouble,(Do you all want to see a government run airline, amair?) prices will go up on EVERYTHING you buy since everything whether by train or truck needs to be shipped to the final destination. I heard how make-up has petroleum in it...cds, plastics, well everything it seems is petroleum based.

The poor and middle class will suffer mightily this winter if they have a fuel oil based heating system. I imagine bus fares will go up some as well later on....

[jazzypaul]

Actually, hoping for $5/gallon gas isn't really derailing the thread. However, it is INCREDIBLY short sighted, especially when the crux of your argument is that you want to see vehicles that are bigger than your car off the road. Because what ends up happening is that such a wish essentially hopes for the crippling of America. It ends up hurting the mom with the four kids that needs the minivan (or the gas sucking station wagon for that matter).

Look! It's a straw man

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quit your pouting, and, you know, like, maybe, ummm, explain yourself?

[jazzypaul]

Don't forget folks, higher fuel prices that many here seem to want mean airlines will run into even more trouble,(Do you all want to see a government run airline, amair?) prices will go up on EVERYTHING you buy since everything whether by train or truck needs to be shipped to the final destination. I heard how make-up has petroleum in it...cds, plastics, well everything it seems is petroleum based.

The poor and middle class will suffer mightily this winter  if they have a fuel oil based heating system. I imagine bus fares will go up some as well later on....

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EXACTLY!!

[Free For All]

Don't forget folks, higher fuel prices that many here seem to want mean airlines will run into even more trouble,(Do you all want to see a government run airline, amair?) prices will go up on EVERYTHING you buy since everything whether by train or truck needs to be shipped to the final destination. I heard how make-up has petroleum in it...cds, plastics, well everything it seems is petroleum based.

The poor and middle class will suffer mightily this winter  if they have a fuel oil based heating system. I imagine bus fares will go up some as well later on....

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I see that Delta and Northwest seem to be close to bankruptcy. Maybe fuel costs didn't cause that, but they might have been the last straw.

Fuel price increases will affect us all, there will be no hiding from it. Just about every retail business will be affected in some way, and this will be passed on to us via higher prices/shipping rates.

Bend over'n grab your ankles!

[jazzypaul]

Actually, hoping for $5/gallon gas isn't really derailing the thread. However, it is INCREDIBLY short sighted, especially when the crux of your argument is that you want to see vehicles that are bigger than your car off the road. Because what ends up happening is that such a wish essentially hopes for the crippling of America. It ends up hurting the mom with the four kids that needs the minivan (or the gas sucking station wagon for that matter).

Look! It's a straw man

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quit your pouting, and, you know, like, maybe, ummm, explain yourself?

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Thought it was clear.

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The problem is, there's no straw man here. Just people whining too much because there are actually differing viewpoints in the world.

Kevin said he didn't like the big vehicles on the road and wanted gas to go up to $5 per gallon.

When I stated earlier in the thread that there are some fuel efficient choices out there and more on the way, he said he didn't care about fuel economy. He just wants to see people out of big vehicles.

So, I put forth some examples of people that would be hurt by such wishing for higher gas prices.

My question to you then is this: are you saying that those people would NOT be hurt by astronomical gas prices?

Or do you just hide behind cute pictures of straw men and pouty smilies when you can't answer a question?

[LennyH]

Yeah, I saw that on the today show..today. It really doesn't make sense. Like what was mentioned before, check tire your tire pressure, run the car AC(As was mentioned after this report on the today show, driving with the windows down creates such a drag that fuel economy is worse!) and get a tune-up, and wait till you see hybrids that really get better milage.

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That MSNBC article misses the point for me. It's not just about money for all of us. I plan to buy a hybrid next. I may or may not end up saving money in the end. It really doesn't matter to me because:

1. I'll be doing something NOW to help reduce greenhouse gases

2. I'll be doing something NOW to try to reduce our dependence on foreign oil.

3. Most importantly - High demand for hybrids will drive advances in this technology faster than anything else. The car companies don't develop their business plans based on what's best for the environment and they don't give a rat's ass about our dependence on foreign oil. They build cars that will sell. And the success of the Prius and some of the other hybrids have their attention, thankfully.

And yeah, we should all check our tire pressure and do other things that help us get better mileage. I'm pretty sure I can also do those things if I'm driving a hybrid.

And I'll buy a better hybrid in 5 years...

[Kevin Bresnahan]

Kevin said he didn't like the big vehicles on the road and wanted gas to go up to $5 per gallon.

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If you're gonna quote me, get your facts straight. I would like to see gas go to $5 a gallon to get commuters to stop buying SUVs. If you've got a better way to get the car companies to stop making more & more SUVs, tell us.

If you looked around on the roads, it doesn't take a scientist to see that SUVs are much more prevalent on the roads today. Almost every car company is making or planning to make one. Hell, even Porsche started making one. Volvo has one. "Liitle car company" VW came out with the Tourag. Jaguar must have one in the pipeline. Next up will be Rolls. The car companies make what we will buy, not what we should buy. We will continue to buy bigger & bigger SUVs in the effort to "stay ahead" on the road. It's human nature to want to protect yourself.

So, how to get Joe Commuter to stop looking at a Ford Explorer first? Easy, have the goevernment make laws mandating it. Oh wait, that won't happen with the oil barons in office. How about giving incentives for people to buy smaller, more fuel-efficient cars? Well, the government decided to phase out that tax incentive. Maybe they should penalize buyers of large gas-guzzlers with a tax surcharge? Well, that not only ain't that gonna happen, but the morons in Washington "accidently" put a "Hummer tax exemption" law on the books that allowed businesses to write off 100% of the purchase price of any vehicle with a gross weight of over 3,500 lbs (which includes Hummers & B&Ws). Due to an outcry of protest, they've actually modified it, but the damage was done. 1,000s of Hummers were bought and paid for by the American people.

So, what'll do it, Paul?? How can we get Americans to start buying "cars" again? You got a better idea? Tell us. Better yet, tell your congressman.

My thinking is simple. Money. Money is the way to effect change. That's the "American Way". If gas prices go up, Joe Sixpack will reconsider his next automobile purchase. He may look at that mpg window sticker that says "12 city 15 highway" and think "No way". It's the only way I see to get this terrible trend to start reversing.

And Paul, businesses have always bought big trucks and transports. That isn't the problem and you know it. Hell, jazz drummers driving Jeeps ain't the problem either and you know it. Just look around on the highway and you'll see it, plain as day. And please re-read this whole thread. I mention why I think Ford F-350's are dumb... I just had a fellow engineer buy one as a commuter vehicle. He ain't hauling manure.

I can always tell when gas prices go up a lot, not by my gas slips, but by the number of people who ask me how I like my Prius as I gas my car up. When prices soar, I get asked at almost every fill-up. HIGH GAS PRICES GET AMERICANS TO STOP AND THINK ABOUT THEIR DRIVING HABITS.

Kevin

[BERIGAN]

An explanation of the writeoff for heavy vehicles , those with a GVWR Gross Vehicle Weight Ratings of 6000 lbs or more(Weight of vehicle plus passenger and cargo capacity)

http://www.selfemployedweb.com/suv-tax-deduction.htm

By the way, there has been a gaz guzzler tax for quite some time, but only for cars.

[WD45]

An explanation of the writeoff for heavy vehicles , those with a GVWR Gross Vehicle Weight Ratings of 6000 lbs or more(Weight of vehicle plus passenger and cargo capacity)

http://www.selfemployedweb.com/suv-tax-deduction.htm

By the way, there has been a gaz guzzler tax for quite some time, but only for cars.

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I imagine that the realtors around here in their Hummer H2s are taking full advantage of that break.

[Soulstation1]

over $2.50 in tucson

[Kalo]

Funny, my bicycle doesn't even have a hole for gasoline.

Guess I'll have to buy jazz CDs instead.

[Free For All]

Just paid $3/gallon in Santa Fe. Ouch!

[Soulstation1]

i saw on the news today

people are filling up at the gas stations and then taking off w/o paying..

a gas station owner was run over and killed when someone took off on a $50 tab

Edited August 23, 2005 by Soulstation1

[wesbed]

I'm thinking it might be smart to add a locking gas cap to my car. This reminds me of the 1970s.

[jazzypaul]

$3.18 in Chicago as of this morning. I know during the summers, we're the 2nd or 3rd highest price gas in the country. What's it like in San Francisco or L.A. these days? NY?

[Hardbopjazz]

NY, it is $2.88.9 a gallon for regular this morning.

[7/4]

10 miles south of Newark, NJ - $2.40

[Soulstation1]

$2.59

SHIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Jazzmoose]

We'd kill for $2.59!

[BruceH]

We'd kill for $2.59!

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I HAVE killed for two-fift-----uh, never mind.

[sidewinder]

I pay about £0.95 a litre for diesel, which works out over £4 or $10 ( ) a gallon. It's extortionate and even though I get better than 50 miles to the gallon it certainly adds up, even though I run a fairly compact diesel hatchback. On my recent trip to the US I was stunned when the bill for the week for fuel came in less than about $30, even with a hopelessly gas-guzzling Ford Mustang. The US has it good !

Of course we have been here before - the prices in the early 1980s were just as bad, relative to income. It's just that gas has been very cheap in general over the period 1985-2005, a situation which (in the longer term) was only a temporary one.

[BruceH]

Of course we have been here before - the prices in the early 1980s were just as bad, relative to income. It's just that gas has been very cheap in general over the period 1985-2005, a situation which (in the longer term) was only a temporary one.

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I remember that. Gas prices were painful in the early 80's; then, *bing!*, I move to Allston and don't need a car anymore and instantly gas prices go down.

[Jim Alfredson]

$2.99 for regular self-serve in Lansing today.

[Ed S]

I broke the $50 barrier for a fill-up the other day with my mini-van.

[BFrank]

I saw it for over $3 in SF today.