Gas Prices, Again

[auschip]

I think you're jumping to conclusions.  You seem to think we have some kind of environmentalist/whacko social conscience and that's why we own a Prius.  We like the car, that's all.  That IS ok, isn't it?  I don't happen to like big noisy jacked up trucks, ok? 

Ever drive behind some stinkin' diesel pickup pouring out solid pollutants because the owner won't have it maintained?  Ever try to pull out of some driveway and see around some HUGE SUV parked in your line of sight?  Usually these oversize vehicles are occupied by a single a-hole.  They take up entirely too much room and use too much fuel IMO.

Pretty hard to haul a load of lumber in the back of a Prius.  Different people have different preferences, I bought my Dodge MegaCab because I like it.  That's ok, isn't it?  You ever have to wait in line 10 minutes because a tiny car couldn't see over a bush and wouldn't pull out, or had to come to a complete stop, so a Honda could inch over a speed bump without bottoming out their undercarriage?   

Edited to add, yes I am just giving you a hard time. 

[280plus]

I don't happen to like big noisy jacked up trucks, ok?

See, now there's something fundamentally wrong with that...
 
Just kidding... 

Oh, last I looked we were ~$2.89 for regular here in central CT

[Boomhauer]

Also realize what'll happen to it if any regular-sized car or SUV hits it.

Actually, crash ratings are up in the 4-5 star ratings.  Rollovers are non-existent, especially compared to SUV's (whose sales are plummeting BTW).

It's not just the crash rating. Its the problem that EMS is not gonna cut you out if they need to until they figure their way around the wires, even if the computer does cut them off. Plus if the vehicle catches on fire, I have heard that the FD's will not approach it without Hazmat gear.

Plus, smaller cars are naturally going to be less survivable than larger cars. The one and only reason sales of SUV's are dropping is that gas is priced higher. I still see plenty of them on the road. I wish I could drive one, but I could not afford the fuel right now. I am happy with my S-10 Blazer. Good fuel economy and still a manly vehicle. I would, however, like a diesel engine for my Blazer. If they just made one that was of similar size and power as the 4.3L and would bolt right in...

[thebaldguy]

I sometimes use this in my area. It's amazing how much prices here can vary.

http://www.gasbuddy.com/

Check it out! Maybe save a buck or two.

[Firethorn]

Just know how much toxic metals you'll be putting into landfills and the water table when it's time to change out all those batteries in that thing.

Also realize what'll happen to it if any regular-sized car or SUV hits it.

Wouldn't go to a landfill, just like how most of old cars don't end up in the landfill.  The metals are too valuable and are actually easily recovered for reuse.  Lead and Nickel are worth money, and the right processes recycle the electrolyte quite effectivly.  Most people don't worry about rechargable AAs only because they're so small.  Once you're talking about a pack of a couple hundred D+, they sit up and take notice.

Lead-Acid battery recycling has been done for decades.

Lithium Ion is, once reduced(IE burned) safer than many things that do end up in landfills.  It also has the potential to be as cheap as lead-acid.  Recycling wise, I'm not sure of it's characteristics, but I'm sure they'll find a way.

Finally, the Ford Escape stands testiment to how a hybrid doesn't have to be small...  And that's not even including the hybrid locomotives in use/under development.  Jan2006 popular mechanics had that one.  The operational one is a trainyard mule.  Apparently it's efforts are sporatic enough that it's very efficient to have a hybrid drivetrain and a much smaller engine keeping the batteries topped off.

[Laurent du Var]

""...and you DO know that almost of that is addition tax your government charges you serfs, right?""

Yes I do and I will vote accordingly on the next presidential elections, even though there is no candidate who promises that there will be tax cuts on gas and that is all I can do, but do tell me are there any taxes making your price go up a 120 % in ten years ? 
 
     ""I'm sure it makes working French proud to know that all that money is going to support the deliberately-unemployed cafe layabouts and jihadist nuts in the Parisian suburbs, and makes the English proud to know that it's going to support the fully one-third of the population that gets most of their income from the public dole.""

I'm not sure if the gas taxes go exactly there, but I'm glad that in your country
there are no deliberately unemployed jihadist nuts in your suburbs !
Seems to be all fine on your end.

 

 
 
 
 

[Manedwolf]

I'm not sure if the gas taxes go exactly there, but I'm glad that in your country
there are no deliberately unemployed jihadist nuts in your suburbs !
Seems to be all fine on your end.

Yes, if they run around burning cars, as well as chasing all the people off a bus and burning that, we generally shoot them, not stand back and watch.

[Laurent du Var]

--- Stolen from Wikipedia :

Estimates of the number of lives lost during the unrest vary between 50 and 60, with as many as 2,000 persons injured. Estimates of the material damage done vary between about $800 million and $1 billion. Approximately 3,600 fires were set, destroying 1,100 buildings, with fire calls coming once every minute at some points. About 10,000 people were arrested. Stores owned by Korean and other Asian immigrants were widely targeted, although stores owned by whites and blacks were also targeted. Despite the race riot image the event retains, much of the looting and violence was done by young men, black, Hispanic, and white, and much of the looting was opportunistic theft of luxury goods. Criminals used the chaos to their own benefit, and street gangs settled scores with each other and fought the police. ---


""Yes, if they run around burning cars, as well as chasing all the people off a bus and burning that, we generally shoot them, not stand back and watch.""


Do you ?

[mtnbkr]

pwned.

Chris

[doczinn]

That's from Los Angeles. That doesn't even count as the United States.

[Headless Thompson Gunner]

You might want to note that the rioting in LA was far worse than that in Paris, yet the American officials had reasserted authority and order within a week.  How long did the Parisian riots last?

[Laurent du Var]

It lasted three weeks.
But since we are comparing, nobody died.
Just some ten thousand cars went up in flames.
Ten thousand too many if you asked me .

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2005_civil_unrest_in_France

I don't want this to be a contest, but we all have problems everywhere and it is futile to point while your own Korean owned liquor store starts smoking...   

[MillCreek]

There are three gas stations within four miles of my house.  Today's price for a gallon of unleaded regular ranged from $ 3.05 to $ 3.12.  The Costco about five miles away is selling unleaded regular for $ 2.95 per gallon. 

This is about 25 miles north of Seattle.  I was in downtown Seattle yesterday evening, and the prices at the gas stations in the downtown area were about $ 3.25 per gallon.

[Manedwolf]

--- Stolen from Wikipedia :

Estimates of the number of lives lost during the unrest vary between 50 and 60, with as many as 2,000 persons injured. Estimates of the material damage done vary between about $800 million and $1 billion. Approximately 3,600 fires were set, destroying 1,100 buildings, with fire calls coming once every minute at some points. About 10,000 people were arrested. Stores owned by Korean and other Asian immigrants were widely targeted, although stores owned by whites and blacks were also targeted. Despite the race riot image the event retains, much of the looting and violence was done by young men, black, Hispanic, and white, and much of the looting was opportunistic theft of luxury goods. Criminals used the chaos to their own benefit, and street gangs settled scores with each other and fought the police. ---


""Yes, if they run around burning cars, as well as chasing all the people off a bus and burning that, we generally shoot them, not stand back and watch.""


Do you ?

Well, if someone charges onto a bus, armed, and threatens all the people on it, I do have the right to shoot them in self defense, and I have the right to carry a tool with which to do so.

Do you?

[Laurent du Var]

No, I don't.

Neither do you if you were in New York.

Just ask Bernie "you don't look too bad, here is another one" Goetz.

[Firethorn]

No, I don't.

Neither do you if you were in New York.

Just ask Bernie "you don't look too bad, here is another one" Goetz.

Whatever you were attempting to post appears to have been stripped.

But yeah, the whole San Fran/New York/Chicago things are examples of what happens when you try to impose european gun control on american cities.  It gets ugly.

[richyoung]

""...and you DO know that almost of that is addition tax your government charges you serfs, right?""

Yes I do and I will vote accordingly on the next presidential elections, even though there is no candidate who promises that there will be tax cuts on gas and that is all I can do, but do tell me are there any taxes making your price go up a 120 % in ten years ? 

Sorry, I thought you were complaining about U.S. gas being less expensive.  To answer your question, taxes on our gasoline have been raised several times over hte last 10 years, as well as other regulations and such having the same effect as taxes by increasing the cost, such as mandating oxegneated fuesl, summer blends, etc.  Still, the bulk of the raise in cost is due to market fluctuation, and the inflation inherent in a fiat currency.


 

     ""I'm sure it makes working French proud to know that all that money is going to support the deliberately-unemployed cafe layabouts and jihadist nuts in the Parisian suburbs, and makes the English proud to know that it's going to support the fully one-third of the population that gets most of their income from the public dole.""

I'm not sure if the gas taxes go exactly there, but I'm glad that in your country
there are no deliberately unemployed jihadist nuts in your suburbs !
Seems to be all fine on your end.

We got people busting in here to go to work....

[Art Eatman]

Taxes on motor fuels go to construction and maintenance of highways, mostly.  Some is diverted into "mass transit" to pay for the empty buses that run along during off-peak hours.

Since people get all whiney if the gas tax is raised, the shortfall in construction money comes from the general revenue funds, which are, of course, taxes.  Go figure.  But, that spreads the load a bit.

I ran across an article just yesterday that said that for the next several years, the price of gasoline on the west coast will average some fifty cents higher than it will east of the Rockies.  It's a supply thing.  Not enough oil fields, refineries or pipelines.

A consumer-advocacy lady called for legislatures and regulators to "do something".  She alleges that the oil companies are "refusing" to build new refineries or expand old ones, in California.  That's about as good a "Duh?" as I've run across in a while.

Of course, if the legislators do something to help that poor, innocent consumer, prices will indeed drop until existing storage is consumed and producers quit shipping into a no-profit area.  Which, of course, means no gasoline at all, or a helluva black market.  That's called "interesting times".

Art