You know gas prices are bad…
…when you catch your breath at the thought of buying gas at $2.07. Sounds very cheap. Across the street, another station was selling gas for $2.15. I knew I could do better than that, and the $2.07 gas station was too hard to get to.
I held off, got to the gas station near my house, and that’s when my heart just about stopped for real.
$1.99 a gallon. I could’ve kissed the gas tank. Sure, it still cost me $21 and change to fill up the tank, but it was beautiful, nonetheless. Especially if you consider the highest I’ve seen it was $2.35.
Hurray for cheap(er) oil prices. Boo to OPEC for deciding to cut production again.
Hell, I live in California. If I didn’t already have a perfectly nice, relatively new car, I could see the argument for going hybrid. Oil doesn’t last forever, even though we drive and spend like it does.
You’ve got it rough out there. In Virginia, I paid $1.66 for mid-grade unleaded last Thursday, and about ten cents more when I topped off my tank Sunday night. Regular unleaded is down in the upper one-fifties.
I don’t really mind paying higher gas prices, though. If higher prices help cut consumption and speed the development of alternatives, then I’m all for it. The sooner we shake off the Middle East oil monopolies, the better.
Bah. Didn’t they do studies that said gas would have to get something like 3 or 4 bucks a gallon before most people would even consider cutting consumption? Are people driving less now with gas soundly at 2 bucks a gallon?
And the best thing President Bush has got for cutting gas consumption are hydrogen stations… and they haven’t even figured out a way to move hydrogen without it blowing up yet, have they? it’s too unstable.
I don’t really see the development of any real alternatives. What I do see are record earnings for oil companies and red herrings to keep us quiet.
Of course, I drive an old, not quite so fuel-efficient four door, so maybe I’m being a bit hypocritical.
Well, I’ve cut my consumption. I could easily drive to work or drive to a Metro station, like a lot of people in the Washington area. But I don’t. I specifically chose where I live so that I could park my car and leave it. I use the bus and train.
I have a coworker who lives a few blocks from where we work on Capitol Hill, and he drives to work every day. It is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard of. He lives in a city with one of the best public transportation systems in the world, and he drives maybe a mile and a half to work instead of walking or taking the bus. What’s more, he complains about the lack of parking!
So I guess you’re right, most people prefer their cars. Me, I love public transit. Raise the price of gas!
Raising the price of gas that makes it unobtainable to people without the advantage of good public tranportation. Not to mention making the cost of public transportation higher for those who can’t afford it. However, the federal government definitely has not done much in the way of encouraging developing other energy sources or fuel sources. Not even going to blame this on a particular president or vice president, because there’s been a consistent reluctance to do any more than pay lip service to alternative energy. Probably due to lobbying pressure from the oil industry and automakers.
Anyway, I only whine about gas prices mostly because of the sticker shock. California gas is actually a bit more expensive than in other places because, being the groundbreaking pollution-reducing state that it is, the state decided to have all gas sold made without a particular harmful additive or ingredient. This additive apparently was found in the water table. At least, that’s how I understand it.
So California gas is different than Washington D.C. gas or Indiana gas, and so it costs more money.
California is, in effect, its own little country. They make their own pollution rules, sometimes pissing Washington off, and the auto industry.
It is a bit tougher for me to pay higher gas prices, but I just whine because I can. I can afford the higher gas, I suppose.
But I would much rather own a hybrid in a few years, or even a hydrogen car. Hell, if they make those puppies affordable with reasonable performance, and I’ll be all over one of those.
And I’d love to have an alternative-energy powered house some day too. Not just because it’s one of those tree-hugging hippie things to do (Dad, I’m talking to you, and I’m too young to be a hippie), but because it’s the sustainable thing to do.
I recall reading a piece that may have been forwarded to me by DLW (Anti-Manicheist on the front page) about the oil reserves essentially being on their last leg. Sometime in the next 25 years there will be a huge oil crunch and we will all be suffering in a big way if we don’t start looking for alternative fuels.
I’m not looking foward to it, but humans have to be kicked in the mouth to start paying attention to our environment; that kick is coming and soon in my opinion.
I agree with the need for moderation of consumption. That’s actually part of my SUV rant, which you don’t want me to start right now.
And Matthew–that’s admirable you have cut back. You are one of few, and it gives me a small ray of hope. However, public transportation in most parts of the country is laughable–just lip service, really. And I wouldn’t doubt we are running out of oil. However, as long as the oil companies continue to make their coin, and as long as lawmakers are paid handsomely to be sure nothing comes between oil and profit, I really don’t see a real alternative being marketed.
And Melissa, you’re really interested in a hybrid, huh?
Yeah, I’d love a hybrid. I didn’t think Dad would approve when I bought my last car. And they’re a little harder to acquire anyway, since production of them isn’t as high as gas guzzling SUVs, for instance.
I think Dawn and Todd’s sister and brother-in-law have a hybrid, actually. And the paper I work at is replacing their fleet cars with hybrids. They’re pretty cool, I think.
Mel,
You knew I would reply to this one.
Gas here today just across the state line is $1.67.
Hybreds may give you that warm fuzzy feeling that you are doing the right thing, but lets think practicaly about this.
Wait till the warrenty expires, & YOU have to pay to get something repaired related to it’s uniqueness.
The Oil Companys & the bleeding heart liberals have been whining for the last 30 years that we are running out of oil reserves. We will someday, but if the public were told what the real reserves are the oil companys would no longer have any leverage to keep the prices high.
Yes, the Oil Companys have a monopoly, & that sucks. Yes, we will run out of oil SOMEDAY, (but not anywere near as soon as SOME would have us to believe) & that sucks. Yes, I want to get the best gas milage I can, & with the vehicle I drive the milage sucks.
However I can’t see myself driving one of those little @#$%-box cars anytime soon on a regular basis. (Remember I rented an almost brand new Ford Escort for a week, & it was not a pleasant experance. Not enough room to get comfortable in, not a smooth ride at all, not enough power to get out of it’s own way, & when you turned on the AC, it was even worse powerwise).
Well, I hope I didn’t offend anyone that reads this. Just needed to vent a-little.
I guess we all know why you don’t drive a hybrid, Melissa