How high can gas go?

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: BigDH01

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: hanoverphist

Originally posted by: Auryg

Originally posted by: Cdubneeddeal

Originally posted by: Aimster

Originally posted by: Cdubneeddeal
If the gas does go up to $4.00 a gallon, I'm riding a bicycle to work permanently. No way in hell I'm paying $50.00 to fill up my Jetta. That'll be $200 a month just in gas.

Lol I pay $350 a month to fill up my SUV
now probably $400

I can't comprehend why anyone would own a vehicle that costs that much to operate. Why not use public transportation or ride a bike?

City mentality. A very good portion of the United States lives either in a somewhat rural area or in a sprawling city. We're not addicted to cars; we need them, unless we're all going to pack up our bags and move.

ed zachary.

i have a truck (used for work), so i need it to go to job sites. i also have 3 kids i drop off at school every morning. not much chance at making them ride bikes for 14 miles to school. buses may be an option, but the extra 2 hours to get across town would suck as much as the gas prices. i get mileage from work for the work travel, but its slowly becoming just gas money. last time i checked it was around 89% fuel cost and 11% maint and they pay the govt mileage rate. wjile i would LOVE to see prices go down, im kind of stuck either way... they got me by the short n curlies so far until there is a good replacement for gas in my truck.

Part of the problem is all the people who own and drive SUVs and trucks on a daily basis who really don't need them. Imagine if those people switched to more fuel efficient cars or carpooled. There are 4 women who work here and all live in the same general area about 40 miles from here and they've put together a carpool. Each of them drives 1 week out of the month so basically they cut their fuel consumption by 75%. That equates to roughly $300/each saved per month just by car pooling (I know at least 2 of these women drive fullsize SUVs).

And along with decreased cost comes decreased pollution and decreased consumption. Decreased pollution means cleaner air and decreased consumption should ease the price of fuel, thereby reducing transportation costs for goods and lowering consumer prices. Basically, carpooling not only benefits those directly involved but society as a whole.

Try to get anyone to think of society as a whole though...:roll: Around here you'll get labeled a communist or a left wing, tree hugging liberal. People are generally selfish as hell and give very little thought to the future or society as a whole. They don't seem to mind bitching about it though I've noticed, especially when it hits them in the wallet.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: krunchykrome

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: hanoverphist

Originally posted by: Auryg

Originally posted by: Cdubneeddeal

Originally posted by: Aimster

Originally posted by: Cdubneeddeal
If the gas does go up to $4.00 a gallon, I'm riding a bicycle to work permanently. No way in hell I'm paying $50.00 to fill up my Jetta. That'll be $200 a month just in gas.

Lol I pay $350 a month to fill up my SUV
now probably $400

I can't comprehend why anyone would own a vehicle that costs that much to operate. Why not use public transportation or ride a bike?

City mentality. A very good portion of the United States lives either in a somewhat rural area or in a sprawling city. We're not addicted to cars; we need them, unless we're all going to pack up our bags and move.

ed zachary.

i have a truck (used for work), so i need it to go to job sites. i also have 3 kids i drop off at school every morning. not much chance at making them ride bikes for 14 miles to school. buses may be an option, but the extra 2 hours to get across town would suck as much as the gas prices. i get mileage from work for the work travel, but its slowly becoming just gas money. last time i checked it was around 89% fuel cost and 11% maint and they pay the govt mileage rate. wjile i would LOVE to see prices go down, im kind of stuck either way... they got me by the short n curlies so far until there is a good replacement for gas in my truck.

Part of the problem is all the people who own and drive SUVs and trucks on a daily basis who really don't need them. Imagine if those people switched to more fuel efficient cars or carpooled. There are 4 women who work here and all live in the same general area about 40 miles from here and they've put together a carpool. Each of them drives 1 week out of the month so basically they cut their fuel consumption by 75%. That equates to roughly $300/each saved per month just by car pooling (I know at least 2 of these women drive fullsize SUVs).

Another point to mention is that SUV alternatives (the minivan) is not considered cool. Im not sure about Minivan mileage, but I would assume that they get better mpg than the average SUV. AWD isnt an issue either because Minivans now have them as an option. It's really just the "cool" appeal and people dont want to be seen driving a minivan.

They do, but it's not much greater. Best you'll see is low to mid 20s IIRC.

 

[Nitemare]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: Nitemare

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: hanoverphist

Originally posted by: Auryg

Originally posted by: Cdubneeddeal

Originally posted by: Aimster

Originally posted by: Cdubneeddeal
If the gas does go up to $4.00 a gallon, I'm riding a bicycle to work permanently. No way in hell I'm paying $50.00 to fill up my Jetta. That'll be $200 a month just in gas.

Lol I pay $350 a month to fill up my SUV
now probably $400

I can't comprehend why anyone would own a vehicle that costs that much to operate. Why not use public transportation or ride a bike?

City mentality. A very good portion of the United States lives either in a somewhat rural area or in a sprawling city. We're not addicted to cars; we need them, unless we're all going to pack up our bags and move.

ed zachary.

i have a truck (used for work), so i need it to go to job sites. i also have 3 kids i drop off at school every morning. not much chance at making them ride bikes for 14 miles to school. buses may be an option, but the extra 2 hours to get across town would suck as much as the gas prices. i get mileage from work for the work travel, but its slowly becoming just gas money. last time i checked it was around 89% fuel cost and 11% maint and they pay the govt mileage rate. wjile i would LOVE to see prices go down, im kind of stuck either way... they got me by the short n curlies so far until there is a good replacement for gas in my truck.

Part of the problem is all the people who own and drive SUVs and trucks on a daily basis who really don't need them. Imagine if those people switched to more fuel efficient cars or carpooled. There are 4 women who work here and all live in the same general area about 40 miles from here and they've put together a carpool. Each of them drives 1 week out of the month so basically they cut their fuel consumption by 75%. That equates to roughly $300/each saved per month just by car pooling (I know at least 2 of these women drive fullsize SUVs).

Why do they even own SUV's? I take it that each of them is married with 4+ kids

No! One of them doesn't even have ANY children and she's the one driving a Ford Expedition!!!

This isn't the exception either...it's the norm.

Yup, it seems like 90% of SUV drivers, drive solo. I would not be too terribly opposed to the government leveeing a consumption tax on them like they do Ferrarri owners and use it for alternative fuel research.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: Nitemare
Yup, it seems like 90% of SUV drivers, drive solo. I would not be too terribly opposed to the government leveeing a consumption tax on them like they do Ferrarri owners and use it for alternative fuel research.

I wouldn't either actually. Hell, you can give an exemption for people with a contractor's license who use their vehicle as a work truck.

 

[vi edit]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

They do, but it's not much greater. Best you'll see is low to mid 20s IIRC.

That's why I like my "mini" mini van

I get 25MPG in an 80/20 city highway mix and a solid 30MPG at 65MPH.

I can't fit a sheet of 4x8 plywood in it though like I could with a Sienna or other full size van though.

 

[ConstipatedVigilante]

Originally posted by: Cdubneeddeal

Originally posted by: Agentbolt
People said the 3 dollar "psychological barrier" would be huge when it was broken, and nobody ended up really caring when it happened.

Because people are so tied to their cars, like an addiction. One reason why Americans are so fat..

Wtf?

Edit:

Moving to an electric infrastructure could actually decrease the price of many other goods as the energy burden is shifted away from oil, increasing availability for other uses.

And how do we create that electricity? We can't drill for it, you know. Ultimately, we have to burn something or use nuclear power to get electricity. Sure, we could use coal power plants to generate electricity for cars (there is still a LOT of coal), but then we still have to change fuel pumps to battery chargers.

Ethanol is a shitty option too - we're burning our food to transport less of it.

We either need nuclear power to become more widespread or we need to find a better way to get hydrogen.

 

[skace]

Originally posted by: BigDH01
I understand that not everyone wants to live like me, this is not the point.

Let's just say this much, I won't be surprised if YOU don't want to live like YOU in a few years .

 

[Nitemare]

Originally posted by: ConstipatedVigilante

Originally posted by: Smelly Frenchie who hates American pigs

Originally posted by: Agentbolt
People said the 3 dollar "psychological barrier" would be huge when it was broken, and nobody ended up really caring when it happened.

Because people are so tied to their cars, like an addiction. One reason why Americans are so fat..

Wtf?

look at the poster dude

 

[The Boston Dangler]

Originally posted by: Nitemare


Yup, it seems like 90% of SUV drivers, drive solo. I would not be too terribly opposed to the government leveeing a consumption tax on them like they do Ferrarri owners and use it for alternative fuel research.

90%? you're too kind.

for folks that assume bigger = safer, click on me.

 

[krunchykrome]

Originally posted by: Nitemare

Originally posted by: ConstipatedVigilante

Originally posted by: Smelly Frenchie who hates American pigs

Originally posted by: Agentbolt
People said the 3 dollar "psychological barrier" would be huge when it was broken, and nobody ended up really caring when it happened.

Because people are so tied to their cars, like an addiction. One reason why Americans are so fat..

Wtf?

look at the poster dude

America is like the New England Patriots of the world

 

[The Boston Dangler]

Originally posted by: krunchykrome

Originally posted by: Nitemare

Originally posted by: ConstipatedVigilante

Originally posted by: Smelly Frenchie who hates American pigs

Originally posted by: Agentbolt
People said the 3 dollar "psychological barrier" would be huge when it was broken, and nobody ended up really caring when it happened.

Because people are so tied to their cars, like an addiction. One reason why Americans are so fat..

Wtf?

look at the poster dude

America is like the New England Patriots of the world

your analogy / patriots bash fails miserably

 

[krunchykrome]

Originally posted by: The Boston Dangler

Originally posted by: krunchykrome

Originally posted by: Nitemare

Originally posted by: ConstipatedVigilante

Originally posted by: Smelly Frenchie who hates American pigs

Originally posted by: Agentbolt
People said the 3 dollar "psychological barrier" would be huge when it was broken, and nobody ended up really caring when it happened.

Because people are so tied to their cars, like an addiction. One reason why Americans are so fat..

Wtf?

look at the poster dude

America is like the New England Patriots of the world

your analogy / patriots bash fails miserably

lol, why?

It was a compliment to the Patriots, and a compliment to the United States

 

[dmcowen674]

Originally posted by: sportage
They talk about $4 a gal gas by this Summer.
But what you don?t hear is the possibility of $5 a gal gas by Christmas 08,
and up to $8 a gal gas by Summer/fall 2009.

Is that something we can live with? Yes according to ATers

Would that destroy our economy and create a 1929 like depression? No according to ATers

Can you imagine a tank fillup costing as much as your monthly home mortgage payment?

Yes, and like it according to Aters.

Originally posted by: Slew Foot
Dave Mcowen is already crazy

Yes , so what does that have to do with the price of gas in China?

 

[The Boston Dangler]

kk, i don't get it.

 

[TallBill]

Originally posted by: krunchykrome

I understand what you're saying, but consider this: if we spend 1-2 hours a day in our cars driving (more or less depending on your work commute, other obligations), that is a nice chunk of our lives that are wasted behind the wheel. Little conveniences we pay extra for really matter to some people just like paying a little bit more for a larger house.

Hmm, but what conveniences are you really paying for? I don't get it. Comfy seat, sound system, enjoy wasting your 1-2 hours a day. Why buy a BMW to sit in traffic?

 

[dmcowen674]

Originally posted by: irishScott
I hope it skyrockets. SUVs and hummers will finally leave the streets, which will actually do a decent bit for our oil supply.

You do realize there is no shortage of oil right?

The oil depots around the country have been full for the past 9 years.

 

[ShotgunSteven]

Originally posted by: sportage
And whats funny as hell is the rumor of hordes of oil under S. Dakota (or was it north?).
You think gas is high now, coming from other countries.
No other country has ever outdone the good old USA when it comes to GREED!
If Exxon got its little pumps onto oil in the Dakota's, we'd see that $60 a gal gas bill
faster than you could snatch a Saudi?s turban.

North Dakota, and there are plenty of oil jobs to be had there. Manual labor jobs on the oil patch are starting out at $21.00 an hour, and they will take you if you can pass a criminal background check and a pee test. If you have even rudimentary skill as a welder or something along those lines, they will train you up to the level they need and your pay will be higher by an order of magnitude.

 

[ShotgunSteven]

Originally posted by: dmcowen674

Originally posted by: irishScott
I hope it skyrockets. SUVs and hummers will finally leave the streets, which will actually do a decent bit for our oil supply.

You do realize there is no shortage of oil right?

The oil depots around the country have been full for the past 9 years.

Exactly. It is our refining capacity that is gutted, not our supply of raw crude.

The State of Alaska is finally starting to stand up to the oil companies up here. The companies bought leases on various oil fields, under the condition that they would develop those fields. Instead, they capped them and sat on them, waiting for the price to go up. Now the state government is revoking those leases, as the oil companies have not fulfilled the conditions under which they leased them.

 

[ColdFusion718]

The price is high because we have a ton of choices. When we fill up our car, we can choose oil, oil, oil, oil, or oil.

 

[ColdFusion718]

Originally posted by: BigDH01

Originally posted by: JS80

Originally posted by: BigDH01

Originally posted by: Aharami
sorry but I dont want to pay 600K for a 1000sq ft studio

You assume no increase in living supply.

are you going to magically grow land in the city?

Why do I need to grow land? There are plenty of 10 story apartment and condo buildings in my future downtown. Those buildings can grow up and not out.

I think in the distant future, you'll see a lot more buildings represent something like the Hancock Building. You can live in the upper floors, work in the middle floors, and shop on the ground floors. There's even a Best Buy going in. Imagine only having to take an elevator to Best Buy.

I'm moving to an apartment building in a downtown area. This building is connected to nearly all the other downtown buildings via a skywalk. This means, at night, I can walk from my apartment to go buy grocery items, alcohol, whatever, without ever stepping foot outside or getting into a car. I'm also connected to the civic center so I never have to get into a car and deal with traffic when I want to go see a basketball or hockey game. I also live next to the center of nightlife so I never have to get into a car to go to the bar or clubs. Not to mention the many restaurants well within walking distance. There's a gym attached to the skywalk, and an indoor hot tub, sauna, and small fitness center in the basement. I may not have a yard, but I live about 2 blocks from a river and corresponding parks. Plenty of green space.

As populations continue to increase and supplies of traditional energy sources continue to decrease, more people will *want* to live in conditions like this. My fiance and I currently have two cars, and now we can eliminate one as I will no longer have to drive. This saves me gas money, insurance, registration, and maintenance (I already own the car, so no car payment). Living in communal conditions also makes it more affordable to implement green energy technologies. The investment can be shared by all parties and makes use of economy of scale. I see more people seeking out these conditions in the future until the price of energy decreases and/or the cost of turning one's home green with geo and solar technology drops.

Of course, suburbanization also becomes economically unfeasible as the value of crops continue to increase. In the past, creating giant new housing additions was relatively cheap and just required buying up largely flat farmland. Now that corn stands at over $6/bushel, this farmland is no longer cheap to buy. Sprawl can't go on forever, and that population has to go somewhere. I say up.

Don't forget to tell them to install those power generators on those rotating doors. I'm not being sarcastic.

 

[hanoverphist]

Originally posted by: krunchykrome

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: hanoverphist

Originally posted by: Auryg

Originally posted by: Cdubneeddeal

Originally posted by: Aimster

Originally posted by: Cdubneeddeal
If the gas does go up to $4.00 a gallon, I'm riding a bicycle to work permanently. No way in hell I'm paying $50.00 to fill up my Jetta. That'll be $200 a month just in gas.

Lol I pay $350 a month to fill up my SUV
now probably $400

I can't comprehend why anyone would own a vehicle that costs that much to operate. Why not use public transportation or ride a bike?

City mentality. A very good portion of the United States lives either in a somewhat rural area or in a sprawling city. We're not addicted to cars; we need them, unless we're all going to pack up our bags and move.

ed zachary.

i have a truck (used for work), so i need it to go to job sites. i also have 3 kids i drop off at school every morning. not much chance at making them ride bikes for 14 miles to school. buses may be an option, but the extra 2 hours to get across town would suck as much as the gas prices. i get mileage from work for the work travel, but its slowly becoming just gas money. last time i checked it was around 89% fuel cost and 11% maint and they pay the govt mileage rate. wjile i would LOVE to see prices go down, im kind of stuck either way... they got me by the short n curlies so far until there is a good replacement for gas in my truck.

Part of the problem is all the people who own and drive SUVs and trucks on a daily basis who really don't need them. Imagine if those people switched to more fuel efficient cars or carpooled. There are 4 women who work here and all live in the same general area about 40 miles from here and they've put together a carpool. Each of them drives 1 week out of the month so basically they cut their fuel consumption by 75%. That equates to roughly $300/each saved per month just by car pooling (I know at least 2 of these women drive fullsize SUVs).

Another point to mention is that SUV alternatives (the minivan) is not considered cool. Im not sure about Minivan mileage, but I would assume that they get better mpg than the average SUV. AWD isnt an issue either because Minivans now have them as an option. It's really just the "cool" appeal and people dont want to be seen driving a minivan.

get me a minivan with clearance to drive into undeveloped as well as rough job sites and i may consider it. unfortunately, some of the gear i carry and install is taller than my truck, and i doubt would fit into a van at all.

and youre right, if i could drive a smaller, more efficient car i would. i tried to do this job in my dodge intrepid for a long time, but i spent a lot in repairs from those job sites, as well as not having the capacity to carry what i needed.

 

[hanoverphist]

Originally posted by: ConstipatedVigilante


Edit:

Moving to an electric infrastructure could actually decrease the price of many other goods as the energy burden is shifted away from oil, increasing availability for other uses.

And how do we create that electricity? We can't drill for it, you know. Ultimately, we have to burn something or use nuclear power to get electricity. Sure, we could use coal power plants to generate electricity for cars (there is still a LOT of coal), but then we still have to change fuel pumps to battery chargers.

ive done some pretty cool solar projects for local power companies, they are developing solar fields that heat water in tubes to create steam that runs huge turbines for creating power. they have come leaps and bounds from the solar systems of yesteryear, and the water recovery is fairly good. still not mainstream yet, but definitely on the way. no oil dependencies at all either.

 

[Saga]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Part of the problem is all the people who own and drive SUVs and trucks on a daily basis who really don't need them. Imagine if those people switched to more fuel efficient cars or carpooled. There are 4 women who work here and all live in the same general area about 40 miles from here and they've put together a carpool. Each of them drives 1 week out of the month so basically they cut their fuel consumption by 75%. That equates to roughly $300/each saved per month just by car pooling (I know at least 2 of these women drive fullsize SUVs).

The bigger problem is you thinking people would WANT to rely on others that way. I would not be able to leave early, drive to lunch somewhere by myself spontaneously, leave work to run an errand, assist friends/family in the case of an emergency, and a whole plethora of other actions that would require me to have immediate or semi-immediate access to automotive transportation.

I absolutely could not see myself justifying the loss of these freedoms and liberties simply to save $100/month. If there is a price tag on my freedom and it comes in the form of gasoline, I will continue to pay a premium.

Go hug a tree if it's that important to you, please.

 

[OutHouse]

Originally posted by: vi edit
I've currently got a 12 mile round trip commute that will be cut down to about 6 miles round trip in a year. I've got a car that pulls about 25MPG in an 80/20 city/highway mix.

13 gallons of gas will last me a solid month to a month and half with typical commutes at that point.

It'll cost me an extra $15 bucks a month if gas goes up a $1.00 more a gallon. With my current drive it would run me $30 a month at that increase. I won't lose any sleep over it.

If I was desperate, I'd just cut back on premium foods, unneeded travel, wine/beer budget, and unneeded luxuries like satellite radio, music subscriptions, and cable TV.

Truckers are paying 4.00+ a gallon. how much do you think milk, bread, cheese and eggs will go up?

high fuel prices goes a lot further than how much YOU spend on gas.

 

[vi edit]

Originally posted by: Citrix

Originally posted by: vi edit
I've currently got a 12 mile round trip commute that will be cut down to about 6 miles round trip in a year. I've got a car that pulls about 25MPG in an 80/20 city/highway mix.

13 gallons of gas will last me a solid month to a month and half with typical commutes at that point.

It'll cost me an extra $15 bucks a month if gas goes up a $1.00 more a gallon. With my current drive it would run me $30 a month at that increase. I won't lose any sleep over it.

If I was desperate, I'd just cut back on premium foods, unneeded travel, wine/beer budget, and unneeded luxuries like satellite radio, music subscriptions, and cable TV.

Truckers are paying 4.00+ a gallon. how much do you think milk, bread, cheese and eggs will go up?

high fuel prices goes a lot further than how much YOU spend on gas.

Yeh I know that. But at least I have control over my own fuel consumption and costs. Groceries have doubled their typical inflation rates the last two years at a rate of 4% more per year. So for groceries alone, My $100 grocery bill two years ago now costs me almost $110.