Are the ultra high gas prices hurting you hypermilers?

[96hb]

I'm sorry, but if you can't at least afford gas to get to work and back, then you need to find a better job.

[fumesucker]

Originally Posted by JJW

I don't get the people here calling for a "guzzler tax" on high consumption vehicles. We already have that, it's called the fuel costs itself. I also don't understand the animosity towards the high consumption vehicle.

I'm not a big fan of punitive taxes, law enforcement, etc etc..

But the high consumption vehicles are driving up fuel prices and making us all pay more for gas than we would need to otherwise. It's as simple as the law of supply and demand really.. The higher the demand (thanks to gas guzzler vehicles) the higher the price for everyone.

[96hb]

There have always been gas guzzlers in America and the prices haven't been as crazy as they are now. And I believe that unless gas prices truly get rediculous, like $7+ a gallon, there always will be. Most people that own these vehicles can still 'afford' to fill them up, even if they don't like it....myself included.

[opelgt73]

Originally Posted by 96hb

There have always been gas guzzlers in America and the prices haven't been as crazy as they are now. And I believe that unless gas prices truly get rediculous, like $7+ a gallon, there always will be. Most people that own these vehicles can still 'afford' to fill them up, even if they don't like it....myself included.

The prices now are tax enough. Look at the number of people switching from their SUV's to smaller cars. As prices go up, any significant number of people driving guzzlers left are doing so because they HAVE to. And taxing a house framer or landscaper etc. to hell and back isn't going to help anybody out.

BTW in Florida they do charge extra taxes on large vehicles.

[bowtieguy]

Originally Posted by bowtieguy

two examples off the top of my head are the single mom and the individual that cannot maintain a $500 car his/herself.

obviously there are some out there that have nothing left after paying the monthly bills. a $500 or $3000 car is not possible because there is no savings.

sorry Snax, just had to quote myself to remind you. it seems Fumesucker agrees w/me @ least in part.

i've seen reports of people giving back their SUVs waiting for the dealer to sell it while still paying on it, then IF it's sold it is @ a loss and comes w/ a payment book for the difference. so, now you finance a $3k car for $8K if you can get approved or liquidate your savings.

also single mothers are often given a vehicle from a church(member). so, now you want them to trade for a payment or cash they do not have?

must say that i do not feel sorry for middle/upper class earners who are stuggling (but not in dire circumstances) because of that one illadvised purchase(large car/SUV).

[fumesucker]

Americans today seem to have lost the ability to "make do" with what they have..

Damn few people know this, but one of the reasons the US prevailed as easily as it did in WWII over the Axis powers is that in every unit there was some farm boy who had been fixing the tractors/combines/whatevers on the farm before he went to war.. If a US vehicle broke down, there was usually somebody in the unit that could at least try to jack-leg a repair.. The Germans and Japanese did not have that experience with mechanical gadgets and if the Panzer broke down, a mechanic had to be called in to fix it.

Robert Heinlein seems to have an aphorism for every situation and this is a place for a couple of his..

"Do not handicap your children by making their lives easy."

"A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects!"

Americans have become too specialized, IMO.

[opelgt73]

Originally Posted by fumesucker

Americans have become too specialized, IMO.

I think you are partially correct. But I think the bigger problem is that Americans no longer live within their means.

I'm not saying we should go back to living like the 50's but back then how many cars did the average family own? How large of a house did a family of 5 live in? How much debt (adjusted for inflation vs salary) did they carry?

99% of the people I hear complaining about how terrible the economy is and how they can't afford to live anymore have a house much larger than their needs, far too many cars, eat out 3-4 times a week and have a plasma TV. And they also can't afford their credit card payments either.

America needs to wake up and stop spending money they don't have on things they don't need. A drop in consumer spending is detrimental to the economy but it cannot be sustained as is and we are due for a bust (or are already busting, e.g. the credit crunch).

[R.I.D.E.]

Its not what you make its what you save. House paid for, big plus. Grow and cook meals, big plus. Low property taxes, big plus.

Keep the utilities down, drive an economical car.

Remember ten bucks an hour might not be much to some of us, but it also means your taxes are very low, probably practically nothing.

One way to supplement your income is to improve your home and sell it for a profit, TAX FREE.

regards
gary

[atomicradish]

Gas is hurting. I'm currently in summer school in college for a 5 week session. It's not a long enough period to get a job, so I am having to spend off of what I have saved and what my parents send me. Unfortunately almost all of my driving is in stop and go traffic, so I don't get nearly the mileage I could get otherwise. And then when I leave here, I have a 6 hour 320 mile trip to look forward to. That's going to be $50 to fill up Troy, and even at 44 mpg that uses up half the tank...

I try to use the buses when I can, but waiting on them is such a hassle. Time is money, and I would rather be spending my money in a car than at the bus stop.

[EH3]

gas prices have had relatively little affect on me. grocery costs have had a much larger impact.

i have reduced my driving speeds and that alone has shown me a 7mpg improvement. that brings my integra up to 40mpg. i spend ~$130 per month alone on fuel for my commuting only. my wife spends ~$30/month in her cherokee driving around town, getting MAYBE 15mpg.

however, we have cut back the 1hr+ trips to visit the inlaws on the weekends. i am now riding my singlespeed to the grocery store for beer/diaper/snack runs mid week.