Gas Prices Up again

[The Toecutter]

I drive 50 in a 60. It sure pisses people off, but I can't afford the gas costs associated with speeding, and that piece of crap Suzuki Sidekick I'm driving is a guzzler.

[tomauto]

I am expecting the next generation of trucks to be smaller....or at least sell much less. I think it will be a very hard sale to get a consumer to buy a truck in this day, unless they actually need it for work.

[SVOboy]

I have a feeling that as trucks become more expensive to drive they will become more appealing as status symbols.

[tomauto]

I think they have always had the status symbol attached to them. When gas was cheap, they were known as being powerful...They gave the owner a sense of authority to rule over all the small cars because they are bigger. I saw more and more soccer moms switching from minivans to SUV's for that one extra seat.

Maybe more people will open their eyes and see that there is a real problem. In the short term this is hurting families that can't simply switch to a smaller car. That is where that $100 dollar tax rebate business came from. (not a great idea)

I think that if trucks aren't hauling anything, they mise well be using something else. But in the end, as long as people are willing to plunk down 70-100 dollars in gas per fill up, there will be vehicles to suit them.

[Silveredwings]

Originally Posted by DaX

Yes but is the government subsidizing gasoline over there? I think the fault from the begining is the government cushioning prices through subsidies. And I'm sure that scandals occur over there just as they do over here with funneling tax dollars from one beneficiary to another.

Exactly. Can we even count the ways we subsidize big oil companies:
1. $14 billion in subsidies, drilling incentives, in the energy bill.
2. $ hundreds of millions Waived royalty payments by not enforcing the agreements on public land drilling.
3. Over $80 billion in Iraq ('nuf said).
4. $ billions for Military protection of foreign oil drilling & shipping territories.
5. Years of incentives for manufacturers to make and consumers to buy wasteful trucks instead of cars.
6. Nary a word to promote the least bit of conservation.
7. The nucular idiot's statement today that we shouldn't tax those poor oil companies (even as Chevron today reported 49% profit growth).

yada, yada ...

[Compaq888]

gas is $3.25 here. My gas station is probably $3.15 and there might be a line there now.

I'm really thinking of biking to college, but on long trips on the freeway use the car because it gets close to 40mpg on the freeway.

I'll start biking when it hits $3.50

[Matt Timion]

Originally Posted by Compaq888

gas is $3.25 here. My gas station is probably $3.15 and there might be a line there now.

I'm really thinking of biking to college, but on long trips on the freeway use the car because it gets close to 40mpg on the freeway.

I'll start biking when it hits $3.50

Biking is the way to go, especially if your trip is under 5 miles. In teh spring/summer/part of fall we bike almost exclusively. This year, however, I'll be driving the n600 a bit :P

[Compaq888]

Originally Posted by Matt Timion

Biking is the way to go, especially if your trip is under 5 miles. In teh spring/summer/part of fall we bike almost exclusively. This year, however, I'll be driving the n600 a bit :P

When i used to live in WI I biked everywhere I went. Now I live in a bad neighborhood and biking is not very appealing. College is only 3.5 miles away.

[philmcneal]

i'd bike my 8 mile commute if i didn't have so many hills to battle and if the sidewalk was not an illegal place to bike at... i'm paranoid on the road about some drunk hitting me ;(

[Compaq888]

Originally Posted by philmcneal

i'd bike my 8 mile commute if i didn't have so many hills to battle and if the sidewalk was not an illegal place to bike at... i'm paranoid on the road about some drunk hitting me ;(

I'm afraid of that too. Cali drivers are one of the worst. I fear my own cousin behind the wheel of a car. He drinks and drives. When I'm with him I make sure I'm driving because i'm not placing my life into the hands of a drunk.