Gas Prices and Summer Travel

[catbirdseat]

I have said this before and I'll say it again. People can't afford to have an efficient car for commuting because insurance rates are based on the car and not the driver. You'd like to have a big SUV for the weekend and an efficent car for getting to work. Each car sucks up a huge premium whether it get's used or not so people minimize the number of cars they own and drive the one car that does everything, even though it doesn't do it well. They drive the humongous SUV to work five days a week so they can have it for one or two days on the weekend, even if they only go camping once or twice a year. What I don't understand is that some people actually LIKE commuting in those monsters.

[scott_harpell]

You forgot the 'beating the jonses' scenario. My parents' neighborhood is full of people in various stages of working their ways up to aquiring a combat hummer.

[Dustin_B]

Yeah, like people driving $40,000 SUVs care if gas cost $2 or $3 a gallon.

[Dustin_B]

Guess you better stay home all summer and not go climbing then.

 

My SUV gets 15-20 mpg, I drive to work 25 miles each way, by myself, 5 days a week.

[MrDoolittle]

Yeah, like people driving $40,000 SUVs care if gas cost $2 or $3 a gallon.

 

Yes but increased cost of fuel results in an increased in the cost of everything. And most people that drive $40,000 cars don't own $40,000 cars, they just pay the bank to use it, because they can't afford a $40,000 car. That's why they carry a debt load.

 

You folks that think $3 a gallon for gas is OK are going to have a big surpise come July, I garuntee.

[MrDoolittle]

CNN/Money Oil Stocks Article

 

In the midst of a minor oil panic like the current one, it's worth reviewing the effects of soaring oil prices on the economy and the stock market.

 

A sudden rise in energy prices raises manufacturing and transportation costs, which can slow the economy and also squeeze companies' profit margins, unless they are able to pass the costs through to consumers. If they succeed in passing on the costs, rising consumer prices will encourage inflation.

 

The fear of stagflation (slower growth and faster inflation) tends to depress price/earnings ratios for most stocks. But a few groups are hurt disproportionately -- and a few actually benefit.

 

Those that can be especially hurt include energy-dependent companies, such as utilities that burn fossil fuels and airlines, because of their consumption of jet fuel. In addition, some chemical companies that use oil as a feedstock and some plastics companies, such as Newell Rubbermaid, may suffer.

[Greg_W]

[MrDoolittle]

Is it OK to call someone a "cunt rag" in Spray these days, or is that too offensive? And I'm asking for information purposes only...

[Greg_W]

Is it OK to call someone a "cunt rag" in Spray these days, or is that too offensive? And I'm asking for information purposes only...

 

You better hope so, since that will keep you safely insulated behind your monitor where you belong.

[MrDoolittle]

Found this image of Greg_W and his SUV:

[Loose_Brie]

Is it OK to call someone a "cunt rag" in Spray these days, or is that too offensive? And I'm asking for information purposes only...

 

You better hope so, since that will keep you safely insulated behind your monitor where you belong.

 

Good lord, when I agree with Greg W there has got to be somehting wrong.

 

Forget your meds this week Dolittle?

[rbw1966]

Gas has been really expensive in Europe for decades and I don't see any groundbreaking alternative fuel research originating there.

 

I'd happily pay an increased fuel tax if they devoted the revenue straight to research for something that would get us off OPECs tit. We could give the middle east the single finger salute.

[willstrickland]

Gas has been really expensive in Europe for decades and I don't see any groundbreaking alternative fuel research originating there.

 

Maybe not, but they drive far less miles per capita, and they drive econoboxes that get 40+mpg.

 

Here's a question: If mpg in the private vehicle fleet increased by 20% what would the reduction in our oil demand be? 5%, 10%? Significant I would think, and enough to drop prices.

[murraysovereign]

I have said this before and I'll say it again. People can't afford to have an efficient car for commuting because insurance rates are based on the car and not the driver. You'd like to have a big SUV for the weekend and an efficent car for getting to work. Each car sucks up a huge premium whether it get's used or not so people minimize the number of cars they own and drive the one car that does everything, even though it doesn't do it well. They drive the humongous SUV to work five days a week so they can have it for one or two days on the weekend, even if they only go camping once or twice a year. What I don't understand is that some people actually LIKE commuting in those monsters.

 

There was some talk in Victoria of changing the Motor Vehicles Act to allow people to transfer their plates between two vehicles for exactly this reason. You could own two cars, but only have plates on the one you're actually driving, so people have the option of having a high-efficiency commuter as well as a less efficient, larger vehicle when it's needed.

Last I heard they were discussing it with law enforcement agencies, who had some concerns about keeping track of which plates are registered to which vehicles, but it sounded fairly promising. Haven't heard anything further about it in the last few months, but I hope it's still being considered.

[scott_harpell]

What about what happened in the 70's... When the prices went up, we (well ok you) bought smaller cars. Lets hope the same is true now. Light rail for the west coast! Double gas prices to pay for it!

[Dave_Schuldt]

NOW YOUR TALKIN'! BIKE LANES EVERYWHERE!

[Dave_Schuldt]

Found this image of Greg_W and his SUV:

 

I remember reading the article in the paper. He had his 15 minutes of hame.