Does anyone care that regular gasoline reached $4.089 pg in San Francisco CA

[whistle]

...and $3.599 in Orlando FL?

It seems like business as usual, stock market went up and the candidates take it all in stride

[madeline_con]

1. Wait till summer. Vacations will be cancelled and OPEC

might start to notice.

[NightWatcher]

2. my corner gas went up from 3.48 - 3.54 overnight and has gone up to 3.55 since lunch

I am going to be sure to keep my tank filled because it seems to go up every few hours

[kevinbgoode]

28. Mine went from 3.35 to 3.59 last night...:-(

and between that and food, I'm starting to really get squeezed.

[HooptieWagon]

41. Maybe that's where HilLiary got her $10 M ???

[Fresh_Start]

3. I blame the SUV and HUMMER owners

wasteful, polluting and dangerous to the rest of us

[whistle]

7. I have limited my driving to stay within 20 gallons of regular unleaded per month since September

...of last year, it has been easy and a few times I missed the mark, but made up the difference the following month

[Fresh_Start]

24. I live in an area where some people have more money than sense.....

There is one student driving a hummer to high school.

[LibDemAlways]

42. Me too. Last year my daughter

befriended a kid whose parents drive a hummer. I got to know them a little bit, and have to say they are among the shallowest people I've ever met. Their conversation starter: "So, who are you rooting for on American Idol?"

[taterguy]

36. Doesn't "wasteful, polluting and dangerous to the rest of us" apply to a lot of regular cars?

SUVs are only a small part of the problem.

Cars are great if you're traveling long distances or carrying lots of cargo but they're over-used.

I'm sorry but if you're using a car to go less than a few miles in decent weather you're being wasteful, and causing a multitude of problems just due to laziness and other neuroses like being "afraid of traffic."

(Unless of course you have some bonafide physical disability)

[Fresh_Start]

50. I think you are wrong

going only a couple of miles in good weather still requires a car the vast majority of time
because most of us don't have the extra couple of hours per day to do so

for example, the majority of time I'm going a couple of miles I am
a) shuttling children
b) transporting something
c) making an appointment

[taterguy]

53. It takes me 10 minutes longer to ride a bike to work than it does to drive a car

Every day I see hundreds of people alone in cars traveling similar distances.

Obviously, your situation is different but I wasn't talking about people like you in my OP. I was talking about the people I encounter every day in the real world.

I have no idea what the stats are for trips that are done in cars that could be easily done using other means, I can only go by what I observe and I see quite a lot of wasted gas.

If you think it takes a couple hours to ride a couple miles you're very misinformed. My cruising speed is about 15 mph and that's without exertion or sweat. When I'm in a hurry I can ride almost 30 mph without straining myself too much.

[Fresh_Start]

56. I was talking about walking

no bike trails near me and I have too many people depending on me to take risks against insane drivers

[taterguy]

58. I guess no one depends on me

I must be rather insignificant.

Damn.

[Fresh_Start]

59. I didn't say that

I'm having care of school age children and disabled parents.

[taterguy]

66. My interpretation of your remark is that riding a bicycle in traffic is a foolish risk

Sorry but I strongly disagree.

I value my health and safety just as much as you value yours.

I see cars doing stupid and dangerous things but it's not difficult at all to protect yourself just by using common sense.

Maybe one day a car will hit me but it's also possible I could get injured driving a car.

We'll be in the mess of rising oil prices and environmental devastation until people are willing to say: Enough is enough.

For me that happened a long time ago.

[Fresh_Start]

68. Near my home I see car/bike accidents about 1/month

thats enough to show me that it isn't a wise choice for me. On the same route I see about 1 car accident a year where the people are taken away by ambulance.

I'm certainly not denying that people can get hurt in car accidents. I just said in my neck of the woods, car appears to be safer.

Since I commute by mass transit to work for almost 20 years, I'm already prudent about using energy.

[LakeSamish706]

4. Canada, BC's west coast = $4.34 for a US gallon (having done the math on it) n/t

[cliffordu]

5. I don't care. I don't own a car

[whistle]

8. How do you get from point A to point B every day?

[cliffordu]

10. I live on my bicycle. I have a cargo bike

for all my groceries...An 'Xtracycle" - you can see them online.

I spent 50 bucks last year and zero dollars this year on gasoline....

I ride 365 days a year...I do not ride when the snow is over 4 inches deep ...

edited for speling(sic)

[uppityperson]

13. That's cool. How is your food budget doing?

I'm tired of snow for this spring.

[cliffordu]

15. It's ok - I get the feeling that it's going to get really expensive real soon -

I hate to admit it but I've got a couple weeks supply of beans corn meal and rice, just for drill.....

I know it sounds flaky...but it's like what my grandmother had laying around when I was a kid - I guess hoarding behavior runs in the family...heh.

:hi:

[uppityperson]

27. You are earthquake prepared then.

Good job. It's going to get really expensive and people, including me, will be eating differently.

[kevinbgoode]

29. Gosh, I really admire you. . .you ride even in snow?

I'm going to look up that Xtracycle....sheesh, I'm over 50 and I have a bike, but I struggle up some of the hills...

[Romulox]

57. The Surly Big Dummy is pretty cool!

I have a Surly Cross Check that is a fantastic bike. Definately snow worthy. :thumbsup:

[ColbertWatcher]

You know your food comes to the store by truck, don't you? n/t

[SammyWinstonJack]

38. Yeah guess you don't eat either, huh?

:eyes: Higher fuel prices=higher food prices and just about everything else, too. But you don't care because you don't own a car? :shrug:

[spanone]

6. while big oil makes record profits.....bet lots of congresscritters own big oil stock

[hfojvt]

9. wow! Blood, huh?

What's your mass transit like there?

[Mind_your_head]

11. Californian's can afford it, so I've been told.....

but I've never understood it.....why California leads the country in (upward) gas prices. You guys/gals are RICH!!!!

[shanti]

46. yeah

we're all zillionaires :eyes:

[Xithras]

64. We run a different gas formulation than the rest of the country.

California gas is different than 48 state gas. Our gas is reformulated, oxygenated, 5% ethanol, low-voc, etc., etc. That basically means that all gas burned in California is refined in California. So called "Federal Gas" can't be sold here.

Because of environmental laws, it's more expensive to refine gas in California than it is in other states. These higher refining costs are passed along in the form of higher gas prices.

We ALSO slap an 18% state excise tax AND a 7.25% state and local use tax on gas.

So yeah, that's why our gas is always more than your gas.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

12. I tell you - I can't understand why Americans are so calm about this

With what we've seen in recent gas price jumps, what's to keep it from continuing to rise into the stratosphere? I wish I had some organized way to protest this. Didn't truck drivers invade Washington en masse during the 70s to protest high prices and rationing when Carter was President?

[Mind_your_head]

14. Americans aren't calm.....they're comatose! eom

[burythehatchet]

19. I remarked the same thing today. Noone talks about it. It's eerie

[Lasher]

31. We talk about it here a lot.

I like to remind folks about the jawbone thing.

[SammyWinstonJack]

39. I remember bu$h and cheney running around in the fall of 2000 screaming about the price of oil

and price of gas, calling for President Clinton to release oil from the SOR and yeah that jawbone thing, too. I wonder why aren't Obama and Hillary doing the same thing now? It's certainly worse now and not manufactured like bu$h and cheney made the prices out too be back then.

[Lasher]

40. Obama and Hillary are busy hooking it out with each other.

No worries, the Democratic nominee with have plenty of time to remind voters that the average US price of regular gasoline was $1.46 a gallon when Junior assumed the presidency. The average US price was $3.55 yesterday. So much for the jawbone of an ass.

There's so much material to use, even I could beat McSame this November.

[tridim]

45. It's just like battered wife syndrome.

We've all been beat up for almost eight years and have been told things like, "You're either with us or against us", and "be careful what you say". Unfortunately, shit like that works on most Americans.

[sammythecat]

32. I have the very same thoughts

I'm 57, blue collar in rural PA. Today's middle class has been more than decimated and those remaining are strung out and battle weary. Families today need two incomes to do what one could very often do 40 years ago. I'd never be able to get by today the way I did in my twenties. Too many lower income people today are just one bad event away from catastrophe.

I don't know what the ultimate end will be, but this country is going down hill on the wrong road. We really need good leadership in the worst way. I have a feeling that even if we get turned around before it's too late, we're still going to be in for some painful times.

We don't seem to hear nearly enough about what's happening and I don't know if that's MSM's fault or the people's fault. Some just seem to be mesmerized by their own impending doom as they continue to vote against unions at work and their own self-interest at the polls. IF they vote at all.

[roamer65]

16. I don't.

Maybe more people will park the gas guzzlers.

[Betsy Ross]

17. We went seven weeks on one tank of gas.

Bicycles. Tomorrow we must do the deed again. I expect about 3.89 in the East Bay.

[Bluebear]

18. That's interesting.

Or at least that's what Bush said recently over the prospect of $4.00 gas.

[tridim]

20. We need to start doing something about this or it'll never stop

Maybe we could start stickering gas pumps and bags of rice, giving full credit to the GOP.

I don't think the media is going to help us on this one because they're all whores, so we have to start yelling.

[LibDemAlways]

44. Might not be a bad idea to leave a little "post-it" on the

pump :"If you are enjoying these prices, thank a republican."

[burythehatchet]

21. My little buddy is really paying dividends

[GP6971]

22. Expect to see

a increase in the sales of motor scooters and mid to small size motorcycles. I only rode my 750cc for pleasure, but at $3.89 a gallon I'll probably take it to work over the summer. I get 58 mph on the sucker.

What really sucks is the dividends the oil company stocks pay. They make so much in profit but Exxon Mobile only pays .35 cents per share per quarter. I dumped them long, long ago.

[Hekate]

23. Only the "little people" care. Gas at my corner Shell station has been $4.05 for almost a week.

(The same "little people" Leona Helmsley was referring to as the ones actually paying taxes, btw.)

Fortunately the Exxon station across from the Shell station is merely $3.90, as of today.

Hekate

[dysfunctional press]

25. nope.

hey, you asked...

[TheWatcher]

76. Not surprised.

Get back to feeling good, then. Sorry to disturb your sleep.

[ColbertWatcher]

26. I care; I'm in L.A. (gas is hovering around 3.89) n/t

[LibDemAlways]

43. Out in the northwest burbs of LA where I live, it's over $4.00.

Criminal.

[shanti]

47. same in sacramento

i'll be in LA tomorrow, good to know it isn't any higher than here! :sarcasm:

[slackmaster]

51. Same in 'Diego

:argh:

[lumberjack_jeff]

30. Gas is expensive? I hadn't heard.

I guess no one cares.

[MrSlayer]

33. Honestly? No. I don't live there and I don't own a car.

I really don't care how much gas costs.

[Freedom Train]

34. Why wouldn't it be business as usual?

It's still over $2 lower than in Europe, and I don't hear them complaining. If we are serious about fighting global warming, we should be on their levels and above, otherwise the switch to alternative fuels is just not going to happen. But once again, we take a backseat to Europe, and most U.S. progressives are fine with it, and in fact join right in with the Republican voting block screaming for lower gas prices. Way to go!

[Luminous Animal]

60. It's higher in because of taxes not profit

Fuel taxes in Europe are up to 70% of the price. In the U.S., the highest percentage of tax per gallon is less than 20%. Taxes for gas are high in Europe because they more accurately reflect what it actually costs for the state to maintain the infrastructure to facilitate private vehicle ownership. In the U.S., gas taxes, license fees, etc. only cover about 40% of the cost of that infrastructure. If we were to switch to a European style "user fee" system, U.S. gas taxes would probably be similarly high.

What people should be bitching about is the obscene profits the gas companies are raking in.

[NuttyFluffers]

35. caring and possible constructive action are two different things.

at some point this sort of caring verges on needless anxiety. you either can do something about it, or you are just going to have to accept it. due to my funds and responsibilities i have no choice but acceptance. it can go to $6 and i still will have to pay; i won't be smiling, but i would still have to pay. so at some point i do not stress over things beyond my power.

i've been looking into getting a dirt bike because they are light weight, good handling, cheap, and good gas mileage. but the overhead of new bike cost, getting a permit, driving around practicing, and going back and forth to the DMV currently outweighs the benefits of doing nothing at the moment and continue driving my 3 miles back and forth to mass transit. i could use a bicycle, but i was never very good on bikes and the hills between me and the station are killer -- almost suicidal for a novice (falling rocks, small bike lane, cars flying by at 40-60 mph, extremely steep hills, etc). and since there's no health insurance, the best i can currently do is pay the gas prices, drive less, and use USPS more.

so outside of moving closer to mass transit, getting a brand new high MPG vehicle, driving less, or starving, there's little that can be done now by people to immediately alleviate the pain. it must be accepted and born w/ grace. why? because high blood pressure and sudden anxiety attacks don't help the situation.

however, we can (and i do when i have the time) petition our representatives for help. we should be petitioning our local governance communities as well to implement more mass transit options. a letter is 41 cents, but it has a strong impact (send hard letter, emails don't have same impact) -- unless you are in a hopelessly conservative area w/ no mass transit, corrupt politics, and mindless sheeple as far as the eye can see. in that case... i guess moving is your only hope, and taking a short loan to do it might be the best thing to do. but that's just me grasping at straws.

[shanti]

48. you're right

when gas is this high, something's got to give and it sure won't be the gas. "they" know this only too well! :mad:

[NuttyFluffers]

62. yes, i find "free markets" (oxymoron) on staples and necessities always a bad thing

power, water, air, sewage, fire protection, national defense, transportation infrastructure, bare minimum food stuffs, etc. these things far too easily fall into the domain of monopoly. i think we are learning another truth, again, that these critical need stuffs really have to be outside the purview of market speculation.

but that's a more complex topic that probably shouldn't really be here. this is more of a venting topic. though i invite everyone the constructive action of petitioning their governments for redress. better than silence, right? silence means acceptance...

[KG]

37. nobody that matters cares.

[Indenturedebtor]

49. Good

People won't make the right choices for the survival of their children and the planet... let the market make it for them.

We should all be driving hyundai accents OR taking the bloody train... well building trains for that matter like a civilized country.

If you've gotta suffer because of high gas prices I'm sorry... but you don't have the right to make the rest of us suffer with your gas guzzling polluting choices. Yes they're choices sorry, don't care how you cut it.

[Javaman]

52. it would matter if the middle classes voice was listened to, but alas, that is

so pre 9/11.

[Wednesdays]

71. Pre 9/11??

Hell, it's pre-Reaganomics.

[musiclawyer]

54. Food prices are overtaking gas

If the dollar does not fall the last two years, the price bite would not feel so severe. But it's still less than other EU countries pay. Ontheotehr hand, they have univerasal medical insurance costs that are covered and better alternative transportation. In short, our pain is real. Undestandable but real. What is not understandable is the inflated price of food which is a direct function of stupid policies shifting food away from people to internal combustion based transportation engines. Business may seem as usual but it's not. There is violent upheaval uderneath the surface, and it's ready to explode. Are you ready?

[northzax]

55. no, not really

but then, I have structured my life to be as independent of the whims of the petroleum market as possible. Sure, food is a bit more, but since most of my food is as local as possible, the effect isn't as great.

[kenny blankenship]

61. Well you asked for it with your Godless Socialism your Vegan Militancy and your Free Love

The Invisible Hand waxes wroth.

[laylah]

63. CARE?!

JFC...we are living it!

[josephinemolix]

65. At this point we'll be in a depression soon

No rice, exensive gas, house prices falling. We are screwed, unless we elect a Democrat in November.

[HCE SuiGeneris]

67. No. Between Hillary becoming a Republican in public,

Rush Limpballs allowed to encourage riots, and McInsane chastising the NC GOP, I am thoroughly done. Fuck the money-grubbing leeches, and all the parasites that call themselves human.

[lib2DaBone]

69. least of all our Congress or Senate

The game is rigged from the inside. Both houses are corrupt from top to bottom. We are in serious serious trouble. (Sorry for the sunny outlook)

[Wednesdays]

72. Yup, and our Prezident is squeaky clean.

No oil connections to *, right?
:eyes:

[hogwyld]

70. I thought that all of "you" Californians

were gazillionaires. :sarcasm:

[Initech]

73. It was $4.05 at SNA airport this morning.

:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

[Horse with no Name]

74. I talked to a friend in CT tonight

She said they are paying $3.99.
It seems to be going up a few centers every day or two and the media is in absentia on it.

[TheWatcher]

75. American Idol is on?

Where?