People like legolamb appear to be forgetting that EU gas prices are high because of high government taxes.
US gas prices are high because the oil companies manipulate the supply to control the prices, and are gouging the public. Today’s annouced profits by ChevronTexaco are certainly no serendipity.
And I’m happy to report that there’s a dive bar here in Pasadena where one can get a pint of Guiness on tap for $3. What is that, like 0.8 Euros?
And also, here in LA, Diesel prices are as high as premium gasolines… just today, protesting truckers shut down Interstate 5 by parking their tractor-trailer rigs across all lanes… and driving off in another vehicle.
This is what we have here in CA. The news shows people bitching about how they don’t know where they’re going to come up with the money to pay $2.50 a gallon, while they’re slurping on their $6 Starbucks coffees. :rolleyes:
I will say one thing though. When I briefly visited the lovely city of London, and the surrounding country years ago, there was an awesome mass transit system. Clean, efficient, prompt rail services and bus services. We have NOTHING like that in the U.S. Cars are the ONLY way to get anywhere and city planenrs actually design it so that you have to travel distances to get to things (the notion of a suburbia and shopping malls). Thus, if we had politicians and planners with any insight, we would have these great railways and then increased gas prices would not be such a burden. I only wish we did.
BTW- My hubbie and I do not drive the big honking domestic armored personnel carriers that get 9 miles to the gallon. So we have little sympathy for those who complain about gas prices but drive a vehicle that would stand up to a rocket propelled grenade (I know they won’t just being facetious)
It never fails. Gas goes up from 80.9 cents to 87.9. I find a place that is still at 82.9 and thank my lucky stars and quickly fill up. The next day gas goes down to 80.9 again. I’m a little miffed at myself, but hey its only two cents a litre, eh? What the fuck.
The next day it is down to 75.9. My luck sucks!
Well, at least that war in Iraq is starting to pay off here…
the gas companies need to be investigated for price gouging, it cost me $17 this morning to fill up my car, a Dodge Neon, a frelling economy car, before all this price gouging i could fill up the tank for $8-10 worst case, i have a 50 mile commute round-trip to work (25 each way) and that’s taking the most direct route over the highway, i’m filling up the car once a week and it’s starting to get old, i’m just glad i have a (relatively) fuel efficient economy car
if things get much worse, i’ll have to start using my motorcycle more, problem is, my current bike is really old and ratty, not much more fuel efficient than my car, if things go well and my financing goes thru at a rate i’m willing to pay, i’ll be spending more time on my new motorcycle, a vehicle that gets at least 50 MPG and will cost about $5 to fill up
Yeah, and after they investigate the oil companies they can go after the bottled water companies. I’ve heard (sorry, no cite) that gasoline cost more in the 80s after accounting for inflation. We’ve been spoiled. And, no, I don’t have any interests in any oil companies.
Clearly you’ve never been to NYC, DC, Chicago or Boston. Otherwise you’d realize that the US has mass transit that compares very well to European systems.
I’ve not only ridden on the systems of all those cities, but those of several European ones as well. In particular, the London Underground and the Paris Metro stand out as far superior to that of any US city. And the EL in Chicago? That’s a baffling comparison to make with any real transit system.
Many parts of the US benefit from local distrbution points and low local taxes.
Some parts suffer from poor distribution and/or high taxes. Some even have laws governing when different blends are to be released (seasonal blends, sometimes to increase efficiency or reduce pollutants). This makes supply plans a bit tougher and operating costs higher.
Depending on how many of these factors you face, you might be paying a great difference.
Here in South Jersey, although it’s mostly rural, we benefit from the numerous refineries in the NY and Philly burbs. We have a low gas tax and modest or minimal regulations on blends. So, we don’t get hurt by distribution, high taxes or laws regulating blends.
Also, all the price fluctuations keep the profit consistent, but the sheer volume of sales affects the bottom line the most.
Drive less, by less gas, or operate more efficient vehicles.
I agree with this. The Paris Metro is so simple to use that you can easily learn your way around Paris without knowing a word of French. Meanwhile, L.A.'s very nearly dead-aborning Metro system typically screwed up again with the introduction of its light rail Gold Line between downtown and Pasadena. The problem is that the Gold Line is so poorly integrated with the incoming Red Line subway. To transfer from one to the other you have to go up or down the equivalent of about four storeys, as well as walk, by my estimate, about 50 yards laterally. This flies in the face of Axiom #1 regarding public transit sytems, which is that efficient connections are essential.
But regardless of that, no matter how good a transit system is, it’s almost always quicker to drive your own car, and this is why it’s so difficult to get American commuters out of their cars and into public transit. Personally, I wouldn’t mind taking public transit to work; I’d welcome the extra time to read each day. But for me to do so requires taking about 3 different buses, and, of course, this being West L.A., there is no rail transit.
Yeah, you’re right about the El. I was just using it to go to Wrigley and it worked just fine for that.
But I disagree that the London Underground or the Paris Metro are superior to NYC or DC. Although, DC does have the advantage of not having to cover as much ground as the others.
After living in London for a while, I quickly got sick of the crowded, tiny cars and frequent breakdowns. And it’s freaking hot. Unbelievably hot in those cars during summer. That said, from what I understand, London is the exception, not the rule, when it comes to municipal public transportation in the UK.
Paris Metro I only used for half a week, but from what I see (other than the cleanliness issue) was that it wasn’t much better than the other systems I’ve used.
The Underground does, IIRC, take an enormous number of passengers, relative to any US system. I think perhaps I’m thinking of it in terms of “heavily used” systems. I take the Metro in DC all the time, and as far as volume goes it’s not in the same league as the Undergrond or Paris Metro. That’s why I think it is not comperable - for the amount of traffic, perhaps, it’s fair to say the London system is superior?
The thing that disturbs me in Paris is the crime or “air of menace”. I’ve been stalked once in the Undergrond, but multiple times in the Paris Metro. I’ve only been afraid once in the Underground, when Fierra and I were in the middle of a fight on a car between stations. I’m afraid a lot on the Paris Metro at night.
I was referring to having a nation-wide system of rail transit. The East Coast has a wonderful train system (as does Chicago) but it’s sparse at best in the central part of the country.
Sure, we have Amtrack here in the good old US of A, but it’s not nearly as widespread. The nearest train station to where I currently reside is 65 miles away. To take a train for my next vacation, I’d have to travel just to get to the station, and then it might not go to the city I need, necessitating more car travel.
Try getting around L.A. without your own vehicle. Sure there’s a small rail “system” that goes to a few places; but what if you live on the west side? It was about five miles from my apartment to the motorcycle shop in Marina del Rey. Getting the bike to the shop meant riding it there and catching a bus back. 15 minutes waiting for the bus, lots of stops on the way, and then a half-mile walk home. Five miles took up to 45 minutes.
Mass transit to work in Orange? Forget it. I suppose I could spend 20 or 30 minutes driving into Hollywood, catch the rail downtown, then get a train to Anaheim, and then get a bus to work; but I could drive the 43 miles in an hour, or ride the distance on the bike in 45 minutes or so.
NYC and DC might have great transit systems. Sure, people routinely take commuter trains from city to city on the eastern seaboard. But saying “the US has mass transit that compares very well to European systems” is not very accurate. It’s like saying “Bill Gates is rich, so Americans are millionaires.” True in a very limited sense, but not in a broad sense.
I pay anywhere from US $1.679 to $1.899 around these parts.
I live in a very rural part of Indiana, and I drive 45 miles one way to work. I’d move closer to where I work, but it’s not a real viable option for several reasons… one being that my husband works in a different town several miles in the opposite direction from where I work, and I consider myself extremely lucky to have the job that I have. (The market for my skillset is quickly dwindling, and my current employer has wonderful benefits.)
The gas prices have me very concerned at this point. I have discussed working from home one day a week with my manager, and it is being discussed her superiors. I’m going to mention it to her again today… I hope the answer is yes!
Prices are skyrocketing here too (Australia) by about 15 c/L.
It’s sitting at about 95c p/l at the moment. Which would be about 70c, in america? But I don’t know the gallon conversion… so …
I live in Queensland’s capital city and our public transport system is the best. I own transport, but I choose not to use it. You can get to pretty much anywhere, in less than an hour and a half… And that’s including waiting times.
America really needs to shape up.
That was on 4/28. I live in Middle River and pass by the Wawa on Route 40 just outside the Beltway on the way to work. That’s usually the cheapest place around. This morning 5/5, I believe it was $1.73[sup]9[/sup].
