# Curious about your gas prices

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/curious-about-your-gas-prices/22571>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [June 16, 2000, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/curious-about-your-gas-prices/22571 "2000-06-16T12:18:44Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Mullinator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@Mullinator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mullinator)\
**Post date:** [June 16, 2000, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/curious-about-your-gas-prices/22571/1 "2000-06-16T12:18:44Z")

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I know we have it pretty good here in Georgia. The prices are among the best in the country. At the gas stations near home, the price is basically 1.449 cents per gallon for the regular unleaded. Thankfully, since my wife and I work together we can carpool cutting our consumption in half. We also get about 40 miles to the gallon. I don’t even want to think about the costs if I still had the Ford Explorer. I also realize that the price isn’t overly bad when adjusted for inflation so try not to turn this into a debate on the merits of government intervention to lower the prices (but, feel free to hijack it in any other way you wish.)

So, what is the price where you live and how much of a burden is it adding to your life?

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**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\
**Post date:** [June 16, 2000, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/curious-about-your-gas-prices/22571/2 "2000-06-16T12:33:33Z")

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It’s nearly $2/gal here in Northwest Ohio. An increase of 25% over the last 10 days and nearly 100% over the last year. It’s not affecting me too badly since I bought a used little 5-speed Honda Civic around the turn of the year. That thing gets about 40mpg around town and 45mpg on the highway. I’m keeping the Chrysler Conquest Tsi in the garage; I haven’t driven it in probably 4 months. It averages about 20mpg.

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**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\
**Post date:** [June 16, 2000, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/curious-about-your-gas-prices/22571/3 "2000-06-16T12:35:06Z")

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NLG 2.69 per liter, which is about USD 4.42 per American gallon. Driving in the Netherlands is an expensive hobby, but I love my car too much to get rid of it. I can afford it, since I make a good living. But there are a lot of families that can’t afford a car anymore these days.

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**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\
**Post date:** [June 16, 2000, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/curious-about-your-gas-prices/22571/4 "2000-06-16T12:38:47Z")

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I know of a cheap Union 76 station. Yesterday, regular was $1.50/gallon (okay, $1.499… but just **try** to get change for that!) Other stations seem to be about five to 10 cents more.

I’ve always had long commutes. The current one is 43 miles each way. I have a 55mpg Yamaha, but I’ve been lazy and have been driving an 18mpg Jeep. It’ll be much better when I move up north and find a place closer to work. (I don’t want to live in Orange County, so that’s why I commute now.)

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**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\
**Post date:** [June 16, 2000, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/curious-about-your-gas-prices/22571/5 "2000-06-16T12:43:34Z")

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Damn imperial bastards, you make me fire up that calculator all the time… my car (Peugeot 306) gets about 12 kilometers per liter, so that’s… 28 to 29 MPG. Calculated conservatively, but it’s by no means a miracle of economy. Apparently, one needs a Civic for that 😉

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**Author:** ![Guy\_Propski](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/5e9695/32.png) [@Guy\_Propski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guy_Propski)\
**Post date:** [June 16, 2000, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/curious-about-your-gas-prices/22571/6 "2000-06-16T12:48:10Z")

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I just paid $1.61/gallon outside of Philadelphia. It’s becoming an irritation because my car doesn’t get very good gas mileage. I’m paying about $17/week now in fuel costs.

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**Author:** ![Spolvy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/278dde/32.png) [@Spolvy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spolvy)\
**Post date:** [June 16, 2000, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/curious-about-your-gas-prices/22571/7 "2000-06-16T12:59:42Z")

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I just got hosed for $2.29/gallon for premium. Cheapest I’ve see regular is about $2.05. Around Chicago here the taxes are HUGE and everybody is whining. I have a commute of about 70 miles one way and this is getting a bit pricey. But you know what? I still have to go to work and I’ll pay what I have to. Just have to work that much harder to pay for it.

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**Author:** ![Tally-Ho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@Tally-Ho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tally-Ho)\
**Post date:** [June 16, 2000, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/curious-about-your-gas-prices/22571/8 "2000-06-16T13:07:24Z")

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Here in Tallahassee the price for regular averages about $1.58. Not normally a problem for me and my hubby since our cars both have pretty good mpg. This last weekend though we had to make an sudden trip to Jacksonville. Spent over $30 for gas for his car that weekend. _sigh_

Chrisbar

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**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\
**Post date:** [June 16, 2000, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/curious-about-your-gas-prices/22571/9 "2000-06-16T13:12:32Z")

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Jesus, all the sighs and all the whining again… I spend 30 bucks just backing out of a parking space, dammit 😃

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**Author:** ![Tally-Ho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@Tally-Ho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tally-Ho)\
**Post date:** [June 16, 2000, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/curious-about-your-gas-prices/22571/10 "2000-06-16T13:19:31Z")

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Coldfire, take your normal gas expenses and double them. That’s what we’re experiencing over here. So sue me if I grumble a little.

Chrisbar

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**Author:** ![neutron\_star](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@neutron\_star](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neutron_star)\
**Post date:** [June 16, 2000, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/curious-about-your-gas-prices/22571/11 "2000-06-16T13:28:38Z")

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All right! I got the cheapest gas! $1.42/gallon as of yesterday here in Lafayette, LA.

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**Author:** ![Flypsyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f0a364/32.png) [@Flypsyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flypsyde)\
**Post date:** [June 16, 2000, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/curious-about-your-gas-prices/22571/12 "2000-06-16T13:30:54Z")

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Up to 1.87 here in Springfield. This compares pretty evenly to UncleBeer's increase percentages; I remember waiting to see if the price would drop below .90 this time last year. But chin up, Spolvy, the legislators here in our fine state are supposed to ask the feds for an investigation of the pricing practices of the oil companies here.

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**Author:** ![NothingMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b77776/32.png) [@NothingMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NothingMan)\
**Post date:** [June 16, 2000, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/curious-about-your-gas-prices/22571/13 "2000-06-16T13:38:27Z")

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$1.59 here in NC, thats for basic unleaded.

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**Author:** ![Needs2know](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5e925/32.png) [@Needs2know](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Needs2know)\
**Post date:** [June 16, 2000, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/curious-about-your-gas-prices/22571/14 "2000-06-16T13:40:26Z")

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South Central VA…148.9 last time I looked.

Needs2know

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**Author:** ![malaka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecc23a/32.png) [@malaka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/malaka)\
**Post date:** [June 16, 2000, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/curious-about-your-gas-prices/22571/15 "2000-06-16T13:43:52Z")

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Filled up this morning with the cheap stuff from a Certified in Columbus, OH. $2.00/gallon!!! Ouch! I averted my eyes from the premium price as I had just eaten.

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**Author:** ![Delta-9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3be4f8/32.png) [@Delta-9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Delta-9)\
**Post date:** [June 16, 2000, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/curious-about-your-gas-prices/22571/16 "2000-06-16T13:44:30Z")

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$2.29 for regular.  
$2.39 for mid-grade.  
$2.49 for premium.  
Ouch.

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**Author:** ![Spolvy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/278dde/32.png) [@Spolvy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spolvy)\
**Post date:** [June 16, 2000, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/curious-about-your-gas-prices/22571/17 "2000-06-16T13:51:18Z")

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The legislators in our fine state are all on serious drugs if they believe that the oil cos. will give a hoot what they do. The problem stems from a supply/demand thing rather than price gouging. OPEC has increased production to levels that the world can easily absorb without creating a surplus or a deficit. Asian demand has come back steadily since their economic collapse of a few years back and that is also helping to support prices. Our higher prices are coming from the facts that 1) the EPA (at the behest of the environmental nosebleeds) has mandated that cleaner burning fuel in high density areas be the standard during peak season. However, they forgot that those types of fuel cost more to produce and the refimement process takes a bit longer. 2) our domestic demand continues to be high. I’ll be the first to admit that these prices suck, but I still drive as much as I used to and so do most people. Everybody wants to whine but nobody will do the obvious thing and STOP buying as much gas. This is a supply/demand problem that can only be solved by less demand. The supply is there.  
I have more but I gotta go…

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**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\
**Post date:** [June 16, 2000, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/curious-about-your-gas-prices/22571/18 "2000-06-16T13:53:38Z")

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Yesterday, I gassed up for $1.399. The normally cheap places are between $1.399 and $1.419.

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**Author:** ![Flypsyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f0a364/32.png) [@Flypsyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flypsyde)\
**Post date:** [June 16, 2000, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/curious-about-your-gas-prices/22571/19 "2000-06-16T14:25:59Z")

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Spolvy-  
Just reread the article that appeared in yesterday’s _State Journal-Register_. Sounds like you’re spot on about the EPA business.

> [@](#):
>
> Illinois politicians have pressed (EPA head Carol Browner) to make changes in federal clean-air regulations that would supposedly lower the cost of a cleaner-burning fuel blend that is required in Chicago. If that cannot be done, some of them want the EPA to waive the stricter fuel standards that took effect this year.

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**Author:** ![Milossarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Milossarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Milossarian)\
**Post date:** [June 16, 2000, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/curious-about-your-gas-prices/22571/20 "2000-06-16T14:30:34Z")

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$2.10 for a gallon of regular unleaded here in the northern Lower Peninsula of Michigan.

And, unlike Milwaukee and Chicago, we’re not even burning that reconstituted fuel in our state. It’s an unabashed price gouge here.

Is it affecting my life? Let’s put it this way: I don’t get paid until next Wednesday; my vehicle’s almost on empty, and $10 will hardly put it above a quarter-tank anymore.

Looks like I’ll be hanging out and watching the U.S. Open all weekend. I’ll have to raid the piggy bank for beer money.

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