[SkaredShtles]

I was pleading with the wife to go out and buy a prius during the whole Toyota floormat/gas pedal disaster-a-thon when we could have picked one up stupid cheap. But after doing the math it turns out gas would have to be like 9 dollars a gallon to make up for the fact that we would have picked up a car payment. No car payments > 48 mpg. Plus thats what the bicycles and the beemer are for. The fuel savings of the motorcycle over the jeep are making my motorcycle payment.

No car payments > [pretty much anything in a financial sense]

 

[jonKranked]

No car payments > [pretty much anything in a financial sense]

that's why i'm still driving my increasingly hoopty '98 tacoma

 

[jimmydean]

Drivers are cutting back due to cost of gas.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110411/ap_on_re_us/us_gas_sales

For five consecutive weeks, Americans have bought less gas than they did a year earlier, according to MasterCard Spending Pulse, which tracks the volume of gas sold at 140,000 service stations nationwide.

For the week of April 1, drivers bought about 2.4 million fewer gallons than they did one year earlier, or 3.6 percent. That was the biggest decline since December, when people were staying home because of snowstorms.

 

[jonKranked]

Drivers are cutting back due to cost of gas.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110411/ap_on_re_us/us_gas_sales

but but but... shouldn't oil companies be choking on the excess?!?!?!

 

[goofy]

but but but... shouldn't oil companies be choking on the excess?!?!?!

If i remember correctly in 2008 the oil companies had to burn excess fuel so they could make room for heating oil

 

[Toshi]

Drivers are cutting back due to cost of gas.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110411/ap_on_re_us/us_gas_sales

I'd argue it's more that drivers are cutting back on driving since they have nothing to do, due to historically low employment to population ratios.

 

[dante]

I'd argue it's more that drivers are cutting back on driving since they have nothing to do, due to historically low employment to population ratios.

Remember, we're actually at a *better* employment picture than 1 year ago...

For the week of April 1, drivers bought about 2.4 million fewer gallons than they did one year earlier, or 3.6 percent.

What's sad is the price of gas goes up by 33%, and people's usage declined by 3%...

 

[Toshi]

Remember, we're actually at a *better* employment picture than 1 year ago...

Not really, actually: Headline unemployment is down but that's largely due to people dropping out of the pool.

 

[jimmydean]

what's sad is the price of gas goes up by 33%, and people's usage declined by 3%...

3.6%!

 

[KavuRider]

What's sad is the price of gas goes up by 33%, and people's usage declined by 3%...

That's because, for all the b*tching you hear, it really isn't that big a problem for most people.
And I firmly believe most people would rather die than stop driving. Even a little bit.

 

[dante]

That's because, for all the b*tching you hear, it really isn't that big a problem for most people.
And I firmly believe most people would rather die than stop driving. Even a little bit.

When you do the math, it's really quite astounding. Let's say that the average person lives 25 miles away from their job, and their vehicle gets 25mpg. They use 1 gallon on the way into work, and one gallon the way home. If gas prices go from $3/gallon to $4/gallon (a HUGE spike), they're spending a whopping $2 more per day.

The only problem is that they only see the final sale when they get gas once per week. Their fillup might go from $30 to $40,and OMG, I'm paying $10 more for gas than I was last year (while they slurp their $6 grande cafe latte)...

 

[KavuRider]

When you do the math, it's really quite astounding. Let's say that the average person lives 25 miles away from their job, and their vehicle gets 25mpg. They use 1 gallon on the way into work, and one gallon the way home. If gas prices go from $3/gallon to $4/gallon (a HUGE spike), they're spending a whopping $2 more per day.

The only problem is that they only see the final sale when they get gas once per week. Their fillup might go from $30 to $40,and OMG, I'm paying $10 more for gas than I was last year (while they slurp their $6 grande cafe latte)...

Exactly...

 

[jimmydean]

When you do the math, it's really quite astounding. Let's say that the average person lives 25 miles away from their job, and their vehicle gets 25mpg. They use 1 gallon on the way into work, and one gallon the way home. If gas prices go from $3/gallon to $4/gallon (a HUGE spike), they're spending a whopping $2 more per day.

The only problem is that they only see the final sale when they get gas once per week. Their fillup might go from $30 to $40,and OMG, I'm paying $10 more for gas than I was last year (while they slurp their $6 grande cafe latte)...

In my '66 truck I get about 8mpg (currently) and it's 7 miles to work, so the math is pretty easy/

$8 a day to drive 20 minutes is insane. I just spent $80 for some engine upgrades that I hope will put me into double digit mpg, but I am riding the bike this week an next for sure to afford them.

My moto gets 45mpg, but I hate riding it in traffic.

 

[stoney]

When you do the math, it's really quite astounding. Let's say that the average person lives 25 miles away from their job, and their vehicle gets 25mpg. They use 1 gallon on the way into work, and one gallon the way home. If gas prices go from $3/gallon to $4/gallon (a HUGE spike), they're spending a whopping $2 more per day.

The only problem is that they only see the final sale when they get gas once per week. Their fillup might go from $30 to $40,and OMG, I'm paying $10 more for gas than I was last year (while they slurp their $6 grande cafe latte)...

Math is difficult for most people.

 

[KavuRider]

Math is difficult for most people.

 

[dante]

Math is difficult for most Americans.

Fixed.

Also, this is what's wrong with America... A simple, feel-good story on how Americans are switching from cars to bikes as gas prices rise contained this little tidbit at the end of the piece:

"I live about half a mile from my workplace now and I try to take the bike there sometimes, this year I'll be commuting with a pre-schooler and I haven't quite figured out whether I'll be taking him on the bike often, but I'll try," said Sven Aas of South Hadley.

I was watching the little video on the side and when he said it I rewound it 2x just to make sure that's what he was actually saying. Knowing how inefficient cars are in the first mile or two (I did a blog post about an uncle of mine who gets 11mpg in his Toyota Avalon because he never drove more than 1-2 miles at a time), this guy has to be getting atrocious mileage... And he's looking to take his bike to work "sometimes".

 

[stevew]

so i may be taking amtrak to DC to see the feelies in june instead of driving....

 

[KavuRider]

Fixed.

Also, this is what's wrong with America... A simple, feel-good story on how Americans are switching from cars to bikes as gas prices rise contained this little tidbit at the end of the piece:



I was watching the little video on the side and when he said it I rewound it 2x just to make sure that's what he was actually saying. Knowing how inefficient cars are in the first mile or two (I did a blog post about an uncle of mine who gets 11mpg in his Toyota Avalon because he never drove more than 1-2 miles at a time), this guy has to be getting atrocious mileage... And he's looking to take his bike to work "sometimes".

Half a mile? Why wouldn't you just walk?

 

[woodsguy]

Half a mile? Why wouldn't you just walk?

How long does it take to walk a half mile? 10-15 minutes? I bet it would take longer to drive.

 

[stevew]

How long does it take to walk a half mile? 10-15 minutes? I bet it would take longer to drive.

uhhhh.....no.

 

[dante]

Did I say $4/gallon gas by summer? I meant April.

What I want to know is, what's driving the final retail price of gasoline? In 2008 when we had these prices oil was approaching $150/barrel, and yet today those are ~$115/barrel (or maybe $124/barrel, not sure which price was used for the $150/barrel scenario in 2008). Basically oil prices aren't at record highs, but gasoline prices almost are. From the WSJ article:

Analysts expect an increase of oil supplies of 1.9 million barrels in the data covering the week ended Friday, according to a survey by Dow Jones Newswires. Gasoline supplies are seen rising by 300,000 barrels, while supplies of distillates, including heating oil and diesel, are seen climbing 800,000 barrels.

Supply is up. Demand is flat or declining. That *should* equal lower prices, but it's not...

 

[Jim Mac]

Phew! Good thing we haven't even brought the concept of peak oil production in to this conversation!

 

[ridiculous]

$5 gas before memorial day based on the way $DXY looks.

 

[$tinkle]

good thing i sold my SUV 2 yrs ago when gas prices were tolerable

oh wait...

 

[Pesqueeb]

good thing i sold my SUV 2 yrs ago when gas prices were tolerable

oh wait...

 

[$tinkle]

now that the blue book is way south, there's more incentive to cut the top & make it a jones DH shuttle vehicle

 

[dante]

My wife's been commuting to work most days since March 1 here, and back-of-the-napkin math says that she's saved ~$100 in gas so far, and it's only that low since she drove several times when it was sh!tty weather and was traveling for work for a couple weeks. If she'd ridden every day it would have been closer to $150. I do most of my work from home, with trips to the warehouse ~3x per week usually by bicycle. I'm pretty sure that between the two of us we've filled up a car with gas once in the past month.

I just get a kick out of poking the people who claim PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY for things like health care and retirement, and yet they're always the biggest whiners when they want the government to step in and "do something" about the high gas prices...

 

[stoney]

I just get a kick out of poking the people who claim PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY for things like health care and retirement, and yet they're always the biggest whiners when they want the government to step in and "do something" about the high gas prices...

This. the lols are endless

 

[$tinkle]

I just get a kick out of poking the people who claim PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY for things like health care and retirement, and yet they're always the biggest whiners when they want the government to step in and "do something" about the high gas prices...

once you see something as a right or entitlement, it's natural to bitch to the gubment to get your cheese

you saw how [unknown euro country] has declared access to hi-speed inet as a fundamental human right, ja? i think this started even as far back as 2 yrs ago.

crazy white ppl

 

[stevew]

good thing i sold my SUV 2 yrs ago when gas prices were tolerable

oh wait...

keeping the dream alive for you.

 

[Pesqueeb]

now that the blue book is way south, there's more incentive to cut the top & make it a jones DH shuttle vehicle

Son of a bitch thats a good idea. Bring it by the airport and I can make that happen. Cheap.

 

[stevew]

yesterday was the first time i have seen a Hummer H1 on the road since i lived in Colorado...it was odd.

i kind of miss colorado.....seeing unimogs/pinzgauers on the road on occasion.

 

[jimmydean]

My bike just passed 200 miles commuting last month, so I saved about $100. Not bad at all. I plan to ride the bike until October with the moto on the weekends. Hell, at this rate I might get this truck built after all. Too bad I won't be able to afford to drive it.

 

[dante]

$5 gallon gasoline? Maybe not...

Energy shares are broadly lower at the session's half as oil plunges more than 6% at the New York Mercantile Exchange. Oil was hit by a second day of fears over slipping demand.

Light, sweet crude for June delivery is trading down 6.27% to $102.39 a barrel. In other energy futures, heating oil is down 5.74% to $2.96 a gallon while natural gas is down 5.53% to at $4.32 per million British thermal units.

What gets me is still the fact that the last time we had $4.20/gallon gasoline crude was at $150/barrel. Now it's sitting at $110. I'm wondering whether the high price of gasoline is going to make Americans cut back (more), depressing the overall oil price, or whether we're staring at $100+/barrel pricing from here on out. I'm personally thinking about picking up some BPT for my retirement portfolio (no tax on distributions!) with the pullback, but I hate the idea of trying to catch a falling knife...

 

[$tinkle]

What gets me is still the fact that the last time we had $4.20/gallon gasoline crude was at $150/barrel.

you must be high if you think i'm going to pay that much



/swidt?

 

[MMike]

We're paying well over $5/gal right now.....

 

[$tinkle]

for petrol, or vin?

 

[Westy]

I love how americans will bitch about the price of gas but will pay the equivalent of 12$/gallon for bottled water without even thinking.

 

[dante]

I love how americans will bitch about the price of gas but will pay the equivalent of 12$/gallon for bottled water without even thinking.

Last I checked people don't chug a gallon of bottled water every time they drive to work and back...

 

[Andyman_1970]

On some news sites crude is down almost 7%, biggest one day drop per the media.....