Gas prices effecting anyone else?

[Creeps]

I have an SUV because I need one being in a band hauling gear around makes it a neccessity. I also happen to like Jeeps & Trailblazers more than I like driving cars. I feel more comfortable in them. Someone blew a light and hit me in Tampa when I had a Jeep Liberty, I had my 3 year old daughter with me. If I had been driving a smaller vehicle, she might not be with me today. I feel safer driving them w/ a little one.

On CNN they're forcing manufacturers to make ALL vheicles (cars & SUVs) to get more miles to the gallon. This will be in effect in 2011. Yah, a long way off, but at least they're trying something. I think the increase is 3-5 mmpg more. It's not much of one.

What MAY tear me away from my SUV is one of these new Hybrid cars that are getting 40+mpg RIGHT NOW. At this point in time, If I didn't owe so much on the vehicle I had just bought last year before hurricanes starting picking on the US, I'd trade in for one jsut to save money.

If you're interested to read about the Hybrids, just yahoo/google "hybrid vehicle". Prices aren't bad either.

 

[dtmetalfan69]

Sometimes I thank God that I was riding a bike this summer. I did not have a car this summer, therefore, I was biking everywhere. I am almost afraid to buy a car because of the damn gas prices. They are reaching like 3.50 here. I have a feeling that if I buy a car, it is just going to sit in the parking lot until I absolutly need it.

I hope that this does not affect our driving plans to Atlanta this year. I mean, it is kind of ironic because when we were thinking about buying tickets and just flying this year, we thought we would be saving money. We shall see what happens. WHY DOES THIS HAVE TO HAPPEN TWO WEEKS BEFORE WE DRIVE TO PROG POWER. That is kind of shitty.

Keep Rockin'!
saMetal

 

[Bryan316]

Wow, am I late on this argument.

Okay... lemme pick at the parts that pertain to me...

Do alot of people have SUV's just to be cool? Sure but I drive a lousy 6 cylinder Monte Carlo that is actually good on gas. Why should I be penalized. When a gallon of gas is almost as high as minimum wage, something is fucking wrong.

I own my truck because I have a band and need to haul our gear to perform. I also help those that need my help. I'm overly generous. When my brother's friend got evicted, I helped haul their shit. When my aunt was killed, it was my family's responsibility to empty her house and store all her shit somewhere. When my friends get their cars stuck in a snowbank in winter or their cars break down cuz they can't afford a good reliable vehicle, they call on me cuz I was fortunate to afford a large strong vehicle. When we go to concerts or sporting events or any event, I usually drive cuz I can haul five people comfortably, and it's one less vehicle needed to bring the same number of people. When someone buys furniture or appliances, they ask me to help carry them from place to place. When they move, same request. I'm not greedy and saying, "Hey, man, pay me for gas, cuz I don't wanna have to use my truck for your shit!" That's not me. I'd never turn someone away who needs my help. I've paid for it in the past, hell yeah, but I can't let small incidents deter the good deeds I've had to do.

I bought my truck purely on utilitarian needs. I'll most likely start asking friends and family to pitch in for gas, but they at least understand now.

Sorry I'm hogging the road, but I do use all my truck's capacities. So I bought what I needed. I'll pay a hefty price now, but I still need it.


I'm thinking of getting a cheap small Honda motorcycle for all my running arounds and quick shopping and short-distance stuff, which is frequent. That way, I burn a lot less gas and still get shit done. Fuck getting a Harley, cuz as much as I want one, I can't justify spending $10,000 on a bike that's only a status symbol for fat white-collar baby boomers. Harleys used to be METAL, now they've lost their glory for me. So a Rice Burner it'll be.

And no, NOT a crotch rocket.

 

[Hal9000]

I have 2 SUV's because I want them. I'm an american, I'm an important man and my mode of transportation should reflect that. I also have 2 V8 sport cars for when I need a change of pace. 4 vehicles with XM to maintain and fill up with gas, and New Orleans thinks they have problems? On top of that, since this bothersome hurricane, I can't find a thing to watch on my 500 satellite channels. They expect me to care about their weather problems? I have problems of my own, thank you.

And why are we supposed to give money to help the government help the victims? We pay taxes, there's your money, now use it and leave me alone. You didn't ask for money to help with Afghanistan or Iraq. How about these pussy hollywood liberals who bitched that we weren't doing enough for the Tsunami victims, where are they? Fuck Susan Sarandon, fuck Tim Robbins, fuck Martin Sheen, fuck Tom Cruise, fuck Brad Pitt, fuck George Clooney, fuck Michael Moore, fuck Al Sharpton, fuck the Democrats, fuck the Republicans, and fuck W.

 

[TBJ]

Watching the news is making me SICK. All these big wigs justifying these gas prices. 4.00 a gallon? This is a fucking outrage. Im supposed to drive to PP this year from NH and could wind up being completely fucked. On top of this I just had to dump 500.00 in my car for repairs. I also commute 45 miles EACH WAY for work 5 days a week. Im getting pounded, and its absolutely irating me.

Anyone else in my boat? This absolutely fucking sucks. If I have to miss PP because of my $$$ situation Im not gonna be happy.

20 years ago we should have started technological preparations to discard oil as means of operating vehicles. Nothing but a fucking scam!

Dude a lot of countries out in Europe and Asia are already using non-gas powered vehicles.

We could have had "hybrids" here in the states a loooong time ago. But since we are governed by the "Oil Mafia" it is very hard for fuel-efficient vehicles to get the OK here.



I mean, americans are spoon-fed the whole "bigger is better" deal, "employee pricing", "100 hemis of power" bullshit.

Just think about it, how many soccer moms have 2 kids running around in the back of a SUV that can easily fit 20 people?

We don't need these huge cars in our highways, they are dangerous, eat up gas like no tomorrow and do we really need the extra space?

It's ridiculous.

 

[7thSaviour]

I live about 90 minutes from the venue. I don't care if gas is $6 a gallon by then, I'll still be there! Hail!(Somebody PLEASE buy my spare ticket? Thanks!)

 

[TheWhisper]

Gas prices didn't suddenly rise 'just because'. There was a natural disaster that took oil rigs offline and a number of refineries off line. That means less capacity to deliver the amount of fuel we need. Less supply...same demand...higher prices. When the rigs and refineries get back on line, production will resume and prices will fall.

I agree alternative need to be developed, but, in the meantime, build more refineries! We haven't built a new refinery in over 30 years...that's 30! In that time do you think the population has grown? Of course, and that means more drivers, and more people using electricity and needing more fuel. But without any new refineries, over that same period of time, do you think production has gone up? No, it can't. Plus, with all the different blends of gas, 30 some odd - some of them special summer blends, refineries have to shut down production to switch over to produce another blend.

We have let the enviromentalists back us into a corner. Hell, the part of ANWR, that some want to drill in, was set aside for....oil exploration, but politicians are afraid to stand up and just do it. Though, no matter how much oil we can get, or how cheap, if we can't refine it into gasoline the supply will still be short. I say turn those closed military bases into new refineries, which that will save the lost jobs and replace the lost economic impact. Oh yeah, I'm also for building nuclear power plants...no need for oil.

The last thing I want, because of all this, is for big governmant to step in and start regulating the kind of cars we can drive. Government does nothing but screw things up. If we really come into a long term gas shortage the people will adapt. It happened before in the 70's. Car manufacturers starting making smaller, more fuel efficient autos. People started to demand those type of cars and got'em. Once the oil crisis was over people started wanting something more substantial and safer, in their minds, and they got'em. The people, consumers, dictated what happened, not government. In other words, the free market worked. The government only complicated things, making them worse by regulating fuel price and rationing. It only made things worse and the lines for gas were miles long...that is if the statitons even had any gas.

Someone mentioned suspending NASCAR races, and the like. I wonder why no one mentioned anything about musicians conserving fuel and suspending tours, and such. They use all sorts of fuel to flying around in planes, driving buses across country and hauling gear in tractor trailers...right?

 

[Metaldrumz]

Gas prices didn't suddenly rise 'just because'. There was a natural disaster that took oil rigs offline and a number of refineries off line.

*Yawn*. Maybe we live on 2 different planets, because all summer long Gas prices here in NH have been high.

More excuses, blah blah blah. Im still waiting for the explanation of Oil companies reporting RECORD PROFITS this year. PROFITS man PROFITS. Sure I expect Gas to go up because of the Hurricane........being raped in the wallet is another.

 

[lady_space]

Gas prices didn't suddenly rise 'just because'. There was a natural disaster that took oil rigs offline and a number of refineries off line. That means less capacity to deliver the amount of fuel we need. Less supply...same demand...higher prices. When the rigs and refineries get back on line, production will resume and prices will fall.

Yes, but... there are apparently a lot of oil & gas workers displaced by the hurricane, not to mention the obvious difficulties in transportation to get to work right now with the highways crumpled and crumbled. There was already not exactly an overabundance of people to work many of the positions in refineries and off-shore drilling. (I do recruiting work for BP.)

We have let the enviromentalists back us into a corner. Hell, the part of ANWR, that some want to drill in, was set aside for....oil exploration, but politicians are afraid to stand up and just do it.

I am not well versed in the issues surrounding drilling in Alaska (although my gut reaction is a 'no') but my understanding is that much of the oil there is very difficult to get to. However, all the oil in the world won't help if we don't have the refining capacity to turn it into gasoline. I'm far less worried about oil supply than I am gasoline and heating oil supply.

Regardless of what we have or have not done in the past, or when we're going to run out of oil, we WILL run out. Conservation needs to quit being such a dirty word here.

On a side note, although I'm pretty anti-SUV in general, I do understand that some people need them, or large trucks, or what-have-you... it's the single guys over-compensating for some lack and the 5'2" soccer moms who each drive their children separately to school and soccer practice and this lesson and that, and people like that I have a problem with--it's the sheer *volume* of gas-inefficient, polluting vehicles that pisses me off. If you can "afford" it, well, good for you, but it's not an issue isolated to each individual--what each individual does affects everyone else. I don't understand how smoking can be banned in privately-owned businesses, yet Hummers overpolluting our environment gets a blind eye from so many. (And Hummers, to the best of my knowledge, are exempt from fuel-mileage and/or emissions laws.)

Rant over!

Shaye

 

[SavaVIDude]

Most people will tell you I'm spoiled though

No Shit, Sherlock!!

 

[Tess]

No Shit, Sherlock!!

.......and on THAT note, I'll keep on driving my soccer mom SUV and using all the gas just for the hell of it.

 

[jaimek]

Gas stations in Baltimore are at $4/gal for the high stuff, and the lines were outrageous because I'm told there was a hoax going around claiming that all gas stations would be closing at 4pm to conserve...

 

[The Fiddler]

If the cars in the United States ran on ethanol or hydrogen and not oil:

1. Our troops never would have went to Iraq

2. Our troops in Iraq would be helping US citizens in New Orleans

3. Our farmers would be prospering

4. We would have hundreds of billions spent on Iraq to spend on the United States

5. The floodwaters in New Orleans wouldn’t be toxic with oil

6. Foreign countries would rely on us for fuel when the oil runs out

7. Etc., etc., etc.,

The Detroit automakers and all their bribed politicians in Washington DC have been avoiding alternative energy to fuel automobiles because it would cost the automakers a lot of money for R&D. We'll let's see how much they cry that they are loosing sales to Honda and Toyota who are way ahead of them in developing alternative fuel sources for automobiles.

It's the AMERICAN WAY, ignore the problem and all the warnings until there is an absolute crisis, then try to fix the problem. American politicians and businesses in general can't see the day beyond tomorrow and don't care to worry about problems that they won't encounter in their lifetime (or so they thought).

Like the old cliche says, "You can pay me now, or you can pay me later." I don't think anybody in government understands that.

 

[jaimek]

-delete- oops.

 

[Matt Crooks]

*Yawn*. Maybe we live on 2 different planets, because all summer long Gas prices here in NH have been high.

More excuses, blah blah blah. Im still waiting for the explanation of Oil companies reporting RECORD PROFITS this year. PROFITS man PROFITS. Sure I expect Gas to go up because of the Hurricane........being raped in the wallet is another.

They are making record profits because that's what the shareholders want. If you have a 401(k) at work, you're probably invested in an energy fund, and the fund manager is demanding profits on your behalf.

The oil and energy corporations have no responsibility to the "greater good", they only have to answer to their shareholders, and the shareholders want higher returns on their investments. If demand for gas was not so high, the companies wouldn't be making record profits. They're making record profits because of record use. It doesn't seem to me like prices are out of line, as long as people keep paying them, then the gas is priced appropriately.

Of course a good deal of the people bitching about gas prices are also invested in those companies, so it makes little sense to me.

Fact of the matter is no one is "getting raped" on gas. Everyone has made their own choices. DrumRman chose to live 45 miles from work. If it's too far of a drive, move, get a new job, or find a different mode of transportation. No one is holding a gun to your head making you work in Boston, and no one is forcing you to live in NH. Perhaps the other options aren't as appealing - but that's a choice.

Now on a personal note, I am not happy about gas prices, but what can you do? And DrumRman - I do hope you're able to make it to the ATL.

 

[IronPlant]

Considering how many Europeans we have on this board, it makes us look like whiny bitches to complain about gas prices.

Apples and oranges my freind. It is a bit different to pay 6.50 for gas when you live in a country that is as big as Texas as compared to living in a country as big as the US. Europeans rarely need to drive as far as Americans do.

 

[AMBR]

On a side note, although I'm pretty anti-SUV in general, I do understand that some people need them, or large trucks, or what-have-you... it's the single guys over-compensating for some lack and the 5'2" soccer moms who each drive their children separately to school and soccer practice and this lesson and that, and people like that I have a problem with--it's the sheer *volume* of gas-inefficient, polluting vehicles that pisses me off. If you can "afford" it, well, good for you, but it's not an issue isolated to each individual--what each individual does affects everyone else. I don't understand how smoking can be banned in privately-owned businesses, yet Hummers overpolluting our environment gets a blind eye from so many. (And Hummers, to the best of my knowledge, are exempt from fuel-mileage and/or emissions laws.)

Amen, Sister! Have you been listening in on one of my "lectures"? I've been making those same points for years now...when anyone would listen. The larger SUV's and Hummers are classified as trucks and have much lower emissions standards. In NJ since the SUV craze started, allergies and asthma, especially in children, has escalated at an alarming rate and no one seems to draw the connection. It's true that many Americans want to have whatever they desire and won't look at consequences. We are the masters of rationalization, not to mention fads. I just wish those using these vehicles needlessly would wise up and maybe a hit to the wallet will do it if nothing else will.

 

[Daybreaker]

yeah... im about to go on tour with my other band Lilitu. I just hope we sell enough t-shirts and cds everynight so we can afford to get to the next venue.

I wont let you down, I've been thinking about this alot too. If anything this gives me a bigger boot in my ass to go above and beyond the call of duty.

 

[Metaldrumz]

If the cars in the United States ran on ethanol or hydrogen and not oil:

1. Our troops never would have went to Iraq

2. Our troops in Iraq would be helping US citizens in New Orleans

3. Our farmers would be prospering

4. We would have hundreds of billions spent on Iraq to spend on the United States

5. The floodwaters in New Orleans wouldn’t be toxic with oil

6. Foreign countries would rely on us for fuel when the oil runs out

7. Etc., etc., etc.,

The Detroit automakers and all their bribed politicians in Washington DC have been avoiding alternative energy to fuel automobiles because it would cost the automakers a lot of money for R&D. We'll let's see how much they cry that they are loosing sales to Honda and Toyota who are way ahead of them in developing alternative fuel sources for automobiles.

It's the AMERICAN WAY, ignore the problem and all the warnings until there is an absolute crisis, then try to fix the problem. American politicians and businesses in general can't see the day beyond tomorrow and don't care to worry about problems that they won't encounter in their lifetime (or so they thought).

Like the old cliche says, "You can pay me now, or you can pay me later." I don't think anybody in government understands that.

AMEN!!!!!!!

 

[ReaLM]

Crap, I could rant about this for hours...

Mr. important Acworth needs 2 SUVs AND 2 sports cars to compensate for something...Talk about self centered! I bet you work in Atlanta but need to live in Acworth so you can have a 4000+ square foot house.

So there are obvious problems with Public trans. and not having enough affordable housing for the working class near big cities... these problems need to be solved...and would make things a lot better

I can only really speak about ATL because that is what I know...

Unless you haul stuff, no one in ATL needs an SUV! Period!... it just makes it harder to fit in the narrow lanes! I am so sick of big-ass vehicles trying to drive down Peachtree! Even on the highways the lanes are almost too narrow!

MARTA sucks! I would say that 95% in ATL can't use Marta to get to work even if they wanted to because it doesn't go where people need to go. For a city this size this is inexcusable.
I am one of the few that could use Marta if I really needed to. I just bought a house 2.0 miles from a Marta station and 11.0 miles from work. My work is literally behind the Midtown Marta station (one stop south of the Arts Center station that is across from Earth Link). But I calculated that with Marta's fare it would actually cost me MORE money to take Marta then drive to work unless gas got above $5 a gallon. It would also take twice as long. Most of my coworkers who live 6 miles away in East ATL discovered the same thing. The people who actually live far enough away to save money by using Marta do not have stations anywhere near them. That is why traffic here sucks too!

Also, I can't understand people who live far away from work for material reasons. It is stupid! Most people don't need a huge house or yard... they won't make you happy. I bought the closest house to ATL that I could afford that I felt was in a safe neighborhood. For the money I paid I could have bought a mansion in Acworth or some other suburban area. If I didn't love to garden so much, I would have bought a condo in midtown instead. People need to rethink there priorities. Won't having 1-3 more hours of free time a day make people happier than having a huge house and yard? My time is very valuable to me.

I'm sure some people have legitimate reasons for there lifestyle, but not most of them. Maybe I just don't understand, but there are a lot of things that go on in this world that I just don't understand.

Like people who think that the war in Iraq is all about oil. Wake up! If oil didn't exist... never existed, extremist Muslim groups would still terrorize us! If we never went/leave Iraq, they would still want us dead! This is mainly a cultural war; oil is only a factor.

Enough ranting for now... lots of things to rant about this week...sigh

Robin