EntropySink

Nothing & Everything => Open Discussion => Topic started by: Govtcheez on August 31, 2005, 03:45:42 PM

Title: $4/gal soon
Post by: Govtcheez on August 31, 2005, 03:45:42 PM
http://money.cnn.com/2005/08/31/news/gas_prices/index.htm?cnn=yes

I am SO glad I moved closer to work.

edit: What the fuck is with this filter
Title: $4/gal soon
Post by: drakkenkorin on August 31, 2005, 03:46:58 PM
um, linky poo broken.

test:
I HATE KITTENS I HATE KITTENS I HATE KITTENS I HATE KITTENS 
flashdaddee
flash

results:
seems like the word/name "r i c k" is currently censored.  but what's really weird is that the full link (http://money.cnn.com/2008/08/31/news/gas_prices/index.htm) doesn't have the offending word/name..

ha ha, click my link above and it looks for a page with i hate kittens for a name :p
Title: $4/gal soon
Post by: Ken Fitlike on August 31, 2005, 03:50:19 PM
Anything containing the numeral one is 'filtered'.

edit: And it's about time you petrol-junkies started paying for it - might make you invent a decent fuel cell or warp drive or something.

It's either that or you'll have to annexe Iran sooner than expected. Never mind, though - the boys'll be home in time for Christmas.
Title: $4/gal soon
Post by: drakkenkorin on August 31, 2005, 03:51:47 PM
what about the number one?  :p
Title: $4/gal soon
Post by: ober on August 31, 2005, 04:06:13 PM
The number one has been removed from the filter.  I guess the word r i c k may have to be removed too.  I was having fun!  :(
Title: $4/gal soon
Post by: PJYelton on August 31, 2005, 04:14:47 PM
$4??? Guess its back to riding my bike to work again, just in time for winter too
Title: $4/gal soon
Post by: Bassy on August 31, 2005, 06:01:26 PM
$4 a gallon, $4 a gallon !!! wish we could get petrol at 4$ a gallon - its about 5 GBP here and has been way way way over 4gbp for years and years and years - it usually costs me about 45 gbp to fill my tank and that lasts about 3-4 days
Title: $4/gal soon
Post by: Rob on August 31, 2005, 06:20:14 PM
£5 * 1.8 = $9 (XECOM current exchange rate)

1 US gallon = 0.8327 Imperial gallons

$9 * 0.8327 = $7.49 per US gallon.

Sorry, what were you guys complaining about?

:p
Title: $4/gal soon
Post by: Jake on August 31, 2005, 06:25:52 PM
Quote from: Rob
£5 * 1.8 = $9 (XECOM current exchange rate)

1 US gallon = 0.8327 Imperial gallons

$9 * 0.8327 = $7.49 per US gallon.

Sorry, what were you guys complaining about?

:p


of course europeans pay much more for gas, but, they drive more fuel efficient cars, rely on public transportation much more, and cover smaller distances when driving - don't get me wrong, all of these are positives!

today, around my house the least expensive fuel i found (87octane) was $2.99; most expensive was 3.25
Title: $4/gal soon
Post by: kermi3 on August 31, 2005, 06:27:53 PM
It's gone up .50 overnight here in rural Virginia.
Title: $4/gal soon
Post by: Perspective on August 31, 2005, 06:30:41 PM
we're about to jump from $0.90 / Litre to $1.20 / Litre... and I just bought my parking pass, should've bought a buss pass instead :(
Title: $4/gal soon
Post by: Rob on August 31, 2005, 06:53:34 PM
Quote from: axon
of course europeans pay much more for gas, but, they drive more fuel efficient cars, rely on public transportation much more, and cover smaller distances when driving - don't get me wrong, all of these are positives!


Yeah, but who was talking about Europeans? :p
Title: $4/gal soon
Post by: Rob on August 31, 2005, 06:58:58 PM
Anyway, on a serious note, I'm not sure I get the point you're making Axon. We should pay more for our petrol because we drive more efficient cars?? Wut? We are force-fed the line that [naive] petrol tax is used to pay for our road infrastructure [/naive] so the points you make above should make our petrol cheaper, no?

Or was your point that it has less impact on us? Not sure we cover smaller distances either, and the only time I use public transport is when I go into the smoke (infrequently these days).
Title: $4/gal soon
Post by: Mike on August 31, 2005, 07:08:14 PM
Just because other parts of the world pay more for their gas then we do is no justification for raising costs.

Besides the comparision *may* fall flat if you remove any taxation on gas.
Title: $4/gal soon
Post by: Govtcheez on August 31, 2005, 07:16:36 PM
Quote from: Rob
Yeah, but who was talking about Europeans? :p

Yeah, seriously.  We're talking about people who matter.  You know.  Americans.
Title: $4/gal soon
Post by: kermi3 on August 31, 2005, 07:28:29 PM
So you pay more taxes....but it would be interesting to see who gets more miles (km) per dollar.
Title: $4/gal soon
Post by: Jake on August 31, 2005, 07:52:03 PM
>> We should pay more for our petrol because we drive more efficient cars?? <<

no.


>>Or was your point that it has less impact on us? Not sure we cover smaller distances either, and the only time I use public transport is when I go into the smoke (infrequently these days).<<

sort of. I'm basically saying that even though gas is much cheaper in the states than in you neck of the woods, on average (I highly suspect) Americans spend more money on fuel.

As for the distance, I don't have any stats, but I really think Americans cover the most distance per day/spend a longer time in the car, than any other nation.
Title: $4/gal soon
Post by: incognito on August 31, 2005, 08:04:16 PM
I pay about 120 pesos which is about 4 dollars for a gallon.........and we're a freaking developing country (Dominican Republic), sometimes i really hate this country and think about going back to the states.........which i probably will soon. And i get about 18 to 19 miles per gallon because of the stupid traffic.
No fuel efficient cars, no good roads, a bunch of corrupt cops that stop you once in a while to make sure you're "papers" are all in order. So... you guys have it good.
Title: $4/gal soon
Post by: salvelinus on August 31, 2005, 09:12:15 PM
Lifestyle's part of it, but the US is bigger than any European country, unless you count Russia as European. Our states are about the size of countries there, and out west, some counties are bigger than eastern states. It's not like driving from London to Oxford. Outside of metro areas, you have to go a long ways to go anywhere. At 70 mph, I'm 5 hours from Detroit, 8 hours from Chicago. It takes gas to get places, and at least in the northern states, you need vehicles that can handle lots of snow, which usually means 4 wheel drive, which usually means SUVs.
I know the US could do better in a lot of areas here, but you can't compare apples to oranges.
Title: $4/gal soon
Post by: Mike on August 31, 2005, 11:17:51 PM
Quote from: kermi3
So you pay more taxes....but it would be interesting to see who gets more miles (km) per dollar.


Actually it'd be more interesting to see what portion the their budget the average american sets aside for gas VS the other side of the pond.  Too me that'd be the real comparison
Title: $4/gal soon
Post by: Jake on August 31, 2005, 11:23:07 PM
Quote from: Mike
Actually it'd be more interesting to see what portion the their budget the average american sets aside for gas VS the other side of the pond.  Too me that'd be the real comparison


right now, on average I spend $35 a week on gas
Title: $4/gal soon
Post by: Mike on August 31, 2005, 11:44:57 PM
But out of how much taken in?  Saying you spend XYZ / week really doesn't put it in light.

Lets take two completely fictional countries that have no bearing on the real world:
Country A pays $1.50 / gallon and the average person spends $100 / month on gas and makes $4000 a month

Country B pays $2.00 / gallon and the average person spends $150 / month on gas and makes $5000 a month

Who's getting the better end of the stick?
Title: $4/gal soon
Post by: Rob on September 01, 2005, 04:47:46 AM
http://www.presentationhelper.co.uk/business/News/family_spending.htm

Households in London spent by far the most on transport services (such as rail, tube, bus and air fares) at £16.70 a week, nearly double the UK average of £8.50. However, they spent the least on petrol, diesel and other motor oils at £11.90 a week, compared to a UK average of £14.80 ($26.74).

Couldn't find a similar average for the states...
Title: $4/gal soon
Post by: A Bit of Fruit on September 01, 2005, 05:05:40 AM
fuels up to around AU$1.30/Litre in Sydney...the worst its ever been
Title: $4/gal soon
Post by: drakkenkorin on September 01, 2005, 08:06:59 AM
alls i know is that if we had decent public transportation like a rail system or a bus system that is (mostly) on time and that runs early enough for me to get to work on time (0630), i would so be on there (locally here in S TX).

hello, gas card, meet mr shredder....and say hay to mr bus/rail pass.

right now, i spend about $120 a month for gas, a bus card here is about $20.  i am so thinking of switching to a diesel car for the gas milage.
Title: $4/gal soon
Post by: Govtcheez on September 01, 2005, 08:29:22 AM
I'm going to start riding the bike to work.  It's only about 3 miles, now.
Title: $4/gal soon
Post by: ober on September 01, 2005, 08:45:29 AM
Before the hikes, I was spending around $250/month for gas for my car (up about 2 gas tanks for softball season), and that doesn't include my wife and her car, which at one point was around $330+/month.

Doing the calculations, that's about 14% of our budget (using net pay).  Today, my wife works 5 miles from our house, and I'm not playing softball in another state.  Last month our gas bill was around $340.  She also makes just slightly less now, so it's down to about 8.5% of our budget, again using net pay.  However, figure in the 32% jump in gas price (that's being conservative since we've made that jump already and it is supposed to climb), and we're back up to 11.2% of our budget.

So effectively, gas is between 9% and 11% of the average household budget (if you consider me the average case, and I'd put myself there).

I'd like to see someone from across the pond do the same comparison.
Title: $4/gal soon
Post by: Rob on September 01, 2005, 09:04:28 AM
Fucking hell Ben. Are you driving a Jumbo Jet or something?
Title: $4/gal soon
Post by: ober on September 01, 2005, 09:07:27 AM
Oldsmobile... I get about 24 MPG, but that's partly due to the fact that I cross 3 mountains on the way to work and back.  I normally get around 28-30.
Title: $4/gal soon
Post by: Rob on September 01, 2005, 09:12:58 AM
So you're doing 2040 miles a month? That's way above average.
Title: $4/gal soon
Post by: Rob on September 01, 2005, 09:15:41 AM
>>"That's a tremendous impact on those folks," Cooper says, noting that the average American spends 4.2% of annual income on gas.

http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2005-08-21-gas-prices-usat_x.htm
Title: $4/gal soon
Post by: ober on September 01, 2005, 09:26:59 AM
For my area, that's below average (the milage, that is).

And you've picked out a small portion of that article.  The paragraph right before that says that the average low-income family spends between 8 and 11 percent of their budget, just like me.  

I'd wager that the majority of the people that live in my area (around Baltimore and Washington) spend close to 15% on gas, because they commute much farther than I do.
Title: $4/gal soon
Post by: Rob on September 01, 2005, 09:40:14 AM
Quote from: ober
For my area, that's below average (the milage, that is).

And you've picked out a small portion of that article.  The paragraph right before that says that the average low-income family spends between 8 and 11 percent of their budget, just like me.  

I'd wager that the majority of the people that live in my area (around Baltimore and Washington) spend close to 15% on gas, because they commute much farther than I do.


Well, of course, you're right, I did pick out a small part, because I figured comparing average with average was logical. It would be easy for me to counter with stats for an average low-income UK family, which would also be different. Lies and damn lies eh?

I still don't understand how you do 24000 odd miles a year. That's the kind of mileage I used to do when I was carrying a tool case, but I was pretty much driving all day every day. You must have a hell of a commute??!??!
Title: $4/gal soon
Post by: Govtcheez on September 01, 2005, 10:00:45 AM
I did about that when I was living in Lansing and working in Jackson (45 miles one way).

At my new place, if I only drive to and from work, I'll only have to fill up once every 2 months.
Title: $4/gal soon
Post by: Bassy on September 01, 2005, 10:07:06 AM
Quote from: axon
of course europeans pay much more for gas, but, they drive more fuel efficient cars, rely on public transportation much more, and cover smaller distances when driving - don't get me wrong, all of these are positives!

where did you get this info? i havent used public transport in about 5 or more years - the train system in this country is abysmal and bloody expensive (it costs about £30 for a 25 minute return trip to london from here) and buses are awful - i know very very few people who use public transport. Most people use cars not public transport. Umm also most cover quite large distances to work etc - i regularly did a 75 mile round trip each day to work and i would think that a lot of others average 50 miles or more round trip.

just worked it out and i spend about 2.6% of my annual budget on petrol
Title: $4/gal soon
Post by: ober on September 01, 2005, 10:09:22 AM
Quote from: Rob
Well, of course, you're right, I did pick out a small part, because I figured comparing average with average was logical. It would be easy for me to counter with stats for an average low-income UK family, which would also be different. Lies and damn lies eh?

I still don't understand how you do 24000 odd miles a year. That's the kind of mileage I used to do when I was carrying a tool case, but I was pretty much driving all day every day. You must have a hell of a commute??!??!


Again I'll say, I think the 4.2% figure is below average and I'd like to see where they get their stats from.  The people that make more around here travel farther to get it.  I think that's true for a lot of areas in the US.  Live where you wanna live, work where you have to work.

And 24K miles is actually low for me.  Keep in mind that I live 60 miles from my parents, 350 miles from my in-laws, and my commute to work one way is 37 miles.  And for the majority of the summer, I was driving an extra 80 miles (it was ~40 miles to the field in the opposite direction of home) twice a week to play softball.

If that's not bad enough, I put 110,000 miles on my old car in 3.5 years, and my car barely moved while I was at college for 6 months out of the year.  That's what having a girlfriend 300 miles away and commuting 45 miles one way to an internship will do.  And that's before vacations, simply going out, etc.

To say I've driven a few miles in my short time on this earth, is putting it lightly.
Title: $4/gal soon
Post by: VBprogrammer on September 03, 2005, 09:53:09 AM
On the other hand I love to drive and if fuel wasn't so expencive I'd have covered 2x as many miles...
Title: $4/gal soon
Post by: Govtcheez on September 03, 2005, 10:24:36 AM
Suddenly Deus Ex doesn't seem like that bad a future.
Title: $4/gal soon
Post by: ober on September 03, 2005, 11:18:48 AM
It's around 3.20/3.30 here now.
Title: $4/gal soon
Post by: Sang-drax on September 03, 2005, 06:20:04 PM
Here's an interesting article on the topic:
Peak Oil: http://peakoil.net/Aleklett/Oil_Market_Tsunami_Alert.pdf

Perhaps it has some language errors (translation from Swedish) but the author knows what he is talking about. He is currently writing a book on the subject, btw.

2008 the world's oil production will reach its peak, while the demand continues to grow.
Title: $4/gal soon
Post by: ygfperson on September 03, 2005, 06:46:56 PM
That's a theory called "peak oil" in english, and you can find a lot of information on wikipedia about it
Title: $4/gal soon
Post by: ygfperson on September 05, 2005, 12:23:17 PM
hehe: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050905/ap_on_fe_st/horse_commute
Title: $4/gal soon
Post by: Betazep on September 05, 2005, 03:14:57 PM
As a test, I assumed that 12000 miles would be put on my van. It gets about 20mpg average.
 
At $4 a gallon, that is $2400 of gas for the year. A considerable amount, yes. But it is the difference that matters. So at $2.50, it is $1500. That is a $900 difference.
 
My car gets closer to 29 mpg average. $1660 at $4 a gallon. $1040 at $3. A $620 difference.
 
So $1520 a year. ~$130 a month more that I have to pay.
 
It is a little paiful initially, but I generally make more money per month over time (as have all of us). In the meantime, I will just cut back on some of the driving... some of the home electricity... and maybe remove a cable channel or two.
 
It is mostly a restructuring of how I live that hurts the most.
 
I sure wish I had a car that ran on water.
 
**edit: more gas prices around the world  http://money.cnn.com/pf/features/lists/global_gasprices/price.html (http://money.cnn.com/pf/features/lists/global_gasprices/price.html)