OT: Gas Prices

[Tony Falotico]

What are prices like in your neck of the woods?
They are out of hand here!

Sorry, Couldn't resist! :D

[Ken Salisbury]

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[Bart Leetch]

Sure glad I don't drive to work.

[Marc Wittman]

Spent over $30 to fill up my Dakota last night. $1.76/gallon for the cheap stuff.

[Paul Kunkel]

Higher than Osama riding a nuclear cloud

[Bob Lasley]

but it's that .9 that really makes it tough! As of last Tuesday, was $1.46 here for low test.

Bob

[Dave Hammelef]

Regular unleaded in and around detroit I have seen between 168.9 and 177.9

Dave

[Phil Phelps]

I can't wait till it reaches $8.00 a gallon. Then we can be like third world countries. We need to pay our fair share. Come to think about it, $25.00 a gallon would be better. Mean 'ol USA and their SUV's. Where's that "moon" icon?

[Jason Roehl]

What really burns me is when I use the "pay at the pump" feature, and it cuts me off at $50! I'm a "fill it full" kind of guy, and my truck usually takes 34-35 gal between the two tanks. So, anytime the price is over about $1.45, I have to swipe my card twice.

I think the problem is one of two things:

1. They don't want my money (an oil co.? RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT!)

2. They can afford the $50 drive-offs, but not the $55 ones (again, RIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT)

Jason

[Jim DeLaney]

Paid $2.059 for Chevron Regular this morning. Mid grade was $2.129 and High Test was $2.249

Mobil and Shell were both about a nickle per gallon more...

[Terry Hatfield]

My "real" job is as a insurance appraiser. I have a new Dodge truck that is 10 months old. It has 37,000 miles on it. Gas prices are KILLING me. I am responsible for my own expenses. I spent almost $6000 for fuel during 2002. Can't wait to see the bill for 2003!!:mad:

Oh ya......about $1.55 here for regular.

Terry

[Ernie Kuhn]

Eastern WA state, up $.06 from yesterday to $1.72 for cheap stuff this morning. I can hardly wait till tomorrow! Time to park the V-10 Dodge and start driving the 1983 Subaru again!

[Howard Norman]

I am seeing 1.739 fir unleaded regular at Chevron and Mobil stations. I filled up at Costco on Monday morning at 1.699.
All of these prices are in Phoenix.

Howard

[John Miliunas]

Buck 69 up to $1.75 for regular. I don't even pay attention to the higher grades. At this rate, I may only be able to afford water and oats!:mad:

[Joe Suelter]

Here if Central Illinois prices jumped day before yesterday .20 up to $1.79 for cheap stuff. The 360 powered Dodge 4x4 is kicking my butt...time to look for a 4 cyl. "beater with a heater".

[Dave Crabbs]

I own a Powerstroke diesel 4X4 pick-up. Diesel prices in my area are between 1.75-1.85. Go figure, diesel cost more than 87 octane gas. Last time I filled my 38gal. tank it cost $51 but then I get 700 miles from a tank of fuel.
Dave

[John M. Cioffi]

GAS....or liquid Gold prices!

Up Here in the Boston area they are between $1.60 & $1.70 for the cheeeeeeeeep stuff.
I'm sure glad I don't have to use the "High-Grade" stuff!!!
Now they're saying all the Utilities are jumping up again,as well....

Guess whose getting my raise,this year.

[Richard Brown]

I think that here in California that the prices are much higher than the rest of the country. I have been using either Union or ARCO and they are $1.87 the last time I filled up. They will most likly be up before I gas up again. I hope they drop before June as a 3000 mile trip that I plan to take will cost me that arm and leg.

[Carl Eyman]

I heard an economist on NPR late last week address the question of oil company "gouging". He said the trouble with saying it is it isn't true. Gasoline has increased less than the general rate of inflation since the 1950's, he says. Indeed, the lowest price for gasoline I ever remember was 10 for a $1.00 about 1935. If your tank wouldn't hold 10 gals. it was $0.11 per gallon. The social security cost of living charts indicate prices have risen about 15x since then; so our economist friend seems to be pretty much right on track. Does this mean I feel better at the gas pump? NO WAY.

[John Miliunas]

Originally posted by Carl Eyman
I heard an economist on NPR late last week address the question of oil company "gouging". He said the trouble with saying it is it isn't true. Gasoline has increased less than the general rate of inflation since the 1950's, he says. Indeed, the lowest price for gasoline I ever remember was 10 for a $1.00 about 1935. If your tank wouldn't hold 10 gals. it was $0.11 per gallon. The social security cost of living charts indicate prices have risen about 15x since then; so our economist friend seems to be pretty much right on track. Does this mean I feel better at the gas pump? NO WAY.

In a way, I can see what your friend is saying, but I feel there's a lot to be said on the other half of that argument. For one, the transportation, processing and delivery of the product has vastly improved and much more efficient. As the need over the years has risen, the efficiency of their operations has increased proportionally, if not more so. The other part which really torques me is when there's even "talk" of the prices going up, a large majority of the stations immediately hike their pump prices, often with rather large jumps upward. BUT, when there is equal talk of the supply being larger than the demand, the prices take much, much longer to drop back down! Hmmmm....Somehow this sounds as though they are indeed maximizing their profits at the public's expense. I guess I could go on, especially after the great gas-rationing thing back in the late 70's. I knew a guy who worked for one of the large oil companies and he told me many, many stories, which he himself had witnessed, that very clearly showed the "shortages" to have been manufactured to gain profits. That in itself is long story....:cool:

[PeterTorresani]

Somehow this sounds as though they are indeed maximizing their profits at the public's expense

I don't quite understand the general rant about oil companies and/or gas stations maximizing their profits. This is something that every business tries to do. If a competitor can make a living selling the same thing for less, he will. CAPITALISM

The mark up you pay on power tools is most likely higher than what the corner station gets for gas. Retail clothing is typically marked up 300% You don't even want to know how much Warlmart marks up the stuff that they sell.

An example of how hypocritical some people get on this subject is one of the state legislatures here in MN. A year ago he was screaming and hollering for the State Attorney General to investigate oil company price gouging. This year he is fighting to maintain the state subsidies for ethanol which make me pay for gas whether I use it or not.

I could go on forever (most friends say I do :) ), but I'll do my part in keeping this board non-political

[Peter DeFazio]

Got this in my email the other day.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Makes you think....

You Think A Gallon Of Gas Is Expensive?

Makes one think, and puts things in perspective.

Diet Snapple 16 oz $1.29 ......... $10.32 per gallon
Lipton Ice Tea 16 oz $1.19.........$ 9.52 per gallon
Gatorade 20 oz $1.59 .................$10.17 per gallon
Ocean Spray 16 oz $1.25 ......... $10 .00 per gallon
Brake Fluid 12 oz $3.15 ............ $33.60 per gallon
Vick's Nyquil 6 oz $8.35 ............ $178.13 per gallon
Pepto Bismol 4 oz $3.85 ........... $123.20 per gallon
Whiteout 7 oz $1.39 ............... $25.42 per gallon
Scope 1.5 oz $0.99 ................... $84.48 per gallon

and this is the REAL KICKER......
Evian water 9 oz for $1.49 ........ $21.19 per gallon.
$21.19 FOR WATER! ....and the buyers don't even know the source.

So, the next time you're at the pump, be glad your car doesn't
run on water, Scope, or Whiteout, or Heaven forbid....
PEPTO BISMOL or NYQUIL!!!!:eek:

[James Clark]

I live in Central Michigan and the price of unleaded regular ranges between $1.69 and $1.79 I talked to a friend of mine that opperates a B&P station he told me that his boss's sent a message and let them know by spring gas would probably be $2.00 TO $2.50 a gal. They also said that by fall we could see $3.00 gal. As we were talking he mentioned about peolpe with SUV's and how he would hate to have to buy gas for one and then it dawned on me I asked him if he could remember how much the price of gas was a few years ago when the big fad of SUV's came out and all the car lots were begging peolpe to buy one he said he thought it was the cheapest that it had been since the early 70's at about $.65-$.80 per gal then he asked me why I told him that I'd just seen a show about cars that get many, many miles to the gallon do in part to it running on battery power some of the time.
The anouncer asked if peolpe would be willing to sacrifice their roomy SUV'S and their bigger cars for gas milage the reply was, If the price of petroleum gets so high that peolpe can't realistically afford to drive the big automobiles then they will have to go to the higher miles per gallon cars. Then like the announcer said the big Suv's won't be worth squat.
Des this all seem like a bit of a coincidence?????
Maybe or maybe not....................
Sincerely,
Jim Clark

[John Miliunas]

I'm really starting to think it's a lose/lose proposition. Kripes, when there's a big demand (summer, for instance) they raise the price to supposedly keep up with that demand. Ah, but then people start buying econoboxes and car pooling and they say they need to keep the prices up, because now they're not selling enough to keep it profitable.

No arguments about our dependence on fossil fuels and I, for one, don't cherish the thought of driving an underpowered hybrid, which will now not only require engine and transmission maintenance, but real, real expensive battery replacement, as well. And I can only imagine the expense of the electronic brains (modules) which control everything. In the final analogy, we may indeed save on fuel costs, but what's the trade-off?

I know there's some lady out there who has launched some campaign against SUV's and the such. Even though some have their proper place and use, I can see where she's coming from. I do a 30+ mile commute to and from work daily. My car gets just under 29mpg. At the same time, I see any number of BIG SUV's and trucks going the same or greater distance daily. I'm talking stuff like the huge Excursions, Suburbans and crew cab F150's, Silverado's and Ram's. Wouldn't be that bad, but 95% of them are cruising down the road with just the driver! No, not with a load in back or half the kid's hockey team, but empty. Then we wonder why we have such a dependence on oil and, how in reality, they really do have us right by the......Well, you know. And, I'm still not at all convinced that, with all the powerhouse brains we have in this country, we can't come up with a more viable alternative to the internal combustion engine running on fossil fuels. Somehow I think that the oil companies themselves may have something to do with that. Just MHO.....:(

End of rant.

[Jim DeLaney]

Just filled up the other car this morning, and regular is up to $2.079! $2.199 for mid and $2.299 for high test (Chevron).

[Jason Roehl]

Originally posted by John Miliunas

I know there's some lady out there who has launched some campaign against SUV's and the such. Even though some have their proper place and use, I can see where she's coming from. I do a 30+ mile commute to and from work daily. My car gets just under 29mpg. At the same time, I see any number of BIG SUV's and trucks going the same or greater distance daily. I'm talking stuff like the huge Excursions, Suburbans and crew cab F150's, Silverado's and Ram's. Wouldn't be that bad, but 95% of them are cruising down the road with just the driver! No, not with a load in back or half the kid's hockey team, but empty.

End of rant.

Don't forget this aspect: All those individuals driving SUVs and trucks with no load create demand for anything truck-based, thereby driving up the price for those of us who actually use a truck for work. My 90 Ford F150 with 135K on it will have to do. Can't afford a $35k truck or a $6-700/mo payment.

Jason

P.S. I also think we are getting dangerously close to political with this thread, so let's be careful. There might be an oil exec WW'er lurking at the Creek.

P.P.S. The "campaigner" is Arianna Huffington. She's against SUVs for a reason that doesn't belong here.

[John Miliunas]

Good points on numerous levels. Yeah, I think we should be careful of stepping on someone's toes and no, we don't want to go the route of Huffington. That could get ugly!

The point you make about driving the costs of those vehicles up is poignant one. Seems that SUV's and real big trucks have taken over the yuppie's Beamers and 'Cedes. Then, there's guys like yourself and many others in similar situations, that can't afford a truck they honestly use to work out of. I'll bet that a real large percentage of those 4x4's, even with their fancy "Off Road" packages, rarely see a gravel road, much less any terrain rougher than that. Again, I have nothing against people owning and driving such vehicles, but it just torques me when you see so many of them traveling back and forth from office jobs with only one person in them. Heck, I've got a '91 S-10, too, but that thing sits in the shed until I need to do a lumber run or something of that nature. It'll be interesting to see how the whole thing washes. :cool:

[Howard Norman]

Filled the Jeep up again last night at Costco. $1.739 for regular unleaded. Gas ain't going get cheap anytime soon.

Howard

[Jim Talbert]

Prices here are $1.68 for regular unleaded. Our pickup and delivery driver goes through a tank of gas a day and it sure has put a crunch on daily exspenses.
Jim Talbert
Cardinal Tool Sharpening
www.cardinaltool.com

[John Sanford]

Some observations:

Gas rationing - early and mid 70s, not late 70s.

gas prices - the market DOES set them. Every single investigation into price fixing by "big oil" has been a bust, at least since the breakup of Standard Oil (Rockefeller) in the early part of the LAST century. This includes the investigations conducted by the most rabid anti-Oil types. Unfortunately, WE cannot generally realign our economic structures as rapidly as gas prices fluctuate. Want a shorter commute so you spend less on gas? Sell your house and move closer in. Oh, it'll take you how long to sell the house, find a new one, etc etc....

Price gouging - nobody is forcing you to buy gas. If you don't like the price, then don't buy it. That's the essence of the free market.

Foreign Oil dependency - so what? We're "dependent" on chinese toys too. What's frequently overlooked is the simple fact that EVERY Middle Eastern oil producing company is dependent on imported FOOD. Which means that in a dependency pissing match, they lose. Also, unlike our toy dependency, the proportion of oil that we import from the ME has been falling for the last few decades.

Most of us on this board probably ARE "Big Oil" Whether through direct stock ownership, or indirectly through mutual funds, 401Ks, pensions, etc, you've likely got some stake in those companies.

Mind you, I understand the unpleasantness. Over the course of the last 5 months, I've seen my income fall, my commute length triple, and my fixed expenses increase. All the above are relatively involuntary. Last thing I need is rocketing gas prices. :(

All I can say is, even with the current downsides, my situation is still a heckuva lot better than 99% of the people in this world. So, while I may not be able to fill my tank up as cheaply as I did before, I still have the tank, and I can still fill it. Which means that, as the faux Jamaican skaters and snowboarders will say "its all good brah".

Guys, the tank ain't half empty, its still a lot more than half full.

:cool:

[Bart Leetch]

Originally posted by Jim Talbert
Prices here are $1.68 for regular unleaded. Our pickup and delivery driver goes through a tank of gas a day and it sure has put a crunch on daily expenses.
Jim Talbert
Cardinal Tool Sharpening
www.cardinaltool.com

We get .36 per mile expenses so if you have a auto that gets 20 miles per gallon that equals about $7.20 per gallon at the end of the year. I know this doesn't help right now but it does help a little.

[Tim Spickler]

I live 60 miles NW of Wash. DC and the price of the cheap stuff is $1.63. If you travel 30 miles closer to DC, where I work, the price jumps about $0.15. When you then get to the out skirts of DC, the price jumps another $0.15.

[Stan Smith]

The cheapest price here, Redding, CA, is around $1.91. It's $2.20 in San Francisco (About 250mi south of here). Ironically, the refineries are just across the bay from San Fran. so the transportation cost is less. Gas is cheaper in Oregon which is further yet from the refineries. As soon as the crude prices were announced, the price at the pump went up immediately. Obviously that had no relationship to the increase in crude prices.

[John Sanford]

Originally posted by Stan Smith
The cheapest price here, Redding, CA, is around $1.91. It's $2.20 in San Francisco (About 250mi south of here). Ironically, the refineries are just across the bay from San Fran. so the transportation cost is less. Gas is cheaper in Oregon which is further yet from the refineries.

Taxes and overhead account for the difference. Not that I'm making any comments about the tax structure, labor costs, regulatory costs, or lands costs in San Francisco... that might be construed as "political". ;)


As soon as the crude prices were announced, the price at the pump went up immediately. Obviously that had no relationship to the increase in crude prices.

"Obviously" :rolleyes:

Retail runs one of two ways. Either the retailer secures the goods from the manufacturer/distributor, sells it, and THEN pays for it, or the retailer pays for it up front, or the retailer turns the stock over EXTREMELY quickly, which has the same effect as pay up front. When retailers pay up front, increases in future cost are frequently passed along immediately because if the need for more $$ to replenish the stock. Decreases are slower simply because experience has taught the market that following a decrease as quickly is an easy way to get whipsawed.


Last Night: Las Vegas, NV - Premium - $2.11
Cedar City, UT - Premium - $1.96

(This is a reversal and magnification of the trend for the last year or so, where LV prices tended to be a bit higher than Southern Utah's. The LV market is following SoCal right now.)

[Jim Izat]

Originally posted by Peter DeFazio
Got this in my email the other day.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Makes you think....

You Think A Gallon Of Gas Is Expensive?

Makes one think, and puts things in perspective.

Diet Snapple 16 oz $1.29 ......... $10.32 per gallon
Lipton Ice Tea 16 oz $1.19.........$ 9.52 per gallon
Gatorade 20 oz $1.59 .................$10.17 per gallon
Ocean Spray 16 oz $1.25 ......... $10 .00 per gallon
Brake Fluid 12 oz $3.15 ............ $33.60 per gallon
Vick's Nyquil 6 oz $8.35 ............ $178.13 per gallon
Pepto Bismol 4 oz $3.85 ........... $123.20 per gallon
Whiteout 7 oz $1.39 ............... $25.42 per gallon
Scope 1.5 oz $0.99 ................... $84.48 per gallon

and this is the REAL KICKER......
Evian water 9 oz for $1.49 ........ $21.19 per gallon.
$21.19 FOR WATER! ....and the buyers don't even know the source.

So, the next time you're at the pump, be glad your car doesn't
run on water, Scope, or Whiteout, or Heaven forbid....
PEPTO BISMOL or NYQUIL!!!!:eek:


That's all true Peter,

But I probabaly won't ever buy 30 gallons a week of any of that stuff, and if I had to I could go several weeks without buying any of it at all! Gas I gotta have,

Jim Izat

1.599 in Houston yesterday

[Cam.Hedrick]

I just have to chuckle whe I see someone in their 50k dollar SUV complain about fuel costs....we own a Suburban....OK, I just keep hitting my head on the ceiling in anything smaller. At 12 mpg I'm not complaining as we are a family of six and the LOML usually has them with her in the "Bus" so it's worth it. Me on the other hand....selling my gas powered truck when I get my diesel in April. I'm leaving chevy truck and going Ford at that...losing my head? The price was right and I liked the fit and finish better. It'll be a 3/4 ton 4x4 extended cab....just enough room for a couple of kids to help with the busing issues.