Summer gas prices

[Woodbutcher]

I just filled up my van tonight. Gas is $3.45 up from $3.39 this morning. It cost me $92.00 . The news reported crude going up and it instantly goes up at the pump. That expensive crude should not make it to the pump for many weeks. Why the instant jump? We have to be the stupidest country on earth when it comes to oil. We have enough here to bring our dependence on foreign oil way down. When you buy from people that hate you there are few good options. Why are we not drilling? Instead our leaders look to solar and wind. So far I am unable to use either of those to drive to work. Without work I can't keep feeding the tax increases! The only way to off set the pump price may be to buy stock in those big oil companies. The last time this happened their profits went way up!

[caseydog]

I just filled up my van tonight. Gas is $3.45 up from $3.39 this morning. It cost me $92.00 . The news reported crude going up and it instantly goes up at the pump. That expensive crude should not make it to the pump for many weeks. Why the instant jump? We have to be the stupidest country on earth when it comes to oil. We have enough here to bring our dependence on foreign oil way down. When you buy from people that hate you there are few good options. Why are we not drilling? Instead our leaders look to solar and wind. So far I am unable to use either of those to drive to work. Without work I can't keep feeding the tax increases! The only way to off set the pump price may be to buy stock in those big oil companies. The last time this happened their profits went way up!

My car is supposed to run on Premium, and it get's 18MPG average, and not more than about 20MPG on the highway with the TD in two. So, my trips will be fewer and shorter.

As for getting oil here, it has been cheaper (and more profitable) for oil companies to buy overseas, because the "easy oil" is gone over here. Unless oil stays above 100 bucks a barrel for the foreseeable future, I wouldn't expect to see much investment from the oil companies on domestic production. They don't want to spend billions now for exploration that will not yield any products for 5 to 10 years, unless they KNOW oil prices wil stay high.

I'm surprised that Illinois is raising taxes, as that seems to be going against trend, and federal taxes have gone down.

[Miriam C.]

Gas prices go up because of the market. Speculators drive it up but don't take delivery. If you remember there was a moratorium on that a couple of years ago. Must have expired just in time....

[Corwin C]

It's a good thing that nobody here thinks I'm odd because I'm camping in the driveway...

[Woodbutcher]

I'm surprised that Illinois is raising taxes, as that seems to be going against trend, and federal taxes have gone down.

Yea aren't we lucky! The new Governor just raised the State income taxes 66%. Obama's from here too so I guess our Govenor has seen how well his policies are working and he copied them.

[satch]

$3.70 and raising here in Cali. I need to see my employment status at camping season (public emlpoyee) If it gets as bad as I think, I'll be living in my trailer

[madjack]

I'm surprised that Illinois is raising taxes, as that seems to be going against trend, and federal taxes have gone down.

Yea aren't we lucky! The new Governor just raised the State income taxes 66%. Obama's from here too so I guess our Govenor has seen how well his policies are working and he copied them.

...if he was copying Obama, he would not be raising taxes, he would be borrowing it from China(and that is just about enough uninformed politics)............
madjack

[doug hodder]

For what it's worth, having been employed with 3 major oil companies, although in metal/oil shale exploration, however funded by big oil....our countries environmental policies have severely restricted our abilities to explore here. Yes, the "easy" oil has been tapped, I think it was only a 70' oil well in the 1850's in Penn. that started it all. What makes it much more difficult now is the red tape to explore.

As an exploration geologist, I had to have an environmental impact study, archeological survey, and regular inspections just to punch some 1000" holes for base metals, in the middle of a desert that had been carved up by 4WD and off roaders. The killer was, sitting with a couple of drill rigs and support equipment/personnel around while some grad student checked out a piece of flint or a bush to determine if it was an environmentally sensitive area....

Most of the other oil/resource rich countries can plunk down a rig and punch a hole with very few of the restrictions that we have. Therefore...much cheaper.

I'm not suggesting that we don't need to take care of our environment...I just believe that we have gone a bit overboard on it. Other opinions may differ.

[bve]

Well I live in 'oil rich' Alberta and have grown accustomed to the raping we get on gas price, however I had no idea how bad it was in Finland until this thread - I feel for you Heikki.

The prices won't defer me too much, as I don't have to go that far to 'get away', however they may influence how far and how often I go - besides I still have to finish my build.

For some perspective, here is a chart comparing Alberta avg. to Canadian avg. to US avg. for the past 6 years - courtesy http://gasbuddy.com

[Lazybones]

[quote="Aaron Coffee"] it might be a good summer to sell my scooter. /quote]

I have several scooters. What kind of scooter do you have?

[SteveF]

Artificially cheap gas has been heavily subsidized by our government for a looong time. It's going to get more expensive and it'll probably stay that way--I'm afraid we're all going to have to get used to it. I'm hopeful that some alternative energy source--more powerful electric/hybrid motors or hydrogen fuel cell technology, for example--will make economical tow vehicles a real option in the near future! But the transition's going to be tough there's no doubt of that.


....and things are getting a bit political in this thread which I understand is frowned upon, but I have to say that anyone who thinks all the problems we're dealing with today are solely the fault of Obama has a pretty short memory...

[Wanna Be]

Would that still be considered a covered wagon ???
Sounds like a good idea IF you had the horses to do it with.

[Wolffarmer]

Oil hit $103 today, and my bicycle arrived.



In 2008 regular gas locally hit $3.99 and from my experience damn few people slowed down. I normally drive the interstate to work doing 65 mph for about 20 miles. One day I was a might behind schedule and I did the speed limit of 75 mph. I was passed by 19 cars and I passed one. You can't tell me all of those 19 was a bit behind schedule. I also saw a lot of people at the gas station/convenience store leave their gas hogs running while they went inside.

Lots of people really didn't care, just gave them something else to bitch about and blame someone else.

I expect to see gas this summer well over $4 bucks here, probably $4.50

Randy

[toolman]

Randy,

Please post a picture or two of the tear your going to pull with your bicycle!



Oil hit $103 today, and my bicycle arrived.

[Wolffarmer]

I am just crying tears.



Whew, been years since i been on a bike. But I have lost about 10 pounds the past month without adding more exercise.

You should see the tears the bike shed when I climbed on.



It is a folding bike so I can take it with me in the TV and not strapped on top making even more wind resistance.

Randy