Ok, I don't watch TV, read the newspaper, or follow any politic stuff, so I figured I'd just ask here since I'm sure you all can give me a solid indepth response.  Can someone explain to me why the hell I'm paying $2.85/gallon for gas?  Why can't it be like this anymore?

Thanks

because we need gasoline from iraq. our supply of gas is running out and that's what will cause the downfall of the earthern civilizations. well gas wont be it but still we will die unless we go to another planet ;).

Our oil fields are seemingly filling up again, read that one other post.

Mangix:
Wtf are you using a Hamtaro avatar? That's MINE!

You ought to be paying more. Gas is >$7 here. Also, you should adjust those prices for inflation before you take them too seriously.

Aha! See here: http://minneapolisfed.org/Research/data/us/calc/index.cfm

Apparently, $0.85 in 1955 is $6.17 when adjusted for inflation. Also, the median income in the 50s was much lower than it is now, so it was even worse than that.

I remember it as low as $0.95.

hmm. Been reading more about it. People really shouldn't moan about gas prices - it's ridiculous. See here: http://inflationdata.com/Inflation/Inflation_Rate/Gasoline_Inflation.asp

[img]http://www.chartoftheday.com/20030827.gif[/img]

Besides which, gas is just too cheap. People won't stop driving stupid cars that get 10mpg until gas is $6/7/8/gal.

[quote]Also, you should adjust those prices for inflation before you take them too seriously. [/quote]

Last summer gas fluxiated between 1.40 and 1.60.  I made 7.00$ an hour.  This summer gas started at ~2.00$ and has stayed around ~$2.40 for the majority of it.  I make 7.50$ an hour.  The extra .50$ in wages is only because I was given a raise.  There for inflation has nothing to do with the current spike in gas prices.

It's good to see though that automobile companies are starting to market vehicles which use alternate sources of energy and produce no harmful waste products (only water).

Edit: Mis-understood a statement.

Gas has gone up from $2.40 to $2.70 in the past 3 or 4 days. I am in Wisconsin, which I am told has cheap++ gas.

The owner of the gas station I kinda work at (the sub shop is in the gas station :/ ) says by the end of the month he expects gas to be up to ~3.10.

The good news is Honda is marketting the Accord Hybrid as its most powerful, top-of-the-line Accord model.

Of course, I really want a PriusPlus; 100 mpg sounds tasty right now.

[quote author=Arta[vL] link=topic=12555.msg124612#msg124612 date=1124368669]
Besides which, gas is just too cheap. People won't stop driving stupid cars that get 10mpg until gas is $6/7/8/gal.
[/quote]

Yep! Gas is dirt cheap compared to a lot of other things. http://www.vpcga.com/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=152

[quote author=Forged link=topic=12555.msg124613#msg124613 date=1124374713]
There for inflation has nothing to do with the current spike in gas prices.
[/quote]

Oh, I'm not saying it does. I was just pointing out that gas is actually much cheaper now than it was in the 50s.

Mm, gas here just spiked to $4.16/gallon.  UserLoser, I wish I had cheap gas like you.  In my entire life, I don't remember it EVER being below $2.40, and $2.40 is considered cheap+++ here. 

And yeah, in Europe it's much, much more expensive. 

Learn to ride a bike? :P

Haha, well now I know some of you guys are paying even more rediculous prices and that inflation calculation thing is interesting.  But nobody has really explained why the prices have gone way up compared to what they were a few years back.

Shout: Same here, was $2.44 like 3 days ago, $2.79 today

Arta: Actually they would stop driving them, there are a lot of SUVs for sale around here now. I found it funny though, how my grandpa was driving me home from sailing in his SUV and he was talking about a comic this morning of a Hummer with the license plate 'Dummer' and how it is showing how people that buy gas hogging SUVs are dumb.

[quote]Oh, I'm not saying it does. I was just pointing out that gas is actually much cheaper now than it was in the 50s[/quote]
Right after world war 2  everyone came home and bought houses and cars. A temporary increase untill we started drilling for more oil.

[quote]Mm, gas here just spiked to $4.16/gallon.  UserLoser, I wish I had cheap gas like you.  In my entire life, I don't remember it EVER being below $2.40, and $2.40 is considered cheap+++ here. 

And yeah, in Europe it's much, much more expensive. 
[/quote]
It was < $1.00 2 years ago.


My SUV was given to me as a gift, I couldn't sell it if I tryed.  Not for enough money to warrant the trouble anyway.  a 5.0L v8 that gets ~14mpg, who the hell would buy that right now?

[quote author=hismajesty[yL] link=topic=12555.msg124647#msg124647 date=1124397776]
Arta: Actually they would stop driving them, there are a lot of SUVs for sale around here now. I found it funny though, how my grandpa was driving me home from sailing in his SUV and he was talking about a comic this morning of a Hummer with the license plate 'Dummer' and how it is showing how people that buy gas hogging SUVs are dumb.
[/quote]

I'm not sure I follow. Are you claiming that SUVs have good mileage?

[quote author=UserLoser link=topic=12555.msg124633#msg124633 date=1124387393]
But nobody has really explained why the prices have gone way up compared to what they were a few years back.
[/quote]

Oil is more expensive and corporations are greedy.

[quote author=Arta[vL] link=topic=12555.msg124655#msg124655 date=1124403024]
[quote author=hismajesty[yL] link=topic=12555.msg124647#msg124647 date=1124397776]
Arta: Actually they would stop driving them, there are a lot of SUVs for sale around here now. I found it funny though, how my grandpa was driving me home from sailing in his SUV and he was talking about a comic this morning of a Hummer with the license plate 'Dummer' and how it is showing how people that buy gas hogging SUVs are dumb.
[/quote]

I'm not sure I follow. Are you claiming that SUVs have good mileage?
[/quote]

I think he means that people are trying to get rid of them

Yeah, gas prices are terrible.  Regardless of what anyone says. 

And I hear that if the gas prices get way to bad, we can always use our extras, which I don't even know if we have any, and how much we have.  So hopefully, we don't get over $3.50, or I will get very angry.

[quote author=iago link=topic=12555.msg124627#msg124627 date=1124382268]
Mm, gas here just spiked to $4.16/gallon. UserLoser, I wish I had cheap gas like you. In my entire life, I don't remember it EVER being below $2.40, and $2.40 is considered cheap+++ here.

And yeah, in Europe it's much, much more expensive.

Learn to ride a bike? :P
[/quote]
Ron, I would hate to live where you live.. I don't think I could afford that.

$7/gal here!

[quote author=Arta[vL] link=topic=12555.msg124655#msg124655 date=1124403024]
[quote author=hismajesty[yL] link=topic=12555.msg124647#msg124647 date=1124397776]
Arta: Actually they would stop driving them, there are a lot of SUVs for sale around here now. I found it funny though, how my grandpa was driving me home from sailing in his SUV and he was talking about a comic this morning of a Hummer with the license plate 'Dummer' and how it is showing how people that buy gas hogging SUVs are dumb.
[/quote]

I'm not sure I follow. Are you claiming that SUVs have good mileage?
[/quote]

Nope. I was responding to this:

[quote]People won't stop driving stupid cars that get 10mpg until gas is $6/7/8/gal.[/quote]

I was saying that people are starting to stop driving "stupid" cars.

Ah. I see. Good :)

What are they starting to drive now?

Less stupid cars?

I don't know, I don't know anyone selling their car. I've just seen a lot more on the side of the road and stuff than I used to.

I just filled up for $2.73 in South San Francisco, CA.

Put $15 in at $2.85 a gallon.  Was $2.77 this morning?! Argh.  Suburbs of Chicago, IL.

1: Powered by nissan - Get a new signature, that one is fucking annoying.

2: I do indeed recall the times of Gas being under a dollar/gallon.

3: I really wish we did have smarter cars but there aren't any solutions at all available right now.

So basically, right now were using technology in our cars thats 100 years old. Electric cars are even damn near that old (too lazy to look up a date). Hybrid is the only real new technology, which utilizes two old technologies depending on the situation available. That and aerodynamics... I'm bored so I'll go over the alternatives to current Petrol and low powered Electric.

Hydrogen: 100% the most promising, but you have to be an arrogant tree hugger to think this is perfect. We all know the basics.

The Hydrogen comes from water. It can only be extracted from the water via electrolysis(Yes, the same we get our "clean burning propane") Electrolysis requires electricity. Electricity is made via Coal or Nuclear. Both pollute but are the only productive solutions.

Things we could do at current technology state but aren't:
Build many nice Hydrogen cars, put in widescaled Hydrogen refueling stations. (Currently, teh Ubernator Governor of CA signed something to put in a few points along the highway so that someone could actually refuel their hydrogen cars, but its hardly as convienent as every other corner 7/11.)

Don't take me wrong however, as Hydrogen is still actually much better then Petrol but we still need clean energy solutions yet for that to be the ultimate answer here. Also, as for the Electrolysis part of getting the Hydrogen, and pollution caused from the power plant where ever can be much better controlled then our little cars can. Fuel cell cars themselves however, are totally awesome. Hydrogen doesn't waste nearly as much as gas does, so even though it doesn per say have any, the "exhaust" of it would be almost nothing. Hydrogen also allows high horsepower.

The change to Hydrogen would be worth it, buts not perfect, and the entire industry would have to change for it. That, IMO is no excuse to not start changing now, since it would take years to conform to this. Having a President who personally benefits from the oil industry won't help much either.

[quote author=powered by nissan link=topic=12555.msg124783#msg124783 date=1124553756]
how is my sig annoying does it not fit your screen because you have a shitty monitor thats not big enough
[/quote]

You're annoying.

I think your signature is annoying because it's so dull, and it doesn't really mean anything.. Furthermore, it's just a crappy car...

Also, lets try not to be complete assholes..

But, back on subject.. It seems that the gas prices where I live go up like 10 cents a week..  And I live in Kansas City, Missouri.  Last time I checked, it was like $2.59/g

I guess this isn't the time to be driving a 5.0 litre is it?  :'(

[quote author=powered by nissan link=topic=12555.msg124802#msg124802 date=1124574245]
[quote author=Brandon link=topic=12555.msg124787#msg124787 date=1124557646]
I think your signature is annoying because it's so dull, and it doesn't really mean anything.. Furthermore, it's just a crappy car...

Also, lets try not to be complete assholes..

But, back on subject.. It seems that the gas prices where I live go up like 10 cents a week..  And I live in Kansas City, Missouri.  Last time I checked, it was like $2.59/g
[/quote]
first im not trying to be an asshole but how can you flame a maxima
how is it a crappy car? wtf are you talking about? Maximas are very nice, you probably dont even have a car.  They are awesome four door sports sedans, how is it a crappy car if you dont even know the specs on it? I doubt you know of the vq30de motor since you came out in the first place saying its a crappy car. Anyway it kicks ass and is very reliable (it has the same motor in a 300zx so stfu). Ive never had a single problem with it and I beat the shit out of it.  looks great/handles great for a four door, think before you speak or maybe you were trying to make me feel like shit but you failed. Im only fucking 17, and for a 17 year old this by far is one of the more nicer cars one can have
[/quote]

Well stated.  I don't think these kids realize that a Maxima is a great car for a 17 year old to start with, unlike those kids who get mommy and daddy to buy them brand new $30k cars or get baby fed '86 Camaros, etc.

These guys here are hopeless, a while back a bunch of them were talking trash about a Skyline, specifically, a R34!

[quote author=David link=topic=12555.msg124790#msg124790 date=1124560113]
I guess this isn't the time to be driving a 5.0 litre is it?  :'(
[/quote]
No, not at all.

It's jumped about $.30 in the last 1.5 weeks...eww
$2.559 is what I last paid.  I recall my parents paying $.85 in the summer like 8 years ago, it was crazy stuff.

My first car actually was a new 2000 Maxima, Its a great car. But your signature is still annoying for the sheer fact that its bigger then half of your posts. Just fix it already, not exactly a difficult ordeal to shrink it a bit. If you think having and attitude like that will help perhaps I just won't ask next time.

Hm, so, I just saw on the news that price of oil for use in homes is going up like 20% this year. Our house is heated via oil (well, downstairs and water is. Upstairs has electric) so that isn't good news, but it was to be expected.

When I started driving gas was less than a dollar a gallon. Miserable "gas shortage."

Wonder how much of this is just gas companies force inflating the prices (or w/e you'd call it)

It's not the gas companies it's the people that sell the crude oil to the companies and stuff. As long as people are (for the most part) not changing their driving habits, they'll continue to pay the high gas prices, and they'll get away with charging whatever they want.

I've noticed that the higher gas gets, the more things go wrong with my car that make my gas mileage suck, and really bad for a 4 banger. Since this gas started going up, my O[sub]2[/sub] sensor has gone to hell, new spark plugs/wies, my brand new air filter had a hole in it, ect. Oh, and 5[sup]th[/sup] gear is out.

I've heard that Jersey has low gas. Everyone move to Jersey!

[quote author=Shout link=topic=12555.msg124958#msg124958 date=1124720526]
I've noticed that the higher gas gets, the more things go wrong with my car that make my gas mileage suck, and really bad for a 4 banger. Since this gas started going up, my O[sub]2[/sub] sensor has gone to hell, new spark plugs/wies, my brand new air filter had a hole in it, ect. Oh, and 5[sup]th[/sup] gear is out.

I've heard that Jersey has low gas. Everyone move to Jersey!
[/quote]

Owned.

[quote author=powered by nissan link=topic=12555.msg125019#msg125019 date=1124769947]
[quote author=Shout link=topic=12555.msg124958#msg124958 date=1124720526]
I've noticed that the higher gas gets, the more things go wrong with my car that make my gas mileage suck, and really bad for a 4 banger. Since this gas started going up, my O[sub]2[/sub] sensor has gone to hell, new spark plugs/wies, my brand new air filter had a hole in it, ect. Oh, and 5[sup]th[/sup] gear is out.

I've heard that Jersey has low gas. Everyone move to Jersey!
[/quote]
must be an american car
[/quote]

POS Plymouth Neon.

@Shout: As of yesterday, some station in Wyoming had the lowest gas @ $2.14. Long Beach, CA had the highest at $3.49 or something like that.

The airlines are hurting now too, and they aren't making much profit since it costs so much to buy gas. I think right now you can get two shares of Delta for the price of a gallon of gas.

Time to buy shares!

Us Californians rock your world.

[quote author=hismajesty[yL] link=topic=12555.msg125105#msg125105 date=1124832049]
@Shout: As of yesterday, some station in Wyoming had the lowest gas @ $2.14. Long Beach, CA had the highest at $3.49 or something like that.

The airlines are hurting now too, and they aren't making much profit since it costs so much to buy gas. I think right now you can get two shares of Delta for the price of a gallon of gas.

[/quote]

I wouldn't be surprised if your highest gas price is lower than our lowest gas price.  I know that ours is still over $4 :-o

You get government-funded stuff like health care that offsets the costs too, as do a lot of other countries. More handouts, etc. It may not be directly related, but I still think in the long run we spend more.

Though, I'd never want health care that wasn't privatized.

Got gas this evening...$50, then I had to use my debit card again cause of the stupid $50 cut off limit :(.

Hm.. I work at Mobil and the limit (at least for us) is 75$ at the pump via CC or DC.
that is also y if you put it in and you get a sale denied and your like WTF??!I have $$ in there >.< and my Manager is Sexy. He lets me get free gas because I work @ the place :p

I so wished I worked there!
Wonder how much gas will go up after Katrina...I've had 4 different people telling me to fill up my tanks while its cheap (my dad, my g/f's mom, & 2 friends of mine)...it has got old but they care so its ok ;)

It's probably going to go down. Next month all the gas company heads have their annual (maybe it's more frequent than annual, don't know) meeting where they discuss prices and stuff. Word on the street (Wall) is that they're going to discuss ways to lower the cost as it's actually higher than it should be.

It looks like oil production will begin again, probably definately by the end of this week.  The gulf oil production accounts for 1.7% of the world demand...I doubt this will send gas prices exploding as most people thought (I've been told 4 times by different people to fill up with gas before the prices explode)

2.65->2.89 in 1 day. 3.02 by tomorrow.

$2.69->$3.35 today

2.79->2.99 today in Lincoln, NE.. I'd better fill up today :(

99.9 to 96.8

[quote author=Blaze link=topic=12555.msg126270#msg126270 date=1125510742]
99.9 to 96.8
[/quote]What is that in dollars per gallon?

$3.19 here  :(

3.20 now.

Edit: 3.29

[quote author=CrAz3D link=topic=12555.msg126272#msg126272 date=1125512277]
[quote author=Blaze link=topic=12555.msg126270#msg126270 date=1125510742]
99.9 to 96.8
[/quote]What is that in dollars per gallon?
[/quote]

cents per liter

Most expensive I saw today was $3.09. It rose $0.80 in Boston within 24 hours.

I personally feel by mid-October prices will stabalize.

--

Edit: Has anybody heard about the people stealing gasoline? It's been going on forever, but it seems to be really picking up recently. My grandpa got a call from one of his friends in his community. Apparently people came in at night and stole Diesel from my grandfathers motor home and his friends. The oil got all over their drive ways and stuff. I think his friend called the police about it, but they can't do anything - they get over 300 complaints a day. Since my grandpa is in the Outer Banks on vacation he doesn't know how much was stolen, but they had 100 gallons in there. His friend put a lock on there for him. It's pretty sad that people are doing that, but it's not new. When my mom was growing up their neighbors would steal her/my grandparents gas.

$3.38 here, there are long lines at the gas stations, people are expecting it to rise alot more.

3.40 :(

Seriously, these freaking gas companies need to stop raising their prices.  There wasn't that much damage to justify these prices.  They're just preying on the demand people have now. :(

[quote author=CrAz3D link=topic=12555.msg126535#msg126535 date=1125609765]
Seriously, these freaking gas companies need to stop raising their prices. There wasn't that much damage to justify these prices. They're just preying on the demand people have now. :(
[/quote]

Don't blame the gas companies, they aren't the ones out there mining.

But they are the ones falsly inflating the price of gas.  There has not been enough damage to justify these prices...Shell & companies like that are taking advantage of people because they know people will buy gas

30% of our oil comes from the Gulf of Mexico. I totally think that losing that 30% is "enough damage."

Actually, people are the ones inflating gas prices. Capitalism market economy says that gas prices will and should go up when there are lines of people waiting for gas. If people stop buying so much gas, prices will go down. Increasing prices until there is a new balance point between supply and demand is the way it is supposed to work.

Gas companies have to inflate prices, or else they won't make profit. They're losing a lot of money otherwise, and it wouldn't be worth staying in business while making meager earnings.

[quote author=Adron link=topic=12555.msg126545#msg126545 date=1125613505]
Actually, people are the ones inflating gas prices. Capitalism market economy says that gas prices will and should go up when there are lines of people waiting for gas. If people stop buying so much gas, prices will go down. Increasing prices until there is a new balance point between supply and demand is the way it is supposed to work.
[/quote]yeah, totally...but do the gas companies have to take such advantage of people?

Yes, they have a bottom line. They pay (what is it it like $75 or $80) for a barrel of crude oil, then it costs money for the refinery to refine the oil, then the gas companies have to buy it, then they have to sell it. Until the initial suppliers (gogo Arabs!) stop raising the price, the gas companies won't be able to lower it.

I agree with Adron.

gas here is $2.99 at the lowest. rose 50¢ overnight the other day. :\

http://money.howstuffworks.com/gas-price.htm

[quote author=Hitmen link=topic=12555.msg126816#msg126816 date=1125807399]
http://money.howstuffworks.com/gas-price.htm
[/quote]

Good info.

I got gas at 2.99pg today.

I'm still trying to squeeze every last drop I can out of the gas I got at $2.62. Quarter of a tank left!

On the way home today I saw it had gone down to about $3.19 everywhere, we were able to get it at $2.99 on the way down to OBX though. :)

The lowest I saw today was 3.09.

For the area I live in, it's about $2.87 per gallon. If it hits $3.00 and up, I'm going to start catching the bus everywhere. As convenient as driving is, it's a money-eater.

I used to fill up my truck $45 a week @ like $2.20 a gallon.
I figure it'd cost me around $61 to fill up now @ $2.90 a gallon.

Yay for driving my Honda & getting 22-24 miles per gallon!

I drove 60 miles today...that is normal driving for me. 
Home -> school -> eat -> work* -> band -> home -> univ. to hang -> home

*I drive around town for work

[quote author=CrAz3D link=topic=12555.msg127259#msg127259 date=1126071714]
I used to fill up my truck $45 a week @ like $2.20 a gallon.
I figure it'd cost me around $61 to fill up now @ $2.90 a gallon.

Yay for driving my Honda & getting 22-24 miles per gallon!

I drove 60 miles today...that is normal driving for me. 
Home -> school -> eat -> work* -> band -> home -> univ. to hang -> home

*I drive around town for work
[/quote]

If you don't mind me asking, what is it that you do for work? Just out of curiousity,  ;D

[quote author=Explicit[nK] link=topic=12555.msg127370#msg127370 date=1126151504]
[quote author=CrAz3D link=topic=12555.msg127259#msg127259 date=1126071714]
I used to fill up my truck $45 a week @ like $2.20 a gallon.
I figure it'd cost me around $61 to fill up now @ $2.90 a gallon.

Yay for driving my Honda & getting 22-24 miles per gallon!

I drove 60 miles today...that is normal driving for me. 
Home -> school -> eat -> work* -> band -> home -> univ. to hang -> home

*I drive around town for work
[/quote]

If you don't mind me asking, what is it that you do for work? Just out of curiousity,  ;D
[/quote]

Gas dropped $0.04 today. I was very happy.

Fortunately I barely drive at all here in Lincoln, and I filled up when it was $2.99, so I have yet to put more gas in.

Unfortunately, my girlfriend is at DU in Denver, a very-reasonable 5-hour drive from here. I can probably make it on just over a tank of gas each way, which turned from $36 before Katrina to about $46 afterwards. Oh well.

I work for a lawyer & am a runner.  Basically I file things @ the office & drive stuff around town (to courts & other miscellaneous offices)

[quote author=CrAz3D link=topic=12555.msg127382#msg127382 date=1126157391]
I work for a lawyer & am a runner. Basically I file things @ the office & drive stuff around town (to courts & other miscellaneous offices)
[/quote]

Does the attorneys office pay for the gas? My mom is friends with a lot of lawyers from when she worked with them, so she called some of them to see about an internship for me this summer. The only thing they had was for a runner, but I can't drive - so I thought about doing it next summer. If the gas prices stay like they are (or increase) and since I don't think it's a paying deal, I probably won't do it unless they pay for the gas! :P

I got gas for $2.95pg  ;D

I get $20 a month for gas...so $20 = 6.9 gallons @ $2.90 = 158.7 miles @ 23 mpg

I think I drive more than that each month for the office.  I SO know I used to be worse off when driving my truck, even @ $2 I was worse off.

Blah...I think I'm going to give it up now. Gas prices went up $.07, so it stands now at $2.94. >:(

[quote author=Explicit[nK] link=topic=12555.msg127474#msg127474 date=1126230881]
Blah...I think I'm going to give it up now. Gas prices went up $.07, so it stands now at $2.94. >:(
[/quote]

Wow, that's cheap. Around here thats "wait half an hour in line so you can fill up the car" cheap. Well, we haven't done that (at least not while having to wait in line) but it was on the news when gas was at $2.89 in a nearby city.

Gas prices around here are like $3.15-3.30. I don't have a car but I filled up my girlfriends tank. Arrgh, my wallet. I'm such a nice guy.

What was it, like $40?

I put $60 into it for her because it was how much I had on me at the time. I think it's a 20 gallon tank and she was on empty so I filled it almost to the top. ($60 @ $3.15 was about 19 gallons I think) The good part is she drives an old jeep cherokee lerado, so she gets an amazing 18mpg.

If driving my truck daily I would be spending an average of $80 a week on gas...I don't so I spend an average of probably $50-$60 a week ($35 for the Honda DURING the week & whatever else for the truck on the weekEND)