Gas Prices Impacting Your Geocaching?

[+Glenn]

Here's something to think about, in relation to our market economy and petroleum:

 

Wal-Mart and Dollar Store items are shipped across oceans by tankers and cargo planes, then distributed by trucks.

 

Crude Oil themselves are shipped by super tankers powered by.... petroleum.

 

I'm waiting for legitimate research studies that specifically take factors like these into account.

So should we start calling it the two dollar store now?

[+treedweller]

Ignore the troll and his angst-ridden post. He seems to think that Struggle Against Violent Extremism is all about Oil. That biodiesel is non-polluting. And that everyone likes the smell of french fries.

I thought it was a thread about fuel; seems on topic to me, though I grant you not 100%.

 

But then, isn't every post a troll deep down?

 

I will acknowledge there are reasons (some might even say justifiable) other than oil for the wars we've been fighting if you acknowledge oil is a factor. And surely you can see that oil supplies are dwindling while demand (especially in China and India) is increasing, so oil is going to be more of a factor in future.

 

I did not say biodiesel is nonpolluting. I do believe, though, that it is significantly less polluting than gasoline or petroleum diesel. The particulates are higher for any diesel, but CO2 is net zero (don't forget the plants that produce the oil are absorbing CO2). NOx emissions are higher, but they needn't be; unfortunately, the rotgut diesel that has been crammed down our throats in the US contains sulphur, which kills NOx scrubbers, so we don't have them on our diesels. After we get the fabled ultra-low-sulphur (supposedly by 2006), we can clean out the NOx. Meanwhile, I am comfortable with the tradeoff, since CO2 is a greenhouse gas and also a major pollutant of the majority of cars, thus worth a compromise to reduce its production.

 

Oh, and my exhaust does not smell like french fries, since I do not make my fuel from waste oil. Actually, it reminds me of a chinese restaurant (soy oil). I'm sure not everybody likes it, but I'll bet most people prefer it to petroleum diesel exhaust.

 

But you can ignore me if you want.

 

treedweller

[+treedweller]

It's too bad that, despite your best efforts, you're actually causing more harm than good, no?

Believe what you want, but that is one study, produced by a "scientist" that grossly overestimated energy inputs, assumed forests would be clearcut to grow oil crops, assumed the byproducts of oil extraction would be waste (when, in fact, they make fine animal feed in the case of most crops) and in general came up with conclusions that do not jibe with a large body of evidence that more reputable researchers have presented.

 

But let's pretend for a moment growing crops to produce oil takes more energy than can be extracted to make BD. We could reduce the deficit by:

 

growing the oil crops without petroleum based fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides (i.e., organically).

 

Fueling the farm equipment with the fuel it produces.

 

Selecting better feed stocks that yield more oil per acre.

 

And, until we utilize all the waste oil that currently gets discarded and the surplus oil that is essentially useless now, the way we produce the next generation's BD is a moot question. It's there for the taking, and can be used without modification in cars that are on the road now burning foriegn imports and producing more pollution.

 

If that makes me a hippie troll, I can live with it.

 

treedweller

[+crazyone]

I pay 2.54 a gallon here in wv and notice that the west coast is paying over 3 dollars a gallon and i wont complained. All i plan on doing is to hit all the caches in an area before moving on an another area. I will still geocache no matter the cost of fuel prices or the general economy of the area.

[+budd-rdc]

Ignore the troll and his angst-ridden post. He seems to think that Struggle Against Violent Extremism is all about Oil. That biodiesel is non-polluting. And that everyone likes the smell of french fries. 

I thought it was a thread about fuel; seems on topic to me, though I grant you not 100%.

 

But then, isn't every post a troll deep down?

 

I will acknowledge there are reasons (some might even say justifiable) other than oil for the wars we've been fighting if you acknowledge oil is a factor. And surely you can see that oil supplies are dwindling while demand (especially in China and India) is increasing, so oil is going to be more of a factor in future.

 

I did not say biodiesel is nonpolluting. I do believe, though, that it is significantly less polluting than gasoline or petroleum diesel. The particulates are higher for any diesel, but CO2 is net zero (don't forget the plants that produce the oil are absorbing CO2). NOx emissions are higher, but they needn't be; unfortunately, the rotgut diesel that has been crammed down our throats in the US contains sulphur, which kills NOx scrubbers, so we don't have them on our diesels. After we get the fabled ultra-low-sulphur (supposedly by 2006), we can clean out the NOx. Meanwhile, I am comfortable with the tradeoff, since CO2 is a greenhouse gas and also a major pollutant of the majority of cars, thus worth a compromise to reduce its production.

 

Oh, and my exhaust does not smell like french fries, since I do not make my fuel from waste oil. Actually, it reminds me of a chinese restaurant (soy oil). I'm sure not everybody likes it, but I'll bet most people prefer it to petroleum diesel exhaust.

 

But you can ignore me if you want.

 

treedweller

Wars to obtain natural resources are part of the history of modern, industrialized world. To me, there isn't a "side" to this issue unless we slow down or reverse progress. So even if I don't live a hippie lifestyle now, I won't be calling them names since I might be forced to live like that someday.

 

Fossil fuels were "manufactured" by nature over a very long period of time. It's probably no coincidence that they contain more usable energy per volume than resources that take much less time to produce, like plant oils. I hope petroleum companies have considered using their processing knowledge to improve efficiencies for biodiesel and Ethanol.

 

Oh, and don't forget that IndyCar series use Methanol (wood grain alcohol) and are planning to switch to Ethanol in a few years.

 

And one more thing: $Capitalism$ is an abstract representation of resources at best. Engines don't run very well on combusting green paper, or by disk drives containing information of one's net worth. If we run out of resources to maintain our infrastructure, the "market economy" will likely become unsustainable.

[+ParrotRobAndCeCe]

Ignore the troll and his angst-ridden post. He seems to think that Struggle Against Violent Extremism is all about Oil. That biodiesel is non-polluting. And that everyone likes the smell of french fries. 

I thought it was a thread about fuel; seems on topic to me, though I grant you not 100%.

 

But then, isn't every post a troll deep down?

 

I will acknowledge there are reasons (some might even say justifiable) other than oil for the wars we've been fighting if you acknowledge oil is a factor.

I'm so glad we're fighting this war for oil. If we weren't over in Iraq raping, pillaging and plundering for oil, hell, we might be paying out the nose for it. Oil prices might be skyrocketing out of control. Imagine, we might be paying $2.50 or more a gallon for gas instead of the dirt cheap gas we enjoy because of the oil we're fighting for in Iraq.

 

Oh, wait a minute....

[+treedweller]

I'm so glad we're fighting this war for oil. If we weren't over in Iraq raping, pillaging and plundering for oil, hell, we might be paying out the nose for it. Oil prices might be skyrocketing out of control. Imagine, we might be paying $2.50 or more a gallon for gas instead of the dirt cheap gas we enjoy because of the oil we're fighting for in Iraq.

 

Oh, wait a minute....

So, if I can peer behind the curtains of your sarcasm, you apparently do not believe this war has anything to do with oil. Again I say, enjoy your ignorance. Please note that, tho I do not support the current president, this is not meant as an attack on him directly. If the next president should be a Dem, I doubt we will see much of a decrease in military efforts to secure the last supplies of oil in the world.

 

But, despite your wry commentary, we do pay dirt-cheap prices for oil. If you go back through this thread, you will see that the rest of the world pays far more than us to drive their cars. Which may help explain why mass transit and fuel economy are so much more important and available to most of the world than to us.

 

In short, my complaints are with us (Americans) as a society. We have developed an infrastructure that virtually forces us to drive cars, and we stubbornly cling to the "freedom" they represent despite the billboard-sized writing on the wall telling us the end (of the petrol heyday, not necessarily the world . . .) is near.

 

We should be paying $4/gal or more for fuel, and the surcharge should be applied to seeking solutions to our upcoming petrol crisis. Vehicles that get less than 30 mpg should pay a $1000 surcharge to get re-registered every year, again with the proceeds preparing us for the future. People who need these vehicles would find a way, and those who don't would smarten up. Of course, there would still be a prestige factor where rich people paid the fee just to show they could, but most of us would be forced to wake up and smell the oil well fires.

 

Sorry to beat a dead horse; I realize I'm being trolled just as much as I'm trolling, and this is definitely straying well off topic. I'll stop now.

 

treedweller

[+Faith the Aquariaqueen]

I'm so glad we're fighting this war for oil. If we weren't over in Iraq raping, pillaging and plundering for oil, hell, we might be paying out the nose for it.

 

Sorry, I can't believe my country's military are raping Iraqis, but rather maybe a select numbered sick, psuedo-entitled animals who call themselves Americans. Don't you dare bring down the whole military because you have perverted ideas of your own.

[nobby.nobbs]

in any group of people you will find some sick individuals who will do stuff that no one else would consider. just remember to not paint all with the same brush. but we're so way off topic.

 

i do now think long and hard about caching, in that i don't just pop out for one or two. i try to combine with either another trip or atleast aim to get four or five caches.

[+Mastifflover]

To bring this thread back on topic.............. Gas prices havn't affected my caching yet. Even if I burn up a 1/2 tank of gas on a geocaching day it's still a bargain compared to other activities like going to an amusement park. Plus I get some excersise to boot.

[+Old Cavendish]

I'm so glad we're fighting this war for oil. If we weren't over in Iraq raping, pillaging and plundering for oil, hell, we might be paying out the nose for it.

 

Sorry, I can't believe my country's military are raping Iraqis, but rather maybe a select numbered sick, psuedo-entitled animals who call themselves Americans. Don't you dare bring down the whole military because you have perverted ideas of your own.

Ah, how sarcasm seems to elude people...

[newmonster]

first of all LOL @ saabinmike's thread, some people make you wonder dont they.

and to keep this on topic. no i havent let it keep me from going. if all i have to do is fill up my tank and pack a lunch from home i think im getting away pretty cheap for a day full of fun, site seeing, excersize, and who knows maybe some really cool swag!

[+ParrotRobAndCeCe]

I'm so glad we're fighting this war for oil.  If we weren't over in Iraq raping, pillaging and plundering for oil, hell, we might be paying out the nose for it.  Oil prices might be skyrocketing out of control.  Imagine, we might be paying $2.50 or more a gallon for gas instead of the dirt cheap gas we enjoy because of the oil we're fighting for in Iraq.

 

Oh, wait a minute....

So, if I can peer behind the curtains of your sarcasm, you apparently do not believe this war has anything to do with oil. Again I say, enjoy your ignorance. Please note that, tho I do not support the current president, this is not meant as an attack on him directly. If the next president should be a Dem, I doubt we will see much of a decrease in military efforts to secure the last supplies of oil in the world.

You mean the "last supply of oil in the world" OTHER than all the oil the environmental wackos won't LET us have, right?

[+ParrotRobAndCeCe]

I'm so glad we're fighting this war for oil. If we weren't over in Iraq raping, pillaging and plundering for oil, hell, we might be paying out the nose for it.

 

Sorry, I can't believe my country's military are raping Iraqis, but rather maybe a select numbered sick, psuedo-entitled animals who call themselves Americans. Don't you dare bring down the whole military because you have perverted ideas of your own.

Um, Faith, I don't believe so either. I come from a long line of proud United States Navy Officers and am currently doing contract work for the United States Air Force. My comment was a sarcastic reply to those in this group who DO believe we are over there to, quote, "secure the worlds last supply of oil". Read the posts leading up to mine and you will see where it came from.

[+Old Cavendish]

um, thought this would be a good one to revive considering regular gas went to $3.09/gallon here.

 

Yeah, I think I will slow down my geocaching for a while since I am back in school, but the caches I want to find are out in the boonies.

[+joefrog]

um, thought this would be a good one to revive considering regular gas went to $3.09/gallon here.

Ditto. $3.09 here in Queens this AM, likely to go up another 20-40¢ by the weekend.

 

On a related note, the subway was PACKED this AM. Some of those people probably drove to work before this hit.

Edited September 1, 2005 by joefrog

[+Team GPSaxophone]

I was planning on buying gas when I got home from caching yesterday. Diving down the street I saw signs saying $2.79 a gallon! That's a 20 cent jump overnight! Fortunately, one station (that was high last week) hadn't changed from $2.69 to $2.89 yet, so I was able to get gas for $2.69 which is still an outrageous price. It's over $100 now to fill my Suburban, and over $50 just to fill the Jeep!

[+WhatsRNutts]

gas went from $2.49 yesterday morning(I didn't need gas yet) to $2.79 yesterday afternoon. Now I have just under a half a tank. I shoulda gased up yesterday morning...

[+Simulatmore]

Here in So. Maryland it jumped from 2.49 to 2.79 yeaterday and this morning it was 2.99. Anybody got a bike they want to sell, this is crazy.

[+Ellteejak]

Okay what percentage is that?? And what does that really mean?

 

You were paying $2.49 not you are paying $3.09

 

so you had a jump in the last month of

 

1 - 249/309 = 20%

 

Lets say you get 20 MPG and you drive 20,000 miles per year. So how much do you spend in a year?? 20,000/20 = 1000 gallons

 

which is $3090 PER YEAR. You were spending $2490 per year.

 

So now it is $500 more per year (maybe it will go to $1000 more per year this year).

 

Maybe it's time to give up smoking? and save money. Give up gambling and save money. Give up eating at restaurants and save money. Give up designer cloths for the kids, and save money. Sell that second home and save money. Go on one less cruise and save money.

[+soreyes]

With a call from W for fuel conservation its more imprtant than ever to cache efficiently.

 

Here are a few thoughts that might be obvious, but also might help reduce the sting of the pump:

 

We probably don't need to be driving out of the way for just one cache. Combine as many caches into a trip as possible. One cache a day for 5 days or 5 caches in one day? Stop and pick up some caches on the way home from work or school

 

There is also the idea of cache-pooling. If you don't know enough local cachers in person, organize cache trips on the regional boards. Figure out who has the most efficient vehicle in a group and get everyone to chip in on fuel.

 

Public Transportation is an alternative for the metro and suburban area cachers! - Park & Cache!

 

Cache & Conserve!

[+Langner91]

I filled up the other day with $2.599 /gallon gas.

 

I parked my truck in the garage and shut the door.

 

I have ridden my bicycle to work every day since then.

 

Today, gas is at $3.009, so because of the 22 gallons of gas in the tank, my truck has appreciated $9.02.

 

In a few months, that baby will be worth something!

 

[+phoenix-rose]

Filled up on Saturday night for $2.45 a gallon for regular gas in Utah - before Katrina.

 

Have to drive to a funeral 2 hours away tonight, and considering not going - gas jumped to $3.05 at the station up the street. This means that it was gonna be $98 to go round trip, but now is $122. Not including the food I will need while I'm up there.

 

I heard from mom & dad in rural GA today. They said it's $5.15 at the stations in their area.

 

Personally, I think that it's price gouging - $5.15?!? And the administration/states won't do anything about it because Bush is an "oil" man. Especially considering it's NOT the stations raising the price - it's the suppliers. What's wrong with this picture?

a) They already have the gas bought and paid for in their tanks.

Gulf only produces 10% of the nation's oil supply

c) Georgia has a port in Savannah - less than 4 hours from parents house. I'm sure Oil/Gas can be boated in there.

d) The roads aren't so damaged in the part of Ga they're from, and I'm sure no where nearly as damaged there as in other places along the gulf.

 

SOMEONE is being a greedy bandit , and all we can do is watch as the Rich get richer, and the poor get poorer. Can anyone say administration is disconnected, doesn't listen, and never will?

 

Oh wait. I just did.

 

As far as affecting geocaching? Yep. I'm riding a bike now to get groceries (store is 2 miles away) and return movies and the like. It's better for me and the environment, though I will soon need a new bike (the cost of which I'm sure will go up too.)

[+dyankee1995]

Tuesday morning gas was $2.45. Wednesday night gas was $2.99 and is steadily rising. We live in East Central Alabama area, about 150 miles from the gulf coast. Many Many gas stations have run out of gas and people are lining up for blocks to wait for gas. It is real sad around here. There was one gas station that raised their prices to $5.00, now if that isn't price gouging, I don't know what is. Our local news says that we are "hoping" to be able to get gas by the weekend, but with the lines down, they do not know for sure.

 

Yes, unfortunately, these prices will be affecting our new hobby. But let's hope that it doesn't last long.

[+joefrog]

There have been several news reports around here of gas being siphoned off in the dead of night. Time to buy that locking gas cap, it seems... (as if I don't already have enough freakin' keys to lock after lock in this pit of a city!)

[+Renegade Knight]

I lost most of a tank 4 years ago to siphoning. But it was an old rig. I had thought most new ones had anti siphoning features. I know an old celebrity did because I tried when I had to remove the gas tank...

 

Gas jumped 10 cents here yesterday to 2.59. We topped off and filled a couple gas gans we had laying around. I'm not so much worreid about 3.00 or 3.50 as I am having the gas stations run out as things get adjusted.

[+Team GPSaxophone]

Okay what percentage is that?? And what does that really mean?

 

You were paying $2.49 not you are paying $3.09

 

so you had a jump in the last month of

 

1 - 249/309 = 20%

 

Lets say you get 20 MPG and you drive 20,000 miles per year. So how much do you spend in a year?? 20,000/20 = 1000 gallons

 

which is $3090 PER YEAR. You were spending $2490 per year.

 

So now it is $500 more per year (maybe it will go to $1000 more per year this year).

 

Maybe it's time to give up smoking? and save money. Give up gambling and save money. Give up eating at restaurants and save money. Give up designer cloths for the kids, and save money. Sell that second home and save money. Go on one less cruise and save money.

Not only has the price of gas increased 20% (which is quite a considerable number) but it will affect a lot more. The price of milk will surely rise from $2.50 a gallon to $3.00 a gallon in the coming days as the milk distributors pass their delivery costs onto the consumers. Can you think of a few other items that get delivered to stores? What, everything? Yes, that's right, everything will cost more with such a large jump in gasoline prices. Can you imagine paying 20% more for everything you buy, especially as we approach the holiday season?

 

Don't talk down to us because we're "only" paying $500 more a year on gas. (Actually your math is off: 3090-2490 is $600)

[+Tsegi Mike and Desert Viking]

Those refineries and oil rigs wont be opening back up anytime soon. Even if a refinery is high and dry, the electricity isnt likely to be restored within the next month. Then of course, it has to be inspected for damage and repaired. There are over 20 oil rigs in the Gulf that are missing. It will take a long time for them to be replaced. There will be a gas shortage.

 

I already wasnt able to cache much, given that my old loved truck decided to break down for good. Ive spent the last couple of weeks looking for a new vehicle. Which I now have to redo to accomodate the gas prices. That small suv I was looking at is no more. Now I have to have a more gas conservative vehicle.

 

Once supplies are steady, we will be caching again. This is our only form of entertainment. We dont go to movies. So spending the money on gas isnt that big a deal to us. Unfortunately, we know too many people who will suffer from the high prices. And as was pointed out, all products will reflect the higher cost of gas in their prices. We could be facing a recession.

 

In the long run, altho we love caching and look forward to the new Waymarking, given the problems in the south, New Orleans, Mobile, Biloxi, and the numerous other towns affected, gas for caching seems trivial.

[+Team Perks]

Sorry to see that you guys are now paying what we out in California have already been paying for months.

 

Fortunately, prices haven't jumped more than a few pennies out here.

 

Yet.

[+Team GPSaxophone]

Sorry to see that you guys are now paying what we out in California have already been paying for months.

 

Fortunately, prices haven't jumped more than a few pennies out here.

 

Yet.

Prices in Colorado are more expensive than California? (It's nearly $3.00 a gallon here)

[+Team Perks]

Prices in Colorado are more expensive than California? (It's nearly $3.00 a gallon here)

Yep. Here in Los Angeles, regular unleaded is still under three bucks a gallon...though not by much. (My regular commuter car takes premium, so I'm still paying $3.19 a gallon or so. Ouch.)

 

Our gas taxes are higher than most states, so we've been typically paying a lot more than most of the country. However, due to state environmental laws, the vast majority of our gasoline is refined "in-house" -- so we probably won't be hurting quite as much until the crude shortage catches up with us.

 

Then it's really gonna sting.

[+Miragee]

San Diego has had the highest prices in the nation for months. It has not been uncommon to see some stations with gas more than $3.00 a gallon.

 

It seems that in the last day or so, even here it has gone up about $.10 per gallon since Tuesday.

 

At least we have gas . . . most of the time. The other day a friend who has a diesel truck had to drive around to find a station that had diesel available . . . at $3.07/gallon.

[Mr. TSP]

Prices in Colorado are more expensive than California? (It's nearly $3.00 a gallon here)

Several stations here in South Bend, Indiana are at $3.49 as of yesterday morning, but most here are at $3.19. The day before they were at $2.55. Just over a month ago they were at $2.17. Ouch!!!

[+Team Perks]

Stockbridge, Ga. 8/31/05

 

[+Renegade Knight]

Stockbridge, Ga. 8/31/05

 

That's funny. They still have to maintain that 20 cent spread between regualar and premium.

[+Team Perks]

That's funny. They still have to maintain that 20 cent spread between regualar and premium.

Hey, if you're paying that much already...why not splurge and get the good stuff?

[+sTeamTraen]

You were paying $2.49 not you are paying $3.09

 

so you had a jump in the last month of

 

1 - 249/309 = 20%

FWIW, the increase is (3.09 - 2.49) / 2.49, or about 24.1%. If the price goes back down to $2.49, that will be a decrease of 19.4%.

 

Just my €0.02 (that's a Euro sign, in case it doesn't come out right). Unleaded gas is hovering round about the $6.00 per US gallon here in Europe right now.

[+Team Perks]

Unleaded gas is hovering round about the $6.00 per US gallon here in Europe right now.

Oh yeah, well your countries are a lot smaller!

[+Mule Ears]

My only hope is that the market is allowed to do its thing. Having lived through gas lines in the 70s, I can tell you that it's much better to see the price go up and let people voluntarily conserve by cutting back unnecessary trips, etc. If they cap the price and ration gas we'll have economic and social chaos as we did then.

 

On a brighter note, I walk the mile each way to work and use pretty much all of my gas for caching/recreational purposes

[+Team GPSaxophone]

My only hope is that the market is allowed to do its thing. Having lived through gas lines in the 70s, I can tell you that it's much better to see the price go up and let people voluntarily conserve by cutting back unnecessary trips, etc. If they cap the price and ration gas we'll have economic and social chaos as we did then.

 

On a brighter note, I walk the mile each way to work and use pretty much all of my gas for caching/recreational purposes

I regularly stockpile up to 42 gallons in the gas tank of my Suburban

[+KC0GRN]

I don't think it'll affect my caching much, really it'll just force me to plan a better/more efficient caching route.

 

Wish me luck, I need about 35 finds this coming weekend

[+bigdog999]

yeah with no job at the moment, and a truck that gets 13 MPG, I'll start taking my motorcycle for awhile.

[+Thrak]

First, I just saw the price at the corner gas mart at $2.45 / gallon on the way into work.

Lucky you! Yesterday i had to pay $7.00 pg.

 

Greetings from Germany

I paid $2.86 per gallon for the cheapest gas in town yesterday. I live in California - if I drive the length of the state it is like being in Europe and driving through multiple countries. Gas in Germany is expensive yes but you have excellent public transportation you can use and the country isn't that large geographically. I don't have the public transportation available here and the state is huge - not to mention the country.

 

Gas prices will definitely be affecting my caching since I can't see blowing half a tank of gas to go to some of the "nearby" caches I'd like to do. I am taking a trip from California to Montana to visit my daughter later this month though - roughly 2000 miles round trip plus driving around while I am there - and am not looking forward to the gas expense. I'm going to plot out some caches that are no more than 1 mile off of my planned route and hit some of them. I'll also do a few at my destination point. Seems a good way to combine my gas usage into two purposes so I can tell my self it's not so bad after all.

[+bwick99]

In upper michigan gas is at $3.29 in Ironwood and $3.19 in Iron Mountain. I heard it is higher the further north you go. Our price in Iron Mountain went up .65 cents this week.

[+ParrotRobAndCeCe]

Filled up on Saturday night for $2.45 a gallon for regular gas in Utah - before Katrina.

 

Have to drive to a funeral 2 hours away tonight, and considering not going - gas jumped to $3.05 at the station up the street.  This means that it was gonna be $98 to go round trip, but now is $122.  Not including the food I will need while I'm up there.

 

I heard from mom & dad in rural GA today.  They said it's $5.15 at the stations in their area.

 

Personally, I think that it's price gouging - $5.15?!? And the administration/states won't do anything about it because Bush is an "oil" man.  Especially considering it's NOT the stations raising the price - it's the suppliers.  What's wrong with this picture?

Absolutely nothing. It's called a market economy. If no one buys it, the price will go down. If they continue to GET $6.00 a gallon, they will continue to CHARGE $6.00 a gallon.

 

It's really quite simple. Businesses are in business to make as much money as they can - not to be generous to you, the consumer, by keeping costs as low as possible.

 

Ask yourself - if you had ten, say, "widgets" and you were able to produce them for $1 each and you could easily sell them for $100 each because you had ten buyers lined up to get them.

 

Would you sell them for $2 out of the goodness of your heart? Or would you take the $1000 and run?

 

I know what I would do.

Edited September 2, 2005 by ParrotRob

[+budd-rdc]

Personally, I think that it's price gouging - $5.15?!? And the administration/states won't do anything about it because Bush is an "oil" man.  Especially considering it's NOT the stations raising the price - it's the suppliers.  What's wrong with this picture? 

a) They already have the gas bought and paid for in their tanks.

Gulf only produces 10% of the nation's oil supply

c) Georgia has a port in Savannah - less than 4 hours from parents house.  I'm sure Oil/Gas can be boated in there.

d) The roads aren't so damaged in the part of Ga they're from, and I'm sure no where nearly as damaged there as in other places along the gulf. 

 

SOMEONE is being a greedy bandit , and all we can do is watch as the Rich get richer, and the poor get poorer.  Can anyone say administration is disconnected, doesn't listen, and never will?

If you are really curious, pay attention to the timing of how the prices rise and fall. If prices go up just days after an incident (hurricane, refinery fire, etc.) then you have a right to be suspicious, because it takes longer than just a few days for the price-impacted fuel to reach your neighborhood.

 

For Hurricane Katrina, it's tough to call it gouging because the storm cut off supply lines. Panic is more likely the factor. Here in California, the rise in gasoline prices have followed the crude oil prices in a reasonable fashion (lagging by about a week), with no sudden spikes after the hurricane, at least not yet.

 

Of course, you can still accuse the current administration of being influenced by the petroleum industry - it's no secret.

[+shadows_crew]

Have to drive to a funeral 2 hours away tonight, and considering not going - gas jumped to $3.05 at the station up the street.  This means that it was gonna be $98 to go round trip, but now is $122.

I've just got to ask what kind of a gas guzzler are you driving if it costs you $98 for a trip that I'm guessing is about 240 miles return? That's only 10 miles per gallon highway driving....wow. It's not a criticism...I'm just stunned!!

 

Here in the UK we are paying the equivalent of $9.58 per gallon of petrol. Have been paying way over the odds for years. (don't you all feel better now? ) The best way to combat it is to get smaller vehicles. I get almost 40 miles to the gallon highway driving. Smaller in this case is definetly better

[+sTeamTraen]

Here in the UK we are paying the equivalent of $9.58 per gallon of petrol.

Not to carp, but: I think you may have your exchange rate wrong... petrol in the UK is about (I think) 95p a litre, that's about US$1.74, and there's about 3.8 litres to the US gallon, so about $6.59 per gallon.

 

OK, UK gallons are 25% bigger, that's still only about $8.19 (and we're no longer comparing equivalent things).

 

The UK is a little more expensive than Germany or France right now - the difference was more marked 2-3 years ago. Holland is even more expensive, I think. If you're going anywhere Luxembourg, make the detour to fill up, at a "bargain" $5 per US gallon.

 

PS: Since I started composing this reply, a new cache has appeared (thank you, Insta-Notify): 2 miles from my house. Woo-hoo!

[+krazymtbr & QT]

The price of gas does have an effect on my geocaching. I'm not getting out nearly as much as I use to. Yesterday morning when I was driving into work the nearby gas station had it at $2.49 for regular. When I left that afternoon at 4 it was at $2.95. That's the cheapest I've seen so far. I drive a Jeep Grand Cherokee with a V8, daily driver, so it doesn't get the best gas milage. My other vehicle is a '90 Jeep Wrangler, 7.5" of lift, 37" tires and others mods so that really sucks up the gas. That's more of a toy for me though for 4wheeling, I really don't drive that around especially now with the gas prices. So needless to say that's another hobby that is affected by the high prices. I'm really considering trading in the Grand for one of those Honda Hybrids, but I really love my Jeep. Both of them.

[CoyoteRed]

Absolutely nothing. It's called a market economy. If no one buys it, the price will go down. If they continue to GET $6.00 a gallon, they will continue to CHARGE $6.00 a gallon.

Actually, this mentally in certain situations will get you thrown in jail, literally.

 

There are anti-gouging laws that kick into effect during a situation such as this. When a situation happens that puts people at the mercy of another and are taken advantage of, that's wrong.

 

I remember the outrage of folks getting charged a lot more for gas, water, food, hotels, and other stuff during evacuations of Hugo. Price gouging laws were put into place to deal harshly with those who did that.

 

Even President Bush come out denounced gouging in the wake of Katrina, but it appears as though oil companies are immune.

 

Consider, that there are plenty of supply for a few days here in Charelston, gas stations have run out because folks tried to fill up before the run up in price. I don't blame them, but the demand was driven by the price. So, now you have a supply shortage (at the pump) because of price! Not the other way around. That's an odd way for the economic law of supply and demand to work.

 

It's also odd that I've heard not one word about how to conserve fuel other than "try not to fill up if you don't need to." Folks have got to get to work. There is a set amount of miles folks have to drive.

 

One solution is a shorter work week. Go from five eight-hour days to four ten-hour days and cut the fuel needed to communte by 20%. Many companies could easily to that. That would save fuel.

 

...or do they not want to cut fuel use?