If gas gets to $5.00 a gallon

[Paul2660]

Changing driving styles

"P.S. I drive I-95 every day, and nobody is slowing down at all. Seems as though time is still worth more than a few more miles per gallon -- at least it still is to me. Plenty of large vehicles going 75 or 80 and not getting more than 14 or 15 mpg at that speed"

Amen!!

 

[biglatka]

Here's an interesting article from Tom Friedman in today's NY Times

Here's an interesting article from Tom Friedman - Op-Ed Columnist - in today's NY Times

Dumb as We Wanna Be

By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN
Published: April 30, 2008

It is great to see that we finally have some national unity on energy policy. Unfortunately, the unifying idea is so ridiculous, so unworthy of the people aspiring to lead our nation, it takes your breath away. Hillary Clinton has decided to line up with John McCain in pushing to suspend the federal excise tax on gasoline, 18.4 cents a gallon, for this summer

 

[iflyablackbird]

propane conversion

Has anyone tried a propane conversion on their 4runner?
The police departments and taxi companies are using them and don't seem to suffer in the power department.
Has anyone tried using Acetone in their fuel, I added a link to an earlier post and haven't heard from anyone that used it yet.
This is an interesting thread, lots of good reading.


Mark

 

[Wolf]

Re: propane conversion

Has anyone tried a propane conversion on their 4runner?
The police departments and taxi companies are using them and don't seem to suffer in the power department.
Has anyone tried using Acetone in their fuel, I added a link to an earlier post and haven't heard from anyone that used it yet.
This is an interesting thread, lots of good reading.


Mark

I've heard about the propane conversion from a friend in that you just feed it into your carb or something. He is always telling me about new fuel mods- He biodieseled a mercedes G wagon. He got me interested in a small hydrogen mod called water for gas, brown's gas conversion from water etc. I would love to hear more about this though if anyone else has heard and can share potential fuel alternatives and how traditional combustion engines could be converted.

 

[sl0annuggets]

china is going to be drilling just of the coast of miami... how do we not have the rights to that??? WTF

 

[DonnyB]

[B Do I quit my decent paying job, get something less stressfull, all because the payoff isn't worth the effort?

I don't know. [/B]

man... I ask myself this everyday that I go into my job! I need to finish school...

 

[hulk311]

Re: Changing driving styles

"P.S. I drive I-95 every day, and nobody is slowing down at all. Seems as though time is still worth more than a few more miles per gallon -- at least it still is to me. Plenty of large vehicles going 75 or 80 and not getting more than 14 or 15 mpg at that speed"

Amen!!

Yeah, on I-75 I'm doing 60mph, everyone is speeding doing like 70-80mph.

And why is it that whenever I see a truck or SUV pulling a trailer OR a boat they are always speeding??? lol

I mean, if you're already pulling something your MPG must drop by a lot, and speeding just makes it drop even more.

I like to just put cruise control on and drive, not go in and out of traffic like 99% of the people.

 

[TheBlueWave]

china is going to be drilling just of the coast of miami... how do we not have the rights to that??? WTF

Because they probably bought those rights. Our government does not own the oil companies, like most countries like China who have state owned oil companies (Mexico, Venezuela, Norway, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, Russia, etc.). Most of the countries I mentioned above have a majority of residents living in poverty, so most state owned companies just keep all the money. That being said, they have deep pockets to develop oil fields Exxon or Shell wouldn't touch because they have stock holders to appease (profit is the main driver, not a nation's demand for energy).

I don't know if these are facts, but as far as capitalism is concerned, rights don't really exist.

 

[snhrph]

Re: [B]WHEN[/B] gas gets to $5.00 a gallon

If fuel rises to 5.00 a gallon what would you do?

I would re-phrase the title question from IF to WHEN!!!

WHEN fuel rises to 5.00 a gallon what would you do? :bash:

 

[r32]

Re: Re: [B]WHEN[/B] gas gets to $5.00 a gallon

I would re-phrase the title question from IF to WHEN!!!

WHEN fuel rises to 5.00 a gallon what would you do? :bash:

It's already $5/gallon in some areas of California.

I called my old college roomie in Ridgecrest, CA yesterday. He said gas cost $4.85 right now and over in Panamint Springs and Furnace Creek, it's above $5 already, and has been since February. There are several places along the coastline where it's more than $5/gallon too.

Here's a picture my dad took on his last trip to Death Valley on March 28, 2008.

I imagine this gas station has a good shot at reaching the $7/gallon mark by the end of this year.

 

[Jeff Kleb]

Because they probably bought those rights. Our government does not own the oil companies, like most countries like China who have state owned oil companies (Mexico, Venezuela, Norway, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, Russia, etc.). Most of the countries I mentioned above have a majority of residents living in poverty, so most state owned companies just keep all the money. That being said, they have deep pockets to develop oil fields Exxon or Shell wouldn't touch because they have stock holders to appease (profit is the main driver, not a nation's demand for energy).


I don't know if these are facts, but as far as capitalism is concerned, rights don't really exist.

Those are "state-owned" oil companies - which are mostly under control of socialist entities. It is usually not capitalism which tramples rights, but socialism.

Granted, our oil companies are not saints by any means......but socialists don't exactly have the best interest of the common people in mind (even though they claim to do so).



"If it moves, tax it. If it still moves, regulate it. Once it stops moving, subsidize it." -- Ronald Reagan, on government manipulation of business

 

[Uneek]

Re: Re: Re: [B]WHEN[/B] gas gets to $5.00 a gallon

I called my old college roomie in Ridgecrest, CA yesterday.

Wow, didn't think there would that many people that others know from Ridgecrest--town of 20k.

That's fast, I spoke my college buddy two weeks ago, and it was only at $4. He's in RC too.

 

[simple]

There is always one shell station, theres about 4 within a few miles of me, and that one is always 10-15cents higher than all the other shell stations. I always drive by it with my finger up in an offensive manner. Its my way of taking it to the man. How much is the price influenced by the respective owner?

 

[blaniac22]

I didn't read through the entire thread - so this may have already been covered.

But there's two things that irk me the most...

1) "competition" doesn't exist - Where I live, if you see one gas station selling for $2.95 and the one across the street is at $3.00, the next day both will be at $3.00.

2) Prices jumping 5 cents a gallon 3 days in a row....what exactly happened to drive the increase? They certainly didn't take a delivery every day....

 

[r32]

I didn't read through the entire thread - so this may have already been covered.

But there's two things that irk me the most...

1) "competition" doesn't exist - Where I live, if you see one gas station selling for $2.95 and the one across the street is at $3.00, the next day both will be at $3.00.

2) Prices jumping 5 cents a gallon 3 days in a row....what exactly happened to drive the increase? They certainly didn't take a delivery every day....

2: It could be a big number of different factors and not just based on final delivery.

Oil refinery broke down?
Oil barge hit rough sees and sank?
Oil producing factory in the middle east got attacked?
Increasing instability in key foreign oil countries.
And possibly the biggest is supply and demand.

Not to mention the Oil Companies are in the business of making money. PERIOD. They are a business just like any other and are out to make money. Further, their suppliers (OPEC, etc) could have raised their prices. So if Shell or BP is buying oil from Middle East Oil factories, they are paying whatever rate they get, then marking it up for a profit when they sell to us.

Also, OPEC and others control how much oil they pump out of the ground (or however they obtain it). If they slow down production then that means less oil for the world, which goes back to supply and demand.

Goes on and on.

 

[bzizzi]

Car Pool

I started a three person car pool last week and it cut my fuel cost
by 2/3 I only put about $100 per month in theRunner now. I never really liked to car pool but with fuel prices I have no choice !!! I travel 78mi/day round trip.Plus it keeps the miles off the 4Runner !!!

 

[Jeff Kleb]

I wish more people would do that. Then there would be fewer people in my way as I am trying to get where I am going.

 

[Uneek]

How much is the price influenced by the respective owner?

Not much. A good friend of mine, her parents own a Shell station. They probably make about 10 cents per gallon sold. Her mom watches the prices like a stock broker and they adjust their prices almost on an hourly basis.

She said all their profits come from the car wash and the quickie-mart that they sell snacks and drinks through. If it was strictly just based on gas sales, they wouldn't be around for long.

 

[josh220]

I understand cutting fuel costs, but for those of you who have changed your habits altogether to practically eliminate driving your 4Runner, why get a truck framed SUV in the first place, if all you're going to do is let it sit in the garage 5 days a week? Seems like a waste to me....

 

[Ginuwite]

I understand cutting fuel costs, but for those of you who have changed your habits altogether to practically eliminate driving your 4Runner, why get a truck framed SUV in the first place, if all you're going to do is let it sit in the garage 5 days a week? Seems like a waste to me....

Hindsight is 20/20........