$3.00/gal. Gas !

[rkmdogs]

Anybody hear tonights news, with the nonchalant announcement that

gas will hit $3.00/gal in the next few weeks, but that by next summer, it could be up another $.25 !

Then the newscaster said that "the Big TWO" are pointing fingers at the large

oil companies and accusing them of gouging, and the oil companies are

answering back that Detroit has not done anything to improve efficiency in the past 10 years!

Who in the hell cares?!!!! I'd throw them both in jail for raping the U.S public!

This nonchalant attitude about these sky-rocketing prices, with no rational

explanations is going to kill American industry, and cause one helluva crash!

Then nobody will be buying cars or driving anywhere because they won't be able to afford to do so.

Ever hear the story about eating the seed corn, and then starving to death?

Well, that is what we are doing here in America.

Wake up, everybody......... especially you head-in-the-sky legislators, and you

crazy tree-huggers!

No available inexpensive fuel = no jobs!

Edited April 12, 2006 by rkmdogs

[RJB]

Hell it's already $2.86 here in Michigan since yesterday!! I paid $2.65 yesterday morning.

[pow]

$3.09/gallon * 16 gallons = ~$50 this morning

[PurdueGuy]

...just catching up with the rest of the world...

[daves87rs]

I have a feeling it could touch 4.00 by mid summer.

But we'll see....

[loki]

take the tax breaks peopel get from buying fuel efficeint vehicles and put that into lowering gas prices lol it'd work for the short run... oh if only TCP was common place. (changingworldtech.com)

[ShadowDog]

This isn't anything new. The US is practically the last place this has affected, and by no way anywhere near as much as other parts of the world.

To go back on what was said, the only reason gas plays such a huge role in how expensive it is to drive has more to do with what they drive and how much it consumes.

[ToniCipriani]

...just catching up with the rest of the world...

Ditto. We've been paying for 4.50+ for quite a while already.

[the_yellow_dart]

Hmmm...

Gas here now is cad$1.02/L

cad$1 = usd$0.85

3.8 L = gallon

usd$3.29/gal

Not as bad as I thought Canadian prices were, comparatively...

[Sixty8panther]

No improvement in the past 10 years? WTF???

Obviously this numbskiull did his homework.

[z28luvr01]

It's funny that whenever they catch heat for making record profits every quarter, their prices plummet. It's also funny that their counterargument shows a complete lack of even casual research. If they bothered to take inventory of what makes/models get gas at their stations every day, they'd find that it's probably split down the middle between American cars and imported ones.

My bike will be getting a lot of use this summer.

[Derek77]

I still find it funny that LOTS of Americans complain about the price, but do nothing to change the way they use gas.

A couple of examples of this is:

Moms and dads at soccer practice or baseball practice watching jr. in the car, more than likely an SUV, with the A/C on or windows down motor on, or just droping them off, go home for an hour, then come back.

SH!TTY DRIVING!!! Either by exesive speeding or acceleration or impeeding the flow of traffic (staying in the left lane or center lane. KEEP RIGHT EXCEPT TO PASS).

Vehicle selection. Need I say more.

[sciguy_0504]

My car gets 30MPG.

I am becoming afraid to see GMT900 sales, though, if this trend continues.

[ToniCipriani]

Hmmm...

Gas here now is cad$1.02/L

cad$1 = usd$0.85

3.8 L = gallon

usd$3.29/gal

Not as bad as I thought Canadian prices were, comparatively...

I must have pressed the wrong button on my calculator... my bad

[Drew Dowdell]

Let's see.

Exxon had record profits for any company, ever.

GM now has full size SUVs rated at 27mpg highway, that can run on E85 <at lesser economy> , and hybrids on the way.

GM has 300hp front drivers that are rated 27mpg hiway.

Cobalts routinely get higher then EPA fuel mileage

Chrysler is introducing new diesels.

... but Exxon has record profits even when consumption grows at the normal rate.

[evok]

This isn't anything new.  The US is practically the last place this has affected, and by no way anywhere near as much as other parts of the world.

That is not correct. The price of fuel cost the same for the most part around the world. Only the tax is different.

[Derek77]

Does anyone here know the difference between PROFITS and PROFIT MARGINS?

Look it up. It will hopefully help some people here realize how STUPID they sound.

[Drew Dowdell]

Does anyone here know the difference between PROFITS and PROFIT MARGINS?

Look it up. It will hopefully help some people here realize how STUPID they sound.

Profit is dollar amount

Profit margin is the percentage above cost that is counted towards profit

[Derek77]

Copied and Pasted from investopedia.com:

A ratio of profitability calculated as net income divided by revenues, or net profits divided by sales. It measures how much out of every dollar of sales a company actually keeps in earnings.

Profit margin is very useful when comparing companies in similar industries. A higher profit margin indicates a more profitable company that has better control over its costs compared to its competitors. Profit margin is displayed as a percentage; a 20% profit margin, for example, means the company has a net income of $0.20 for each dollar of sales.

Looking at the earnings of a company often doesn't tell the entire story. Increased earnings are good, but an increase does not mean that the profit margin of a company is improving. For instance, if a company has costs that have increased at a greater rate than sales, it leads to a lower profit margin. This is an indication that costs need to be under better control.

Imagine a company has a net income of $10 million from sales of $100 million, giving it a profit margin of 10% ($10 million/$100 million). If in the next year net income rose to $15 million on sales of $200 million, its profit margin would fall to 7.5%. So while the company increased its net income, it has done so with diminishing profit margins.

And of course Oil Companies set the price of oil too.

[Drew Dowdell]

Except that the cost of refined gasoline rises faster then the cost of crude.

[I hope GMRULES again]

I guess this is what we'll get stuck with now every spring, after suffering through a long winter the time comes when you can finally crank down the windows and open the sunroof and the price of gas goes through the roof. Only way to beat thses dirtbags is to slow down and drive less to save fuel.

[PurdueGuy]

Thing is, if people really used less fuel and conserved, then they'd just produce less and charge the same or, even more likely, more money. The only true way to overcome powerful suppliers of a basic item like oil is to find/create alternatives to using that item, like ethanol, hydrogen, etc. Then, if you switch entirely to that new item, you fall into the same problem, because someone's going to control that commodity and they're going to make money hand over fist.

Edited April 12, 2006 by PurdueGuy

[ToniCipriani]

Nature of humans: greed. Can't help it.

[Mr.Krinkle]

yup, its 2.86 up each morning, sometimes afternoon again around here, ny.

and will only go up higher for the summer driving season. lousy bastards.

the popular mechanics this month had an article about alternative fuels. cure alls are still pretty far off but they did mention ethanol at length. in order to completely replace oil as a main fuel it would take a dedicated crop of corn in the range of 71% of the total crop.

if thats the deal, it goes on to say we'd all be relying on foreign corn imports.

[Satty]

We should boycott gas companies one day, nobody go buy any gas, that'll show 'em. My advice, either do something about it, like maybe driving less, getting out of the gas guzzler, etc. or quit bitching.

[Paolino]

All I know is, I can't afford a more fuel-efficient car right now. I drive at decent speeds... I think the fastest I go anymore (and it's rare), is 75. I use regular unleaded, at a self-serve station. I pay $2.93/gallon. I have looked for cheaper, but the cheapest I could find is $2.88/gallon.

Who wants to buy me a more fuel efficient car? I'm getting about 22mpg highway

[PurdueGuy]

That's another thing... people who go out & buy another more efficient car. It's gonna have to be waaay more efficient (along the lines of when I replaced my '90 Grand Marquis (15 mpg) with my Saturn (30+ mpg)) to be worth it. Otherwise, the purchase falls into the same problem as most of the hybrids - it will never pay for itself, and you would have been better off to stick with what ya had. Of course, that's just looking at it from a fuel cost standpoint, and a new vehicle purchase could also contribute toward safety, comfort, meeting transportation needs, reliability...

[Derek77]

That's another thing... people who go out & buy another more efficient car.  It's gonna have to be waaay more efficient (along the lines of when I replaced my '90 Grand Marquis (15 mpg) with my Saturn (30+ mpg)) to be worth it.  Otherwise, the purchase falls into the same problem as most of the hybrids - it will never pay for itself, and you would have been better off to stick with what ya had.  Of course, that's just looking at it from a fuel cost standpoint, and a new vehicle purchase could also contribute toward safety, comfort, meeting transportation needs, reliability...

That's why you buy when it makes most economic sense.

[Derek77]

We should boycott gas companies one day, nobody go buy any gas, that'll show 'em.   My advice, either do something about it, like maybe driving less, getting out of the gas guzzler, etc. or quit bitching.

I'll take quit bitching from other people. I'll mind how I drive.

[z28luvr01]

Paulie, have you thought about the LIRR handling your commute. $265/month for a monthly pass sounds very expensive, but I'm sure you'd save at least that much on gas. How far are the nearest stations from your workplace and home? I remember you saying you lived in Holbrook and worked in Brooklyn. Wouldn't it be nice not to have to deal with the LIE anymore ?

[tmp]

From yesterdays LA Times:

After subtracting their cost of crude oil — but not other expenses — refiners in Los Angeles are averaging gross profit of 65 cents a gallon of gasoline sold, said David Hackett, president of Stillwater Associates, an Irvine consulting firm. That's up from an average of nearly 38 cents earlier this year.

I've gone back to taking the bus commuting to and from work, and even on the weekends. I drive my car once a week now tops.

[Paolino]

Paulie, have you thought about the LIRR handling your commute. $265/month for a monthly pass sounds very expensive, but I'm sure you'd save at least that much on gas. How far are the nearest stations from your workplace and home? I remember you saying you lived in Holbrook and worked in Brooklyn. Wouldn't it be nice not to have to deal with the LIE anymore ?

No, I don't work as far as Brooklyn, although I'm VERY close to the entrance of the Belt (I'm 2 exits away from the Belt on the Southern State Parkway).... in late February, I moved to Syosset. The commute is much shorter... although the 15 year old car is getting worse by the day. Yesterday I heard a "new" sound... a sound that when I was a young boy, and I heard it on a car driving by, I said, "Wow, that car's gonna go." I can't even describe it... kinda like if you had metal rattling constantly against more metal. Loud. Obtrusive. Oh well.

[cmattson]

...just catching up with the rest of the world...

The big problem is that most of those "rest of the world" countries that feature high gas prices have much larger social programs (i.e. healthcare for everyone) -> unless you believe that enriching oil importing/refining industries as a social program. We simply aren't getting the equivalent return on our fuel-monies spent that you can get in these other, high-fuel countries. The other issue is that some of these high-fuel-countries are rather small (like the United Kingdom). Mass transit is much more attractive and is a much more feasible system in a small area; but mass-transit doesn't work nearly as well when the population-center isn't as dense.

[capriceman]

but you dont see it. Oil companies DO NOT want to see alternative fuels. That means they get less money. Its the same as a Urban Drug contol office to stop all drug trafficing in a city. If they solved and caught every drug dealer (which they can) they would be out of a job. i get 14 city 27 hiway in my caprice and 16 city and 25 hiway with the truck. And about to pick up a old Cavy. I need a Truck for hauling parts. I want my Caprice for all the other things. So what if $30 is only a quarter tank. gas should not be over $2.50 a gallon.

Ill respond with my ideas later im to pissed at prople right now to type correctly.

[razoredge]

Didnt you hear ? Another huge hurricane just hit the Gulf Coast

The sales tax alone on the purchase of a "new" more gas economic car would surely offset the added dollar per gallon since the last "hurricane"

the price of gasoline rises in the winter due to "oil shortages" caused by heating demands...............therefore the price rises during the spring because the added solar heat from the brightening sun evaporates the pro..., ah, I mean the supply

the people running our country have no connections what so ever with the oil industry

while its obvious "oil" companies gouge profits..............Im sure the producers of "refined corn" would not get starchy

everyone should ride the bus and trains because they do not rely on fossil fuels and would never raise their rates according to fuel prices or increased demand for seats

if gasoline prices and wages kept up with inflation we would be paying $8.00 a gallon by now....................and annual minimum wages and wages for the working poor would be in excess of $40.000 per year............

rumor has it crude oil in the US will be gone within 8 years.................so GM!.......why bother ? Implode that sucker and stuff the profits into the pockets of the execs and stock holders

The best thing to do is for everyone to just keep going like a bunch of zombie puppets because its easier and ..........what the hell..........it will be our kids problem not ours

to the tug of the puppet masters

[sciguy_0504]

I take the train every day to and from school. Even though I find it annoying and a huge pain in the ass to plan my schedule around the train schedule, it saves me a boatload of money. Gas+parking+maintenance=I'll take the train and walk a few blocks.

[Northstar]

If it goes up much more it's going to be rediculous.

I just paid almost $50 to fill up the GTO... it gets 14MPG usually, meaning I can probably go about a week and a half (I don't drive that much). That's not terribly expensive, but it would be rediculous if I was paying about $70 instead.

[drew770]

I made a deal with myself last year during the Katrina gas spikes that if gas got over $3 then old Sally will take a hit for the hometeam and get traded for something alittle easier on the pocket.

Well, it seems that my TrailBlazer is in it's last few months in my garage!!!

I can afford the gas but I don't want to pay it. I rather sacifice some storage space and towing ability in order to get off of my dependence on gas.

I am getting pretty tired of making Exxon, BP and Chevron super rich while the average American is starting to suffer for the sake of corporate profits.

[ellives]

I haven't spent a penny at ExxonMobil since the prices started skyrocketing and they announced the record profits. Those profits told me their claims that "supply and demand" was driving prices up were pure unadulterated lies. Exxon and Mobil should never been allowed to merge. They collectively own way too much of the market. Of course the US population is ultimately to blame because we didn't bitch about it when we had the chance.

Since we talked about "profit" and "profit margin" on this thread earlier, it seems a good time to point out the value of boycotting vendors you're not happy with. For instance when you're buying gas and you opt NOT to got to another station that's a penny or two cheaper, you're hurting yourself. The penny/gallon doesn't matter to either company selling the gas. What they *do* care about is getting the sale. By giving the more expensive (or unethical in ExxonMobil's case) the business, you shouldn't be concerned about the 25 cents you'd be saving by going to the better vendor, but you *should* be concerned about the 150 dollar swing of business you're NOT giving to the better vendor. YOU have the power to have your voice heard by where you spend your money.

I made a deal with myself last year during the Katrina gas spikes that if gas got over $3 then old Sally will take a hit for the hometeam and get traded for something alittle easier on the pocket.

Well, it seems that my TrailBlazer is in it's last few months in my garage!!!

I can afford the gas but I don't want to pay it.  I rather sacifice some storage space and towing ability in order to get off of my dependence on gas.

I am getting pretty tired of making Exxon, BP and Chevron super rich while the average American is starting to suffer for the sake of corporate profits.

[Mr.Krinkle]

a follow up from last week...just over 3 bucks here now. and summer didnt even start yet. this should get interesting.

oil was up over 70 cents and over 70 for a barrel today too.

2.65 to 2.86 to 3+ all in 2 weeks. whats gonna happen if the situation in iran gets out of hand?

[haypops]

My recollection is that gas prices peak a week or so before memorial day so we are talking about May I think.

[Robert Hall]

It's almost $3 here in Denver..noticed $2.97 for premium (91) today..

I'm going out to LA tommorow for a long weekend..probably over $3 in some places there.

[sciguy_0504]

Prices will skyrocket now that the price of a barrel of oil is over $70. Iran, stuff in Nigeria, Iraq and Venezuela all have something to do with it. That and I firmly believe oil companies are playing games.

[haypops]

.  That and I firmly believe oil companies are playing games.

Exon reporting the highest profits for a quarter for any U.S. corporation is history is not what I would call playing games.

[Mr.Krinkle]

yup, i agree.

theyrre winning the game

[ShadowDog]

That is not correct.  The price of fuel cost the same for the most part around the world.  Only the tax is different.

Actually asking, would internal supply and those not found overseas not affect the overall cost, as opposed to eastern nations such as Britain having to rely heavily on the middle-east supply.

On the other hand, I`ve stopped trying to understand the situation; this, mostly because everything I`ve read has either been proven incorrect, or the information that makes the most sense turns out to be furthest from the truth.

I like walking. Walking is good for me.

Edited April 25, 2006 by ShadowDog

[Mr.Krinkle]

as long as china and india have a greater demand for oil than we do, which is hard to believe, the prices are never going to come back down.

they have the demand and are willing to pay top dollar. as usual the highest bidder wins (unless you want a govt contract)...but we still want gas, so now we have to increase our bids. thats just one more factor to add to the mess.

i say this as the price for regular, self serve-they trust us here in ny to pump our own gas- is over 3.05. i used to like that number when it was the 5.0 in my chevy.

about the tax thing- across the tiny little waterways that separtate ny from nj gas is min 20 cents cheaper-with full serve too. no self in jersey.

the great part is its the same gas, being transported throught he same exact lines.

it is what it is i guess

[2005 EquinoxLS]

Regular unleaded is up to $2.94 here in northeast Wisconsin. About the only thing I may do less of is drive the 1984 Buick Park Avenue that gets 11-12 miles to the gallon in town. Even the 15-16 miles to the gallon in the 1981 Bonneville is better. Or the 16-17 in the Equinox. It would be nice to fix the Buick but I am hesitant to spend much more money on it if we are going to sell it next fall.

[balthazar]

Saw gas today at $7.50/gal.

I suppose I should mention it was 116-octane race fuel.

[Mr.Krinkle]

depending on your application thats a premium that more than makes up for itself when you blow the doors off some poor unsuspecting sucka.