Gasoline Prices, and your Z

[=Enigma=]

it was just astounding, to see this sea of people on bicycles... At that time I don't remembering seeing much mass transit, the mass majority of the population were still riding bicycles at that time. One very noticible thing about China was the air, and water quality... almost every major city that we visited in China had this haze covering the city...

If they were all riding bicycles, where did all the haze come from..........well it's a combination of industrial pollution, and believe it or not, a large portion is from open air cooking in the areas surrounding the large cities. Basically the slums, where there is no other form of energy other than wood, coal or garbage(paper) for cooking. This is apparently the single largest contributor to air pollution in

China. Or so I read.

As far as SUVs go for me personally, if I could do all of the things I need/want to do in a single econobox, I'd happily go out and buy one. Unfortunately, I can't load all of my camping gear into one and still have room for the occupants who would be joining me, it would be kind of hard to make it up some of the offroad trails I frequent for camping, fishing or just for the sake of geting away from it all, and I'm sorry, I'm not a yuppie so I can't afford to have a vehicle for each and every purpose that I might run into. When I can, perhaps I will, but until then, I need one vehicle that serves multiple purposes, an MPV, or SUV, call it what you will. Oh, and the Z of course, which is for pure pleasure. Try to take it away from me and you might not live to tell about it. :mad:

[xray]

A good SUV-alternative might be something like a Subaru Outback/Forester type....

If you're going to buy another car for better gas mileage, don't forget to run the numbers...I thought about trading my 1998 Camry (25 mpg city, fully paid) for a Prius or Civic hybrid, then realized that even if my mileage goes up 100% (50 mpg) it would take me like 10 years to "break even" when accounting the cost of the vehicle against the gas savings...

IMHO, gas prices now are a perfect storm of sorts..The whole MBTE to ethanol additive change(coupled with the $0.54/gal tariff on Brazilian ethanol imports), plus increase risk (Nigeria/Iran/Venezuela), plus decrease supply (Iraq not fully online; limited drilling in Gulf/ANWR; too few refineries, some of which are down for periodic maintenance, etc) plus increased demand in China and India, plus the upcoming travel season coupled with hurricane season, and THEN there's the EPA demand for "seasonal variations" on the gas cocktail to keep smog and surface ozone in check and the resultant supply kinks THAT all creates.....

Sheesh! I'm feeling a bit woozy....

Guess I'll just stay home. Netflix, Pay-per-view, Ebay and Amazon will get me through the summer!

Steve

[gogriz91]

When anyone who drives a V-8 powered vehicle complains about gas you should ask them, "Are you driving that to make a living or to support your lifestyle?" In my book, there's a difference, and I see alot of V-8 powered vehicles with one person behind the wheel and have little to no sympathy for just about anyone who complains about the price of gas unless they have a business dependent on a vehicle. My uncle is a farmer and I know it's really hurting him on the bottom line. Not so sympathetic for Suburban soccer Moms or the guy who traded in his sports car for a pickup truck because it was popular. I could do what I do in my Pathfinder with a Subaru but I prefer the Pathfinder, so I pay what it costs to drive one, for better or worse.

[Goose52]

On post #2 of this thread (26 hours ago) I reported paying $3.34/gal. Had to fill-up today ... $3.43/gal ...

[Tri-Star]

2.85 for 87 oct and 3.05 for 93 oct here by the Space Center in Florida. Not too bad. After im satisfied with my resoration of my Z ill have a little money left over. I'd like to pick up a smal little bike like that Kawasaki Ninja 250. As some one else said the danger of the bike is whats holding me back. My uncle road bikes in his day and was a great driver but that didnt stop people from pulling out in front of him or side swiping him (ended up in the hospital with major problems). Ill stick to reserch on finding the right bike for me anyway.

[SavannahZ]

I rode a bike for a couple of years because of economic reasons. It was incredibly fun and fast. However, it didn't stop someone from pulling out in front of me and putting me in the hospital either. Everyone I know that rides a bike for transportation, other than the occasional pleasure trip, has ended up with something broken or died.

EMTs call motorcycles, donorcycles!

Some things you have to learn on your own. I wouldn't listen to anybody at the time. I'm not against motorcycles, I just don't think b/c of gas prices that they are a good alternative.

[zedevan]

isn't this where something like a lotus 7 or a cappuccino comes in? or any other car that weighs next to nothing so its the closest thing to a motorbike, with "safety"

[deadflo]

Regarding China, there was a report on PBS about a year ago that showed an aerial shot of Beijing and it looked like LA because of the gridlock on the freeway cloverleafs. They said some 20 million cars had been sold there in the last five years. More folks have money to buy cars because of their economy.

Phil , I think you may suprised at the change since you were last there in the 90's.

Also, you cant lay all the blame on the OPEC states for the oil prices, again look at the record profits for all the US oil companies this year. That's where the money is going, despite their bullshit about lack of refineries here, or whatever line they think the public will swallow this year.

[jmortensen]

Let me tell ya a couple of stories....

Ever since I started working for my current employer I've been taking mass transit here in Seattle.... I swear at least 75% of every car I see on the freeway has only one person in it, the driver, now I gotta admit I still drive my car 1 mile to the Park & Ride lot to catch the bus, and if it wasn't for the fact that I only have to take one bus, and it lets me off, and I can catch it in front of the office building I may not be so inclined to be taking mass transit.

Do you know who pays for your mass transit? You do. THREE times. I did some checking because I generally don't like mass transit in principle, and here in Seattle it's been reported that we have "some of the best in the country." Turns out your $1.50 bus fare isn't even close to keeping the busses running, so it's gasoline and car registration taxes that pay for all that crap. Then you pay the fare when you get on the bus. And here in King County my own subsidizing of the bus system, the light rail system, and all the rest doesn't even touch the $1500 I've now PERSONALLY paid towards the defunct/brainless emotionally motivated but practically useless monorail project here in Seattle.

My opinion is that the only way mass transit should exist is if it pays for itself. If you can't make enough money to pay for the busses and buy the fuel with the bus fares, then it shouldn't exist.

The opinion of people in Seattle seems to be that we should make gas and cars very expensive so that people will ride the bus. They don't like seeing one person driving a car all by himself, like peng155. I guess I'm not a "punitive environmentalist".

I gotta get out of the city. It's been my experience that the bigger the city the more miserable the people, and the more they turn to the government to make life easier. The government will institute a program which it runs by taxing the people, which makes them more miserable, which makes them turn to the government for help. And on and on and on. Whereever there are millions of people living right on top of each other there is misery and oppression.

[Ron Carter]

We should all drive Ariel Atoms!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fpfv8FsNQo

Ugly, well to some, powered by honda, well a little disapointing Faster than Sh*t for sure. Fun to drive...looks like it to me.

Good gas mileage? who cares!

[240ZX]

Jon, sorta like lab rats? I couldn't agree more. I live approximately an hour north of Los Angeles and dread the thought of having to go near the place....especially since I lived in Hollywood some years ago during my time playing music. It was like taking a BIG dump when I moved out!!! An interesting thought, although it would take a miracle to come to fruition but, people have the power to change this obserd price gouging!!! How you might ask! Simple, OK its not simple but, if everyone would just stop buying gas for one week....yah thats going to happen right, the friggin oil companies would loose so much $$$ they would be giving the stuff away just to get the cash flow happening again. But people are just not willing to make that sacrific...! Its just too easy to complain about it instead of actually taking a stand and doing something about it. Its similar to voting and controlling our government officals. Why do the oil companies and big government do what they do??? Because we let them!

Do you know who pays for your mass transit? You do. THREE times. I did some checking because I generally don't like mass transit in principle, and here in Seattle it's been reported that we have "some of the best in the country." Turns out your $1.50 bus fare isn't even close to keeping the busses running, so it's gasoline and car registration taxes that pay for all that crap. Then you pay the fare when you get on the bus. And here in King County my own subsidizing of the bus system, the light rail system, and all the rest doesn't even touch the $1500 I've now PERSONALLY paid towards the defunct/brainless emotionally motivated but practically useless monorail project here in Seattle.

My opinion is that the only way mass transit should exist is if it pays for itself. If you can't make enough money to pay for the busses and buy the fuel with the bus fares, then it shouldn't exist.

The opinion of people in Seattle seems to be that we should make gas and cars very expensive so that people will ride the bus. They don't like seeing one person driving a car all by himself, like peng155. I guess I'm not a "punitive environmentalist".

I gotta get out of the city. It's been my experience that the bigger the city the more miserable the people, and the more they turn to the government to make life easier. The government will institute a program which it runs by taxing the people, which makes them more miserable, which makes them turn to the government for help. And on and on and on. Whereever there are millions of people living right on top of each other there is misery and oppression.

[jmortensen]

Glad you agree with my assessment of cities Tom, but I don't think I agree with your boycott oil for a week strategy. It might affect you or me if we had to skip a paycheck, but I don't think the oil companies are living hand to mouth.

The one other factor that I haven't seen mentioned is the WILD SPECULATION on the commodities markets. How many idiot day traders are out there driving the price up hoping to get rich quick? I think this has a big effect, and I've been hearing more and more (even OPEC said it) that the cost of a barrel of oil doesn't reflect the reality of oil supply and demand. I think the Gordon Gekkos out there deserve their fair share of the blame.