Gas prices

[where02190]

Here in Boston, it's going for about $3.20 for regular.

 

In Paris, it's $1.20/liter, or about $4.70/gallon.

 

What are we bitch'n about?

[scoobydoobie]

some places in britain have reached the

[Han]

You guys have nothing to complain, in my country a gallon is $6.48.

 

Besides that we have to pay a number of taxes related to owning a car.

 

Here's a link to the gas prices:

 

http://money.cnn.com/pf/features/lists/global_gasprices/

[wooden]

You all have nothing to complain there are contries where the gas gallon is reaching the average people's daily income

[Tedster]

Well, perhaps I shouldn't complain, but when gasoline has shot up a over dollar a gallon in 6 months, I'd say no matter what it was before...it's too steep.

 

But, in a way, I'm glad. Because we need to explore alternative energy sources. Hopefully someday soon someone will discover something that will put a whole new spin on the term "fossil" fuel.

[Mr. Botch]

I think we're bitching about the rapid change.

[KB Gunn]

 

Originally posted by Mr. Botch I think we're bitching about the rapid change.

 

 

One has to wonder why gas in Jacksonville, NC is approaching $4 a gallon and Florida is selling it for $2.70. Gouging is when an emergency is declared by the Government in the state and prices are raised excessively. What this looks like is price fixing or collusion from the suppliers. Something is not right in the state of NC.

[AudioMaverick]

I agree the change has been rapid in the USA. It has been too fast for our infrastructure to absorb. Imagine a trucker picking up a shipment in Long Beach harbor, California. To deliver that shipment to Florida means over 3.400 miles of driving at roughly 8 miles per gallon. That is about 425 gallons for a one way trip. A dollar per gallon adds up quickly at those distances.

 

Think of everything we buy needing to be shipped to stores. Those costs will translate over to everything we buy. Today, we spend an extra $100 or $200 per month on gas to drive to work. In a few months, we'll be spending hundreds more per month for just about everything else. Our annual salaries will realistically need to be a few thousand dollars higher to maintain our standard of living. How many employers will be willing to do that before the end of the year?

 

If it came on us slowly, it would be easier. This will cause so issues. And, the Katrina problem will make it worse.

 

We'll get over it. We always do. I remember the late 1970s. And, we thought 50 cents per gallon was outrageous.

[Raymar]

Looks like its time for free-range hydrogen!

 

Steve

[Joe Cole]

 

Originally posted by where02190 Here in Boston, it's going for about $3.20 for regular. In Paris, it's $1.20/liter, or about $4.70/gallon. What are we bitch'n about?

 

 

It is $1.34 a liter here in Montreal.... it jumped from $1.05 in the matter of a week.

 

I agree with some folks here, everything is jumping in price. Here in Quebec, we are taxed to death.... around 43% income tax, then 15.6% in sales tax.....

 

...and the service we get is poor. Waiting times in the emergency room are in the multiple hour range (5-12h), the roads are a severely pot-holed, education has doubled in the past 5 years, public sector unions want more pay and are striking....

 

...sorry .... needed to vent.

[Philter]

 

Originally posted by Raymar Looks like its time for free-range hydrogen! Steve

 

 

20 years ago was time!

[songrytr]

 

Originally posted by Joe Cole Waiting times in the emergency room are in the multiple hour range (5-12h)...

 

 

We pay hundreds of dollars a month for that privilege - on top of taxes.

[nursers]

Originally posted by songrytr We pay hundreds of dollars a month for that privilege - on top of taxes.

 

An extremely pertinent point.

 

Songrytr - you get my email last weekend? You've been quiet this week

[John Sayers]

You guys remind me of the "I was born in a hole in the road " sketch by Monty Python

 

cheers

john

[wooden]

But seriously people, give thanks to God if you are in rich countries, many countries will collapse if it continues this way.

[Ernest Buckley]

$45.00 dollars to fill up my minivan yesterday.

 

And that was half a tank.

[Is There Gas In The Car?]

Originally posted by KB Gunn Something is not right in the state of NC.

 

Well, there's The Wewus. He lives in NC.

[Joe Cole]

 

Originally posted by songrytr We pay hundreds of dollars a month for that privilege - on top of taxes.

 

 

Compare your income tax.... is it in the 25% range? Here it is in the 45% range.

 

You may pay for health insurance over and above your taxes, but you get better service. We pay more for our service overall, and still wait in line for 12 hours.

 

Let's compare.... let's say a $40g a year salary.

over here: take away 45%....$22k left over

over there: take away 25%= $30,000 left - guessing...$300 of insurance.... still leaves you with $26400 disposable income per year.

 

That is an extremely crude calculation, but you see my point. We pay Mercedes price and get Kia service. You guys get what you pay for, good or bad.

[Calfee Jones]

It's difficult to make comparisons between US and European gas prices. In the US we always have to drive much farther distances. I have to drive 25 miles each way to work. In my part of the country there is no public transportation to speak of. If you need to get someplace on a schedule you have to drive.

 

The US is such a large country geographically speaking. So often people from other parts of the world visit the US and want to drive from NYC to Orlando and then to Nashville and Chicago on their 10 day visit! The distances are just too far...

 

But the transportation situation in the US is a quiet crisis, and nobody is hurting enough yet to do anything about it. As for me...I'm staying home this weekend.

[realtrance]

"here in Montreal.... .

education has doubled in the past 5 years,..."

 

That's horrible! You better do something about that, quick!

 

 

rt

[sventvkg]

 

Originally posted by Han You guys have nothing to complain, in my country a gallon is $6.48. Besides that we have to pay a number of taxes related to owning a car. Here's a link to the gas prices: http://money.cnn.com/pf/features/lists/global_gasprices/

 

 

I've about had it with Europeans commenting on this when they obviously have no idea how our transportation infrastructure is set up in the US. Auto is THE ONLY pertinent form of transportation here. Our public transportation systems outside of a few large cities are non existant. Plus most people in know have a 30-100 mile round trip commute to work and back, again because of the way our housing infrastructure is laid out. It's a suburban sprawl nightmare in the United States...We don't get 6 or 7 weeks a year off either..Most people in know are lucky if they take a week. Also, We tend to work MUCH harder and longer as a society then Europeans, etc etc..Europe and US..VERY VERY VERY different places if you get about an inch below the surface so it's really apples and oranges. Trust us, $3-$4 a gallon gas in the us makes everything we use, Food, Heating and AC, etc more expensive and it jumping up in price 50-80% in some places virtually overnight is very very difficult for people to absorb.

[MarkZ]

I just came home from a Rochester to Buffalo drive to see a Bills preseason game with my kids. On the way to the game at 5pm, I noticed a service area on the other side of the NY State Thruway had gas for $2.89 so I planned to fuel up on the drive home. When I pulled in to the service area at 10:45pm, the price was $3.19.

 

[Lucky #9]

WTF! :eek: :eek: :eek:

[2180]

The USA is a hard-core capitalist country, we get very little from the tax in the gasoline we buy compared to the more socialist Europe. They went throught WWII and came-out a bit more compassionate than we, here in the "states", after we have another civil war, due to the extreme polarization going-on now, it's quite possible we'll be more like Europe after. I just hope like hell it doesn't happen, but things are sliding down quickly, a few more disasters or terror attacks and this place is toast.

[fantasticsound]

 

Originally posted by Joe Cole Compare your income tax.... is it in the 25% range? Here it is in the 45% range. You may pay for health insurance over and above your taxes, but you get better service. We pay more for our service overall, and still wait in line for 12 hours. Let's compare.... let's say a $40g a year salary. over here: take away 45%....$22k left over over there: take away 25%= $30,000 left - guessing...$300 of insurance.... still leaves you with $26400 disposable income per year. That is an extremely crude calculation, but you see my point. We pay Mercedes price and get Kia service. You guys get what you pay for, good or bad.

 

 

Those are really bad calculations.

 

First, you're assuming the person in question is getting health insurance from their employer. Not true for many workers.

 

Then you're assuming $300/yr... I don't think so... My wife has worked for a large American company for 10 years, and we couldn't come close to that .

 

And then there are the many services that are elective to health insurance, the high cost of medicines in this country (You've heard about Canadian companies sending low cost drugs to Americans and being sanctioned, right?) and about a million other little add-ons that are paid for by your taxes. I'm not saying anything of the cost/benefit issue, only that Americans pay a lot more than you think in taxes and benefits that are included in many other countries' government programs.

 

My wife has a 60 mile round trip, 5 days/wk. Mine is 80 miles, twice weekly and 55 the other 3 days. That's just about 700 miles per week, just to and from work and school. Commuting.. not using our cars for work. At an average of 23mpg between our two cars that means 30 gallons or about $100 in gas at current prices. Without using our vehicles for anything else.

 

Nashville has minimal mass transit, with little expectation of change anytime soon. Like it or not, the only answer without giving up our jobs or our home is to drive.

 

We can't afford to move closer to work or Lilly's school, so basically we're screwed. When that cost rose 40+% in a year... yeah, that really takes the wind out of anyone's financial sails.