This funny.... it really is all relative, I agree. I remember when $10 used to fill up my tank,back when it was .99 cents per gallon. I also remember when I was outraged to pay $1.80 a few years ago when a gas pipeline burst in the phoenix area and there was a shortage. We all stood in line forever to pay $1.80 and were SOOO upset. Now I roll up and pay over $3 no without even thinking about it. :rolleyes:

Pretty soon someone will bootleg gas like they bootleg movies.....

How do we refuse to pay for gas? I wouldn't be able to get to work if I didn't buy gas. No work=homeless. It's not an option. There is no mass transportation that is available and feasible for me. I will have to pay whatever price it is no matter what. Thankfully, I have a Chevy Aveo that gets around 29 mpg city/35 highway. Unfortunately, there is so much road construction that even when I take the highway now, I'm getting city gas mileage.

It is called devaluation of the American Dollar and since oil is traded for $$ the price of oil goes up and so it goes gas at the pump to car tanks.

I drive a 9 year old Honda that gets good gas mileage and drive 4.5 miles daily.

So, maybe we can thank thoses that drive SUVs, RVs, PU Trucks, and drive go fast boats at the local lakes that eat gas up.:o

Or, how about those who live in the country for the living and drive 60-100 miles daily to and from work?

We aint seen nothing yet!:rolleyes:

I was in the same position when working in los angeles. There is light rail now, but doesn't reach wide area, and if you work a weird work schedule like graveyard to do news editing, you're sunk.

To use "mass transit" and get to work, I would have had to take a bus to to the light rail station, then the train to LA, then shuttle bus to job. Problem was the last bus that connected with the train was around 7 p.m. and when i got there, standing a bus stop alone at night in downtown LA, no.
Then, to get home, would have to do it all over, again. Total of 2 hrs one way, sometimes more, mass transit. Driving--1 hr.
I've been out of LA for a few years, moving back for school, and the cost of gas is affecting where I look for housing. I would love to live at the beach again, but it's too far for school.

Gas is up to $3.49 today. I travel from Queens County to Suffolk County everyday. I have a 60 mile round-trip to work and that does not include the extra distance I travel to run errands in the evenings and on weekends. Plus, on Wednesdays, it's an 84 mile round-trip when I go out to the barn (but I'll follow my riding instructor anywhere)! It costs a little over $40.00 to fill up my tank. And unfortunately, I have to fill up about 1.5 times per week.

ETA: There is no convenient mass transit from my house to the office. I live by the LIRR, but there are no bus or train stops remotely close to my job.

*Preface - I don't know a lot about economics, so this comes from my my personal perceptions.*

Screw the valuation of the dollar crap. When people have to choose between a week of groceries and a tank of gas, that's a crisis.

Now, before I get to my point, let me clarify a few of your assertions.

- Many people live in the country because in many places, living in the city is getting very cost-prohibitive. The state where we just moved from, to rent a studio apartment (600 sq ft) was $1700. When we looked for a house, we had to move almost 40 miles out from the city limits to find affordable homes. My husband had an almost 2-hour commute, whether he took the train or drove). Sure we could move to east podunk, but the jobs aren't there. WHere we live now, it's still $$$ to live near the city. I know people who spend 4+ hours a day commuting, just so they can make the money they need to cover the basics.

- I drive a small suv, because there are safety reasons I did so. Weather is a huge concern here, and for half the year, you need four-wheel drive to deal with frozen precipiation, a higher wheel base due to local flooding (a big problem that I have encountered living near wetlands), a heavier car (ever have to put bricks in your crappy little car trunk so that you don't spin out on ice?), etc. Plus, in most sedans, I cannot see over the steering wheel or reach the pedals well enough.

Public transportation is either a non-entitiy or not sufficient enough for most people in the country, I would imagine. Building it from the ground up would be a mammouth expenditure of time and money.

So let's place the blame where we should - the big oil companies, who raise crude oil prices for every fluctation in the economy, weather, politics, mating seasons of the silver squirrel - then post record billion-dollar earnings the following quarter.

What I don't understand (and if someone who is clued in can explain) is how the oil companies raise the cost of a barrel of oil. Let's say that two weeks ago, the cost per barrel was $60. It's at $70 today because a storm blew over a rig in the Gulf. Suddenly, Joe Schmo's Gas station raises the cost per gallon from $3.19 to 3.31, although he bought his gasoline at the $60 per barrell cost. How is that justifiable?

We can also thank the state governments who impose higher gas taxes. I happen live in a state that has one of the highest gasoline taxes. I don't know a lot about the federal govt's role or grants to states for gas price regulations or funding, but why such a difference?

Does the fed not have a say in something that I would classify as a Utility (a relative necessity such as electricity, water, etc.)? Again, if you know the answer to this, I would love to know what the story is.

Anyway, my point is that the blame does not and should not rest only on the shoulders of the end user. Those who process and supply the product claim that their hands are tied over how much they pay to acquire the oil, yet post record profits. I know that this is a capitalist society, but I believe that as a commodity, oil should be subject to government regulation, because its demand and use are so imperative to the daily functioning of every person in this country (whether you drive or not...remember your groceries get delivered to stores, your water gets heated by some sort of fuel).

If I have misunderstood anything, please correct me. This is how I understnad the situation to be.

Yep, devaluation of the Dollar means it is worth less!

Are We getting screwed, I would say yes to that.

I drive 4.5 miles a day as I live close to where my business is. Why, for many reasons.

Do I know people who moved to Podunck City in the country and commute, yes I do!

So, in Podunk City, they have to drive to a bigger City to get gas, groceries, clothing centers, work out gyms, movie theaters or what ever. Does it cost more to drive their SUVs, yes, do they mind, no! Do they have excuses yes.

Do they complain, yes.

But the cost still goes up and we get less!:o

The cheapest place to fill up here is Costco. When i got gas the other day it was $3.39--I think it has gone up since then

I am traumatized because on Friday night, Mr. 1228 had me fill up his pickup (Toyota Tundra)--to the tune of $75 :eek:

I will stick with driving my civic, thank you

Why I have always loved you JillyBean!

You are smart!!!!:)

If only... we're closing in on $110/barrel. To attempt to answer your question, there is always a delay in the increase or decrease at the pump because of what you're talking about. But, it looks like you might not realize how quickly gasoline is consumed at gas stations. Most larger gas stations get their gas once a day or once every few days. Gas stations don't make a much of a profit on the gas - they make their money in the convenience store. It's the local government that rakes it in with the tax on gas.

Gas stations also play a balancing game with the price. Too much = consumers go elsewhere. Too little = not enough money to pay for the next day's gas off the truck and the gas runs out...end result, consumers go elsewhere.

Gas prices jumped up to $3.43-$3.45 around here yesterday. I filled up (had half a tank left) at "only" $3.27 at a station that hadn't yet increased prices.

I was excited to find a station that was at $3.19 yesterday. Most were $3.29. I was kicking myself for not buying it the night before when it was $3.09.

Then I think "It's really pathetic when I'm happy to pay $3.19."

Here's an idea... let's cut the gasoline tax and recoup it with increasing tax on cigarrettes!

We need gasoline (and home heating fuels)...no one NEEDS cigs!
:p

The State of Florida is acutally thinking of raising the cigrraate tax by a dollar and a half. They are facing a huge deficit this year, thanks in part to our crazy governor who loves to spend money we just don't have! Ok, I will end my rant now! :rolleyes: