Sticker shock at the gas pump!

JG Pasterjak said:

Until people stop buying 3/4-ton pickups to commute with I'm not going to take them seriously when they complain about gas prices that are still substantially cheaper than most of the world. Yeah, towing to events is going to sting a bit more this year, but my Prius is going to only use about $12 more in gas every month. Sure I drive less than the average bear, but the point is there's good tools out there to combat higher fuel prices by increasing travel efficiency, but too much of the driving public refuses to use them.

I agree, but I think you'll find that most people have those trucks for a reason.  Now... a 1/2 ton carolina squat with chrome mudflaps and a sticker of Calvin peeing on a Ford emblem?  Those are your folks who just bought a truck because truck.

I'm DDing a Chevy van for work and the 16mpg is not great, so I'm shopping for a less-hungry commuter.  Problem is, I can't go diving in the deep end of pandemic pricing (which in case anyone didn't notice, used car prices took a pretty steep climb on Saturday as well.)

I'll just keep looking for a bargain, but I likely won't be able to afford anything serviceable anytime soon.

eastsideTim said:

I'm wondering if this is going to have an effect on the prices of used full size SUVs anything like it did the last time we had high prices, or if the current car shortage is going to counter that.

It's a whole new world now if they can make the high gas prices stick. High gas prices and a car shortage. Add to that the quickly rising rents and housing prices plus refugees coming from Afghanistan, the Ukraine, Honduras and everyplace else they can sneak in from and you have the perfect economic storm. You will see things you have never seen before. First discretionary spending will dry up as energy and housing takes up more and more of our paychecks. Bars and restaurants already weakened by two years of Covid will be the first to fall along with movie theatres followed by layoffs in those industries. Shipping charges, already reeling from the truck driver shortage will be going up along with fuel costs. Hello Amazon. More expensive plane tickets and more staycations to the horror of the hotel and travel industry already whacked by two years of COVID. Personal bankruptcies go up for people who can't afford gas and can't even find a fuel efficient car to replace their gas hogs in which they may even be upside down on. It's really going to suck in rural areas where distances are long and trucks are large. More foreclosures to be quickly bought up by "investors" who want to keep raising the rents. Roommates. Multiple generation households. More homeless people. Fire and brimstone coming down from the sky. Rivers and seas boiling. Dogs and cats living together! Bill Murray freaking out!! Mass hysteria!!!

Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) said:

JG Pasterjak said:

Until people stop buying 3/4-ton pickups to commute with I'm not going to take them seriously when they complain about gas prices that are still substantially cheaper than most of the world. Yeah, towing to events is going to sting a bit more this year, but my Prius is going to only use about $12 more in gas every month. Sure I drive less than the average bear, but the point is there's good tools out there to combat higher fuel prices by increasing travel efficiency, but too much of the driving public refuses to use them.

I agree, but I think you'll find that most people have those trucks for a reason. 

Nah. I'd wager that 90% of truck owners would be better off with a minivan and a 4x8 folding trailer for the 3 times a year they need it open. 

In reply to mtn :

But that's not as cool looking as my $100k F250 Kick Ranch Diesel that hauls 10 bags of mulch better than anything a sissy mini van could ever. /s

I really hope that the upside of this is that Mazda brings back the 2, and Ford brings back the Focus.

There is no school buses in my city , as far as I know there never was except for special need kids , 

I wonder what the breaking point for gas prices will be ?

it's already $5.25 here in most of LosAngeles , I can see $7 by Easter , maybe I will need to get my Fiat 600 running !

mtn said:

Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) said:

JG Pasterjak said:

Until people stop buying 3/4-ton pickups to commute with I'm not going to take them seriously when they complain about gas prices that are still substantially cheaper than most of the world. Yeah, towing to events is going to sting a bit more this year, but my Prius is going to only use about $12 more in gas every month. Sure I drive less than the average bear, but the point is there's good tools out there to combat higher fuel prices by increasing travel efficiency, but too much of the driving public refuses to use them.

I agree, but I think you'll find that most people have those trucks for a reason. 

Nah. I'd wager that 90% of truck owners would be better off with a minivan and a 4x8 folding trailer for the 3 times a year they need it open. 

Yeah. I will concede "some." I will not concede "most" or anywhere close to it. I live on 3 acres with a whole mess of animals and I BARELY need a truck, and mostly that's just to tow race cars.

I guess until we get to $6+ around here I am not too concerned. I just pull up and fill up. 

I recognize that some people have had to choose between food and gas to get kids to school or to work. But I have never been there and I have a hard time understanding it. But I trust their situation is real. So for $15-$30/ week in additional fuel cost, I am not excited at all. That equals a couple large pizzas/week. No need to freak out for me. 

Toyman! said:

JAdams said:

In reply to frenchyd :

It's shocking so few people take advantage of the buses. The local K-8 school near me will have at least 100 cars in line waiting for the kids every single day. 

The school buses here are a complete joke. You only send your child on them if you don't care if they ever get to school or home. When school lets out at 2:30 and your kid isn't making it home until 6 because he's standing in front of the school waiting for the bus to show up, you pretty much lose all faith in their ability to do their jobs and make other arrangements. 

My son has to take all three of his kids to three different schools due to their incompetence. Unfortunately, the bus system has basically said that they suck at their jobs and they aren't going to change. 

 

 

 

I put in a 12+ hour day and get paid for 5-6 hours of that. Every time the school is closed for holidays, summer break, snow days etc. I don't earn anything.  As a result my 12 hour days wouldn't keep me out of the poverty class.    Bus drivers have to be retired or desperate. 
      No wonder there is a driver shortage.  I could work shorter days and make twice as much delivering potato chips or doughnuts.  3 times as much working for Fed EX, UPS.  No wonder there is a bus driver shortage.  Just as soon as we get one trained and they learn the route they take the delivery job and we start over again. 
     Parents have the bus company on speed dial and if I'm one minute late they call. Ignoring the fact that I have the same traffic issues everybody else does.  Plus I have to wait 3 minutes for no shows.  ( and I'm a nice guy who will wait if I see someone even past the 3 minutes. ).  Getting kids to school safely is what I take great pride  in. 
   The owners of the bus company are Saints!  Dealing with driver shortages runaway fuel prices. School districts, parents, etc. 

mtn said:

Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) said:

JG Pasterjak said:

Until people stop buying 3/4-ton pickups to commute with I'm not going to take them seriously when they complain about gas prices that are still substantially cheaper than most of the world. Yeah, towing to events is going to sting a bit more this year, but my Prius is going to only use about $12 more in gas every month. Sure I drive less than the average bear, but the point is there's good tools out there to combat higher fuel prices by increasing travel efficiency, but too much of the driving public refuses to use them.

I agree, but I think you'll find that most people have those trucks for a reason. 

Nah. I'd wager that 90% of truck owners would be better off with a minivan and a 4x8 folding trailer for the 3 times a year they need it open. 

The minivan was the landing that the now retired NOHOME household landed on. Looked at a Pickup but figured that everything in the back would be wet or stolen, so for the few times I REALLY needed a truck, I could yank seats out of a mini-van.

One of the reasons I started the thread about ford maybe being in trouble in the near future is because I had assumed that $6 a gallon gas was going to be a given in the near and long term.

$4.71/gallon here, SW Ontario. I'm looking at a Spark tomorrow

But it was set up before gas went stupid.  The price doesn't affect me much. I hardly drive any more and don't drive anything with more than 4 cylinders these days anyway

In reply to frenchyd :

So, what you are saying is the bus company owners are screwing you out of half of your pay, suck at hiring people, pay E36 M3, do a crappy job, and they are saints at the same time. 

Where I come from, we call those E36 M3ty employers and nobody works for them. Sounds like they underbid the contract and are taking the profit out of your check. Why do you still work there?

/threadjack

Busses are not the answer in 95% of the country. Even the RTA local to me pretty much sucks at being on time and having actual useable routes. The downtown routes have decent coverage but it's faster to walk or bike. Their only decent routes are the express routes from outlying parking lots to downtown. Those busses are usually 50% full. The rest drive around with 3-4 passengers. 

Advan046 said:

I guess until we get to $6+ around here I am not too concerned. I just pull up and fill up. 

I recognize that some people have had to choose between food and gas to get kids to school or to work. But I have never been there and I have a hard time understanding it. But I trust their situation is real. So for $15-$30/ week in additional fuel cost, I am not excited at all. That equals a couple large pizzas/week. No need to freak out for me. 

On the other hand, the guy who owns the pizza parlor...

Anthony GS Said:

I agree.  However, we have plenty of oil and natural gas to have cheap energy for the entire world for a really long time.  I did reserves estimates for 11 years.  This is all driven by greed, politics and taxes.  In reality green energy is largely being pushed due to greed too.  It isn't the perfect solution it is presented as for many reasons.  There is no perfect solution.  It's the greedy people trying to control everything and everyone making this so awful though.  They got all they could get out of the previous crisis, time for a new one.

Just saying:

I was at pump couple of weeks ago and saw this sticker on pump.

mtn said:

Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) said:

JG Pasterjak said:

Until people stop buying 3/4-ton pickups to commute with I'm not going to take them seriously when they complain about gas prices that are still substantially cheaper than most of the world. Yeah, towing to events is going to sting a bit more this year, but my Prius is going to only use about $12 more in gas every month. Sure I drive less than the average bear, but the point is there's good tools out there to combat higher fuel prices by increasing travel efficiency, but too much of the driving public refuses to use them.

I agree, but I think you'll find that most people have those trucks for a reason. 

Nah. I'd wager that 90% of truck owners would be better off with a minivan and a 4x8 folding trailer for the 3 times a year they need it open. 

And 50% could be served by a moped, weather permitting.

So with these new fuel prices our monthly fuel cost will go up $36. That's including 2 tanks of her Accord and 1 tank in my Expedition. Certainly the end of times. 

Pete. (l33t FS) said:

mtn said:

Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) said:

JG Pasterjak said:

Until people stop buying 3/4-ton pickups to commute with I'm not going to take them seriously when they complain about gas prices that are still substantially cheaper than most of the world. Yeah, towing to events is going to sting a bit more this year, but my Prius is going to only use about $12 more in gas every month. Sure I drive less than the average bear, but the point is there's good tools out there to combat higher fuel prices by increasing travel efficiency, but too much of the driving public refuses to use them.

I agree, but I think you'll find that most people have those trucks for a reason. 

Nah. I'd wager that 90% of truck owners would be better off with a minivan and a 4x8 folding trailer for the 3 times a year they need it open. 

And 50% could be served by a moped, weather permitting.

Most could take public transportation for commuting needs but noooo you gotta have a car that you don't NEED. 

Why did this thread become such a flounder magnet? I know it's a hot-button issue but there appear to be numerous visitors trying to get this thread closed.

As far as the topic at hand, I moved to California last year with the knowledge that $5-6 gas was probably part of the deal. I drive a Miata and work from home so it doesn't affect me a whole lot. If I commuted somewhere the train doesn't go I would definitely be looking at an EV.

Today is the 7th. The company has bought $330 in fuel this month. I will notice the jump. 

Edit to add, I spent $1100 last month. 

pirate said:

Anthony GS Said:

I agree.  However, we have plenty of oil and natural gas to have cheap energy for the entire world for a really long time.  I did reserves estimates for 11 years.  This is all driven by greed, politics and taxes.  In reality green energy is largely being pushed due to greed too.  It isn't the perfect solution it is presented as for many reasons.  There is no perfect solution.  It's the greedy people trying to control everything and everyone making this so awful though.  They got all they could get out of the previous crisis, time for a new one.

Just saying:

I was at pump couple of weeks ago and saw this sticker on pump.

He didn't do that.  But he does get the blame.  Comes with the job I guess.

In reply to Toyman! :

What's the average per week? 

Noddaz said:

pirate said:

Anthony GS Said:

I agree.  However, we have plenty of oil and natural gas to have cheap energy for the entire world for a really long time.  I did reserves estimates for 11 years.  This is all driven by greed, politics and taxes.  In reality green energy is largely being pushed due to greed too.  It isn't the perfect solution it is presented as for many reasons.  There is no perfect solution.  It's the greedy people trying to control everything and everyone making this so awful though.  They got all they could get out of the previous crisis, time for a new one.

Just saying:

I was at pump couple of weeks ago and saw this sticker on pump.

He didn't do that.  But he does get the blame.  Comes with the job I guess.

Got one of those with Putin's face?

In reply to yupididit :

Right at $264 a week for the last 12 months. 

That's for 4 trucks. 

Toyman! said:

In reply to frenchyd :

So, what you are saying is the bus company owners are screwing you out of half of your pay, suck at hiring people, pay E36 M3, do a crappy job, and they are saints at the same time. 

Where I come from, we call those E36 M3ty employers and nobody works for them. Sounds like they underbid the contract and are taking the profit out of your check. Why do you still work there?

/threadjack

Busses are not the answer in 95% of the country. Even the RTA local to me pretty much sucks at being on time and having actual useable routes. The downtown routes have decent coverage but it's faster to walk or bike. Their only decent routes are the express routes from outlying parking lots to downtown. Those busses are usually 50% full. The rest drive around with 3-4 passengers. 

I work for my local school district; the school bus driver positions are tough to fill because they are a split shift, 3 hours in the morning and 3 hours in the afternoon. Typically 6-9AM and then 12:30 - 3:30 PM.  Some drivers may pull longer routes that see them working till 4:30 or 5PM. Only 6-8 hours of a 10-12hr day maybe on the clock. Not a lot of people want this job, in my District the bus driver job is how people get there foot in the door for other higher paying jobs.

In reply to yupididit :

Public transportation in most places in the US, admittedly, is a complete joke, as is the pedestrian-friendliness of many US cities.  If you don't have your own motor vehicle you are screwed.