| Author | Thread |
|
|
09/14/2008 02:39:16 AM · #76 |
"Big Oil" makes 4%/gal. The government makes 18.4%/gal......
//www.gaspricewatch.com/usgastaxes.asp
Message edited by author 2008-09-14 02:53:54. |
|
|
|
09/14/2008 11:07:45 AM · #77 |
Originally posted by Ken:
Prices went up 30 cents a couple days ago and then another 30 cents just today when I had to fill up @ $4.39/gallon.
I read this thread but didn't see one thing mentioned - change your driving habits. Slow down, accelerate slowly, coast to red lights, change air filter, etc. I improved my mileage by about 18-20% by changing the way I drive over the last couple of months. Slowing down also reduces stress (no need to worry about that radar gun) but doesn't take that much more time. Do the math and you'll see. |
A lot of people are already doing this, have been all summer. $5.00 for a gallon of gas is just really hard to swallow, particularly when the day before it was $3.58. I live in the Knoxville area and these prices will absolutely devastate some folks. Many stations are even above the $5.00 dollar mark. |
|
|
|
09/14/2008 12:28:00 PM · #78 |
| I know a lot of people drive more conservatively, but around here at least most do not. Not yet anyway but I think it's just a matter of time. |
|
|
|
09/14/2008 01:41:00 PM · #79 |
Originally posted by Ken:
I know a lot of people drive more conservatively, but around here at least most do not. Not yet anyway but I think it's just a matter of time. |
What I've noticed is the people you'd think would be driving more conservatively, for example those with gas guzzlers, are the ones acting like gas is just $1.50 gallon or something...I don't get it. And there are so many around her with ridiculously huge pickup trucks...big dumb trucks or BDTs as I like to call them, and massive SUVs. Just last night I watched the two BDTs in front of me take off from a green light like they were at a drag strip. This happens all the time. It makes me angry. Sure, if they want to waste gas like that I suppose it's their prerogative, I just think it's not very responsible. I figure if we all try our best to conserve, prices will get better for all of us.
You are just so right...more people need start driving more conservatively. What's scary is $5.00+ gasoline still doesn't seem to be phasing some people. Even if I had tons of money laying around I would still be angry about the prices and want to do something to fight them.
|
|
|
|
09/14/2008 02:12:10 PM · #80 |
I live in an apartment complex. Just a few parking spaces down form me is a SUV. A big one at that and was just purchased by the own less than 3 or 4 months ago. On the back of the SUV is a round sticker [maybe 8" in diameter) that says, "GAS PRICES SUCK". Makes me wonder, didn't she know that before she purchased this vehicle that drinks gas like a drunk on a binge.
Just my 2 ¢ |
|
|
|
09/14/2008 02:27:23 PM · #81 |
Originally posted by RKT:
What I've noticed is the people you'd think would be driving more conservatively, for example those with gas guzzlers, are the ones acting like gas is just $1.50 gallon or something...I don't get it. |
Well.. for a lot of people gas really is just a buck fifty. If you look at the effect of inflation on many items you'll find that gas at five bucks a gallon is not really that expensive. Then you'll find that people over a certain income level, or more importantly a certain wealth level aren't really impacted by fuel prices. In fact, those people are really faring pretty well. They can buy a brand new SUV or truck at prices that would be unbelievable just 3 or 4 years ago. So not everyone is suffering. Just us poor fools who thought we had good jobs and found how easily they could be out-sourced. |
|
|
|
09/14/2008 02:31:11 PM · #82 |
Originally posted by SDW:
I live in an apartment complex. Just a few parking spaces down form me is a SUV. A big one at that and was just purchased by the own less than 3 or 4 months ago. On the back of the SUV is a round sticker [maybe 8" in diameter) that says, "GAS PRICES SUCK". Makes me wonder, didn't she know that before she purchased this vehicle that drinks gas like a drunk on a binge.
Just my 2 ¢ |
I think the sticker mightve been a joke, heck I would slap it on my SUV too!
I love my SUV, granted its about 17-18mpg city. I love it. I have an 08' Limited Edition Ford Escape. Best car I ever had. I was looking at cars. Then I thoughthmm my husband and I and our (future) children and 2 dogs are not gonna fit in a car, much less any baggage or other thing I would like to carry around. So the economical car was out because it didn't fit my needs. Then I was looking at trucks, and I thought to myself This is way to big for a 5 foot girl to drive around, accident waiting to happen, with a bunch of kids and two dogs and no way I am gonna stick my dogs in the back either. So the truck was out
Then I saw the SUV and I thought HOW PERFECT, I could carry two (future) children, me and my husband, and two dogs, and the handy dandy fold down seats would give me a 'truck' like vehicle and allow me to carry big giant things as compared to a car, where I would have to borrow/rent another vehicle to move things like that around
Sorry but I would not drive a minivan either. Personal choice.
I love my car. Sure I get dirty looks at the gas station while pumping gas, but damn 1) this car gives me everything I want 2) I look damn good doing everything I need with it :)
im not rubbin anything in anyones face but I also do this
I run errands that I can during my lunch hour, and I go grocery shoppin in my work clothes after work, since its on the way home. I always check the post office on my way home. This limits my travel time. Driving to and from work (two cities away) and runnin my errands at the same time, my tank lasts two weeks. TWO WEEKS not bad considering I have to drive two cities away to get to work
Message edited by author 2008-09-14 14:40:40. |
|
|
|
09/14/2008 02:51:13 PM · #83 |
Originally posted by Sugarpie:
Sorry but I would not drive a minivan either. Personal choice.
I love my car. Sure I get dirty looks at the gas station while pumping gas, but damn 1) this car gives me everything I want 2) I look damn good doing everything I need with it :)
|
Vanity over common sense...rockin'.
To each their own I guess...I just don't get it.
Message edited by author 2008-09-14 14:51:32. |
|
|
|
09/14/2008 02:59:58 PM · #84 |
Originally posted by Blind_squirrel:
"Big Oil" makes 4%/gal. The government makes 18.4%/gal......
//www.gaspricewatch.com/usgastaxes.asp |
No.
The station owner's typical profit is $0.04 per gallon and the Federal tax is$0.184 per gallon, not 18.4% of the per gallon price.
At $4.20/gallon (the local price as of today), that makes the Federal Tax rate 4.38%.
Big Oil's profit far exceeds that. Consider that Exxon-Mobil reported $11.7 Billion in PROFIT, that's money they put in the bank (or their CEO's pocket).
Message edited by author 2008-09-14 15:18:35. |
|
|
|
09/14/2008 03:00:41 PM · #85 |
A few pointers that we all can do without making a major life change that some of us cannot feasibly do.
1. Signup with www.gasbuddy.com. This will help you find the lowest price gas in your area and more specifically on your route. Purchase for the lowest price station on your route. In theory this will make other stations lower their price.
2. Starting for a stop. When starting from a stop try not to get your vehicle above 2k - 3k RPM's. This will help in fuel consumption.
3. Slowing down. Give yourself enough room to let your vehicle slowdown on it's own and apply the brakes evenly and smoothly till you come to a stop.
4. While stopped. Make sure you foot is on the brake and not touching the accelerator. Sometime [especially on a hill] we use the accelerator to hold our vehicle steady instead of the break. Use your brake!
5. Air condition or window down? Driving less than 40MPH it is ok to have your widows down and air off as a way to conserve gas. But at speeds greater than 40MPH the drag created by the windows being down will consume more gas than having you windows up and the AC on.
6. Tire Pressure. Make sure your tires are properly inflated. Look at the doorjamb on the drivers door it should tell you the proper tire pressure for your vehicle.
|
|
|
|
09/14/2008 03:01:37 PM · #86 |
It's holding steady here at 3.86 for Reg, and 3.95 for Mid. I expect to see a jump Monday. It was in the 3.69 area for Reg just before Fay came through.
There are a lot of people who bought SUV's and larger trucks right when the US economy took a dive and fuel prices started leaping up. The sticker price on the big vehicles suddenly took a big dive to about 1/2 of what they were a year earlier. That allowed many who had been holding out because of the initial cost to buy them. Now they are stuck with a big thirsty vehicle.
When scrap steel and metal prices were up to about $12 and up per hundred lb. here, and the recession has stopped the construction business, I was seeing a lot of nice looking business and family trucks going to the scrap yards with loads of junk in the back to sell to make their payments.
As for the jobs being moved offshore, it is a matter of the US workers pricing themselves out of a job, plus all the layers of red tape like insurance, worker's comp, lawsuits, safety legislation, retirement costs, union clout ect. Businesses had to make the choice to move offshore, or shut down, so the end result here is the same either way.. no jobs here.
The technical skills for manufacturing are all slowly being lost here with each passing generation as well. A lot of it is automated now, but there are still parts of metal and machine work that are a lot like an art and science combination. If these skills die out with the passing generation, there will no longer be anyone here that can do those things.
ETA, About the $18.4 per gal Fed tax on gas; Has anyone noticed in the news lately that the Federal Highway Fund is almost bankrupt due to everyone cutting back on driving and going to smaller vehicles. It's about to cause huge headaches for state road departments who have contracts out with highway builders and were expecting the Fed to pick up most of the tab.
With manufacturing all moving offshore, and very little of it still here, we may even have to buy our bullets from the enemy if a war comes here.
It's a global economy now, and we all need to conserve as much as possible for our children and grandchildren to have at least something to look forward to.
ETA, Re the $.184 per gallon Fed tax. I see that the Fed Highway Trust Fund is going bankrupt because people are driving smaller and less, reducing the amount of revenue into the fund. Google - federal highway trust fund for more details.
I expect that tax may soon be increased, or maybe tied to the price of a gallon instead of by the gallon. It was 18.4% when gas was a dollar per gallon, so the gov share is getting smaller with each price increase. They will not allow that for too long.
Message edited by author 2008-09-14 15:12:41.
|
|
|
|
09/14/2008 03:03:49 PM · #87 |
Originally posted by SDW:
6. Tire Pressure. Make sure your tires are properly inflated. Look at the doorjamb on the drivers door it should tell you the proper tire pressure for your vehicle. |
Isn't tire pressure dependent on the tire, not vehicle. |
|
|
|
09/14/2008 03:06:31 PM · #88 |
Originally posted by KelvinC:
Isn't tire pressure dependent on the tire, not vehicle. |
Nope - The vehicle.
|
|
|
|
09/14/2008 03:10:59 PM · #89 |
Originally posted by KelvinC:
Originally posted by SDW:
6. Tire Pressure. Make sure your tires are properly inflated. Look at the doorjamb on the drivers door it should tell you the proper tire pressure for your vehicle. |
Isn't tire pressure dependent on the tire, not vehicle. |
Yes and no. I had a Honda accord with Michelin tires. The tire rating was 35 while the car rating was 28f /32r. I got better gas mileage and tire ware going by the cars rating. Now some people put tires that are not the normal tire for a particular car, such as the very thin tires. In those cases you may have to go with the tire rating because of safety reasons.
|
|
|
|
09/14/2008 06:27:03 PM · #90 |
Originally posted by RKT:
Originally posted by Ken:
I know a lot of people drive more conservatively, but around here at least most do not. Not yet anyway but I think it's just a matter of time. |
What I've noticed is the people you'd think would be driving more conservatively, for example those with gas guzzlers, are the ones acting like gas is just $1.50 gallon or something...I don't get it. And there are so many around her with ridiculously huge pickup trucks...big dumb trucks or BDTs as I like to call them, and massive SUVs. Just last night I watched the two BDTs in front of me take off from a green light like they were at a drag strip. This happens all the time. It makes me angry. Sure, if they want to waste gas like that I suppose it's their prerogative, I just think it's not very responsible. I figure if we all try our best to conserve, prices will get better for all of us.
You are just so right...more people need start driving more conservatively. What's scary is $5.00+ gasoline still doesn't seem to be phasing some people. Even if I had tons of money laying around I would still be angry about the prices and want to do something to fight them. |
What really gets me is when I see drivers driving business vehicles or worse yet municipal vehicles gunning it like there's no tomorrow. I've heard so many times on the news about local governments over budget due to gas prices and yet drivers of garbage trucks, squad cars, street cleaners, firetrucks, etc drive fast and aggressively. Many of the big vehicles like garbage trucks are old and spewing crap out of their pipes; I can only imagine what their mileage is.
We had a hundred year rain (or so they say) here that just ended so maybe I'll head out to see the floods and check gas prices.
|
|
|
|
09/14/2008 09:11:16 PM · #91 |
Originally posted by KelvinC:
Originally posted by SDW:
6. Tire Pressure. Make sure your tires are properly inflated. Look at the doorjamb on the drivers door it should tell you the proper tire pressure for your vehicle. |
Isn't tire pressure dependent on the tire, not vehicle. |
The tire has a "do not exceed" pressure. It's not good to go above this pressure or you risk blowing out the tire, possibly when the tire (and the air inside it) heats up because you're driving 85 mph.
The car has a recommended tire pressure. This pressure assumes an average load in the car and is set to keep the tires so they wear evenly at the edges and at the center.
Underinflation makes the tires wear more at the edges, and gives poor gas mileage.
Overinflation makes the tires wear more in the center, and gives better gas mileage than proper inflation.
Driving too fast wears tires at the edges because you take corners too fast. Someone has told me that overinflation compensates for this, but since I drive at the speed limit ... ;-> |
|
|
|
09/14/2008 11:44:28 PM · #92 |
Overinflation makes the gas and food prices go up too. : P
|
|
|
|
09/15/2008 12:31:24 AM · #93 |
Originally posted by hankk:
Originally posted by KelvinC:
Originally posted by SDW:
6. Tire Pressure. Make sure your tires are properly inflated. Look at the doorjamb on the drivers door it should tell you the proper tire pressure for your vehicle. |
Isn't tire pressure dependent on the tire, not vehicle. |
The tire has a "do not exceed" pressure. It's not good to go above this pressure or you risk blowing out the tire, possibly when the tire (and the air inside it) heats up because you're driving 85 mph.
The car has a recommended tire pressure. This pressure assumes an average load in the car and is set to keep the tires so they wear evenly at the edges and at the center.
Underinflation makes the tires wear more at the edges, and gives poor gas mileage.
Overinflation makes the tires wear more in the center, and gives better gas mileage than proper inflation.
Driving too fast wears tires at the edges because you take corners too fast. Someone has told me that overinflation compensates for this, but since I drive at the speed limit ... ;-> |
Over/under inflation isn't safe as it increases the chance of a blowout and will also negatively affect handling.
Tires also have a speed rating as well as a load rating.
The load ratings range from 70 to 110 and represent a load carrying capacity ranging from 335 kg (70) to 1060 kg (110)
The speed ratings are letters from M to Y with M being for tires rated to 81 mph and Y rated tires for speeds over 186 mph. Most sedans have S or T rated tires (180 kph and 190kph respectively). |
|
Home -
Challenges -
Community -
League -
Photos -
Cameras -
Lenses -
Learn -
Help -
Terms of Use -
Privacy -
Top ^
DPChallenge, and website content and design, Copyright © 2001-2025 Challenging Technologies, LLC.
All digital photo copyrights belong to the photographers and may not be used without permission.
Current Server Time: 11/20/2025 05:53:39 PM EST.
