gas prices are out of hand

[Ishbel]

Try living in the UK - some petrol stations are charging just under one pound (Sterling) per LITRE! Most of which is taxation.

An American posted on the BBC site that if such prices were ever imposed in the USA, there would be a another revolution!

[mrsmac]

We pay about $1.15 per litre today but it changes all the time and from service station to service station. Our prices seem to go up on Wednesday and down at the weekend. Are other countries like that?
I need to go into money and measurement converters to see how your prices compare to ours but certainly Scotland sounds expensive since our dollar is worth about 40p.(i think)

[jennyema]

it cost me $50 to fill up today.


My friends on Wall Street say expect $3 gallon and higher everywhere very soon. It's already $3 in CA.

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Originally Posted by Mr_Dove

I don't think the automobile is truly essential in many ways. It is essential because we choose to make it so by living far away from our jobs. My wife rides her bike to and from work on a regular basis. I've also walked to the grocery store several times.

Most people can't stop using there cars but it is pretty easy to reduce the amount of gas that you use by owning a more efficient car or using alternatives more often. Problem is that we Americans LOVE our big cars.

I wan'ted a small, economy car that was reliable. My wife wanted a Ford Explorer. I couldn't talk her out of it. Maybe when we have to pay so much for gas that we can't pay for the cable bill, she'll aquiess. Even now, she's beginning to see what a money pit that vehicle is, what with the price of gas, and maintenance costs that are comming up.

I hate Fords! I've had nothing but poor results with every Ford product I've ever owned.

Seeeeya; Goodweed of the North

[mrsmac]

I just did some conversions of volume and money and I worked out that in America your petrol is cheaper than ours, you pay about $3australian for nearly 4 litres of petrol whereas we pay about $1.15 per litre. Its still expensive though wherever you go. The UK seems to have the worst prices. Ours varies depending on where in Sydney you are which seems stupid.

[licia]

My dh has a Dodge pickup and it isn't good on gas. Earlier this year when gas started it's climb it cost about $50 to fill it so he bought a used car to drive to the golf course and errands that don't require a truck bed. It costs about $25 to fill it and it will last him 2 weeks so he has already paid for the car in gas savings. It isn't possible for us to do without cars since we live in the country - but we do combine trips to lessen the expense.

[college_cook]

Someone asked why we pay higher prices now than we did back in the 70s, when oil was $80 a barrel, and the reason is inflation. Inflation occurs naturally in every economy, though not like it was back in the 60s and 70s where it was out of control. Over time, manufacturers find ways to lower their costs of production, to sell more goods at lower prices. Industries are revolutionized in this manner, and suddenly everyone can by all kinds of products for less money. Because of this, the value of our currency also decreases, so we're essentially still paying the same price. If we see oil hit $100 + per barrel.... i can only imagine the economic repercussions it could have.

My dad's been trying to find a way to use everyday waste, like grass clippings, etc. as fuel. When that type of stuff decomposes... it creates methane, which is what we're using when we pay for our gas bills every month (i think). So any venture capitalists out there that are worried about gas prices and want to be on the ground floor of our next big energy source, talk to follks like my dad, who realize that our massive oil consumption is a real problem, and we need reaal working solutions.

[kleenex]

well college_cook you can always use human poop fumes and cow poop fumes to run a car.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/topgear/series_4/prog_6/

[Raven]

Thank You President Ewing.

~ Raven ~

[Ishbel]

To be honest, I don't use a car during the week. Our public transport is excellent - and I tend to walk a lot of places, too. I walk to work and then walk to the shops. I do use the car when I do my once a week main shopping spree, simply because I wouldn't be able to carry everything I buy.

I think until Americans really feel the pinch re your petrol consumption, you will not 'trade down' to smaller, economical cars like MOST of the cars we use in Europe!