OT: Gas prices in your area?

[atanarjuat]

In this area of Alaska it's $4.69. Almost time to get a bike.

[yulog]

Bogged down
Most expensive places to buy gas
Rank Country Price/gal
1. Eritrea $9.58
2. Norway $8.73
3. United Kingdom $8.38
4. Netherlands $8.37
5. Monaco $8.31
6. Iceland $8.28
7. Belgium $8.22
8. France $8.07
9. Germany $7.86
10. Portugal $7.84
108. United States $3.45


Cruisin'
Where gasoline is cheapest
Rank Country Price/gal
1. Venezuela 12 cents
2. Iran 40 cents
3. Saudi Arabia 45 cents
4. Libya 50 cents
5. Swaziland 54 cents
6. Qatar 73 cents
7. Bahrain 81 cents
8. Egypt 89 cents
9. Kuwait 90 cents
10. Seychelles 98 cents
44. United States $3.45


Obviously this is a month or so old(looking at the U.S. price)

[Sarah]

I don't like the argument that Europe etc. has high gas prices, so America should too. We have a different transportation system here, not to mention a lot more land...

[yulog]

I don't like the argument that Europe etc. has high gas prices, so America should too. We have a different transportation system here, not to mention a lot more land...

We are not even at half of what europe pays, dont know how we could be considered high in this equation.

[epresley]

I knew when the sign said "two fingers" as the price, I was in for something unpleasant.................

[Sarah]

I don't like the argument that Europe etc. has high gas prices, so America should too. We have a different transportation system here, not to mention a lot more land...

We are not even at half of what europe pays, dont know how we could be considered high in this equation.

I know but some people seem to want ours to get that high!

The answer, I think, is in the car companies. Stop producing Hummers, Escalades, etc. and make hybrids more affordable. Gas won't go down, it's probably the consumer that needs to put a foot down and stop supporting cars with terrible gas mileage.

[MartyMoffatt]

I don't like the argument that Europe etc. has high gas prices, so America should too. We have a different transportation system here, not to mention a lot more land...

I agree with you to an extent, although the 'lot more land' argument doesn't hold water. Europe has a lot more traffic congestion which effectively means a higher fuel consumption per mile for the same engine size so those two arguments negate each other. Of course the average American car is bigger and thirstier than its European cousins, but that is a whole other argument.

There is no reason why fuel prices in the US should rise to European levels, but our experience has been that whenever they do rise it tends to become a permanent situation, so don't expect the price of a gallon to fall back to $1.50 anytime soon.

Marty

[strangegrey]

There is no reason why fuel prices in the US should rise to European levels, but our experience has been that whenever they do rise it tends to become a permanent situation, so don't expect the price of a gallon to fall back to $1.50 anytime soon.

A basic key point of inflation. Prices rarely drop back. once they rise, they stay. I'm betting that was bush's mindset all along.

As far as gas prices in europe, I'd be interested to see the tax breakdown of a liter of gas in say the uk or across the channel in 'surrender-ville'. I'd be willing to bet taxe rates on gas have been either high to begin with or rising in tandem with gas prices....contrasted with gas tax rates here, which have been constant since the early-mid 90s.

[Rick]

or across the channel in 'surrender-ville'.

[Gin and Tonic Sky]

There is no reason why fuel prices in the US should rise to European levels, but our experience has been that whenever they do rise it tends to become a permanent situation, so don't expect the price of a gallon to fall back to $1.50 anytime soon.

A basic key point of inflation. Prices rarely drop back. once they rise, they stay. I'm betting that was bush's mindset all along.

As far as gas prices in europe, I'd be interested to see the tax breakdown of a liter of gas in say the uk or across the channel in 'surrender-ville'. I'd be willing to bet taxe rates on gas have been either high to begin with or rising in tandem with gas prices....contrasted with gas tax rates here, which have been constant since the early-mid 90s.

in the UK tax on gas is about 47 pence (95 cents) per liter. 1 gallon= 4.5 litres so well north of $4.00 a gallon in tax that gets paid in the UK. Also there is something called the petrol tax escalator in the UK which was introduced in the mid 90's which mandates that taxes on petrol go up at least the rate of inflation. The govt has frozen the increase in a few of the recent budgets but it climbs almost every year when each yearly budget is announced

[MartyMoffatt]

In the UK Fuel Duty and Value Added Tax make up around 70% of the total cost per gallon for unleaded fuel.

[Escape Artist]

$3.60 in Albuquerque. I am seriously considering letting the bank come get my fucking SUV.

[Melissa]

$3.78 for regular here.

[The Sushi Hunter]

One of the big problems with gas in America is the fact that America has been geared to getting in a car and driving far as very normal average way of life. So America is pretty much set up for that type of way of life. Really it's a complete bitch if you don't own a car in America. And when I'm walking with a few bags of groceries through a crosswalk, the people in cars looking at me walk in front of them, look at me like I'm a friggin loser who can't afford a car.

My example: sometimes my girl and I get in the mood to get the car and drive to dinner, it is very normal for us to drive all the way into San Francisco just for a good dinner, which is roughly a 25 mile one way trip. Yet in Japan when I lived in Yokohama, my girl and I would never jump on a train, let alone get in a car, and go into Shinigawa, down town Tokyo for a dinner. That would be completely insane to do that in Japan. Most times the average Japanese will stay pretty much in their own town to shop, eat, entertainment, and work in a lot of cases. That's some of the differences between America and Japan in regards to gas consumption and what is acceptable normal average way of life with gas and cars.

I lived in Japan for five years straight and never owned a car while I was there. And I didn't miss it one bit because the train/subway systems over there are awesome, you can go pretty much anywhere you want to on a train/subway. There is a train/subway station within five minutes walk from pretty much anywhere you would need to go in the area I lived in Japan.

[JrnyScarab]

One of the big problems with gas in America is the fact that America has been geared to getting in a car and driving far as very normal average way of life. So America is pretty much set up for that type of way of life. Really it's a complete bitch if you don't own a car in America. And when I'm walking with a few bags of groceries through a crosswalk, the people in cars looking at me walk in front of them, look at me like I'm a friggin loser who can't afford a car.

My example: sometimes my girl and I get in the mood to get the car and drive to dinner, it is very normal for us to drive all the way into San Francisco just for a good dinner, which is roughly a 25 mile one way trip. Yet in Japan when I lived in Yokohama, my girl and I would never jump on a train, let alone get in a car, and go into Shinigawa, down town Tokyo for a dinner. That would be completely insane to do that in Japan. Most times the average Japanese will stay pretty much in their own town to shop, eat, entertainment, and work in a lot of cases. That's some of the differences between America and Japan in regards to gas consumption and what is acceptable normal average way of life with gas and cars.

I lived in Japan for five years straight and never owned a car while I was there. And I didn't miss it one bit because the train/subway systems over there are awesome, you can go pretty much anywhere you want to on a train/subway. There is a train/subway station within five minutes walk from pretty much anywhere you would need to go in the area I lived in Japan.

Bingo! James Kunstler talks about the death of the suburbs in America coming. We are going to have to rebuild the rail system and start investing in more public transportation. We are just not going to be able to afford to keep running things the way they are. Oil is getting harder and more expensive to find and the competition for it is going to keep growing thanks to China, India, & Asian growth (Not knocking them, just the truth) unless we have a massive worldwide depression, which in and of itself would not be a good thing.

[X factor]

One of the big problems with gas in America is the fact that America has been geared to getting in a car and driving far as very normal average way of life. So America is pretty much set up for that type of way of life. Really it's a complete bitch if you don't own a car in America. And when I'm walking with a few bags of groceries through a crosswalk, the people in cars looking at me walk in front of them, look at me like I'm a friggin loser who can't afford a car.

My example: sometimes my girl and I get in the mood to get the car and drive to dinner, it is very normal for us to drive all the way into San Francisco just for a good dinner, which is roughly a 25 mile one way trip. Yet in Japan when I lived in Yokohama, my girl and I would never jump on a train, let alone get in a car, and go into Shinigawa, down town Tokyo for a dinner. That would be completely insane to do that in Japan. Most times the average Japanese will stay pretty much in their own town to shop, eat, entertainment, and work in a lot of cases. That's some of the differences between America and Japan in regards to gas consumption and what is acceptable normal average way of life with gas and cars.

I lived in Japan for five years straight and never owned a car while I was there. And I didn't miss it one bit because the train/subway systems over there are awesome, you can go pretty much anywhere you want to on a train/subway. There is a train/subway station within five minutes walk from pretty much anywhere you would need to go in the area I lived in Japan.

We definitely need more mass transit here, but it smaller cities, there is a stigma that goes along with this too. In the area I live, no "respectable" folks (please notice the quotations!) want to use the Bus transit system, because for the last 20 years, the only folks who ride the bus are poor and or homeless- some even feel there is a safety issue involved. Obviously, we gotta get past that...
I also don't buy the "gas is high in Europe so deal with it" crap either. Our cars are much larger, very few cities have ANY reliable form of mass transit. and what about commutes? Many Americans average 50-60 mile one way commutes. I dare say for most folks in Europe, if such a commute is endemic, they have a nice train to ride. We don't...our gas should NOT be this high! It's corporate greed, and it damn well needs to stop.