OT: Gasholes...

[Rhiannon]

On I-465 where the speed limit is 55, I'm usually going a little over 60.

That's the speed limit on 465? Wow... I've done 80-85 everytime through there.
I'll have to remember that for the next time I'm down through there... by the time I get to Indy, I'm so damn happy to be out of the cornfields (all 200 miles of it) that I wanna blow right through and get to OH/KY asap.

[jrnychick]

When gas prices get as high as the are here in the UK ($12 a gallon) Then you can complain!!!

I agree with you to a certain extent, but we're not used to our prices going up so quickly. You folks in the UK have ALWAYS had to pay unreasonable rates for gas. Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't a large part of that due to import costs and taxes? We Americans have apparently not learned from our mistakes in the 1970s. Everyone drove cars the size of tanks in the 70s until the oil crisis. By the early 80s, everyone was driving smaller cars with great gas mileage. The price of gas dropped, and we all forgot about the problems and became gas hogs again.
Ultimately, we have to find alternatives to oil.

[conversationpc]

On I-465 where the speed limit is 55, I'm usually going a little over 60.

That's the speed limit on 465? Wow... I've done 80-85 everytime through there.
I'll have to remember that for the next time I'm down through there... by the time I get to Indy, I'm so damn happy to be out of the cornfields (all 200 miles of it) that I wanna blow right through and get to OH/KY asap.

Yep and there are ALWAYS cops patrolling it. I see people pulled over almost every day on the way to AND from work.

Anyway, 80-85 is way too fast. You would be one of those assholes that I yelling at to slow down.

Seriously, though, that is way too fast for that highway, considering how many exits there are. There is always traffic entering/exiting on that road.

[Rhiannon]

On I-465 where the speed limit is 55, I'm usually going a little over 60.

That's the speed limit on 465? Wow... I've done 80-85 everytime through there.
I'll have to remember that for the next time I'm down through there... by the time I get to Indy, I'm so damn happy to be out of the cornfields (all 200 miles of it) that I wanna blow right through and get to OH/KY asap.

Yep and there are ALWAYS cops patrolling it. I see people pulled over almost every day on the way to AND from work.

Anyway, 80-85 is way too fast. You would be one of those assholes that I yelling at to slow down.

Seriously, though, that is way too fast for that highway, considering how many exits there are. There is always traffic entering/exiting on that road.

Well, in my defense, the normal time of day I'm actually driving through there is between midnight and 6am so I'm the only person on the road pretty much. ...I drive like a grandma once I get in traffic... er well, not so much anymore as I am becoming one of those assholes I used to yell at!

I've honestly never seen cops patrolling through there... I've seen maybe one or two on 65, and a couple on 74. Again... that whole driving on the graveyard shift has it's perks. Either case, you're right... I should probably slow down a bit through there... it can be pretty hairy at times. Nothing like Chicago, but a zoo nonetheless.

[hoagiepete]

So what's everyone else doing to compensate?

6) take the golf clubs out of the trunk. In the same spirit as #5, reduce excess weight in the car that you don't need. why pay to drive around golf clubs, a stroller, books or garbage....when you can store them at home for free?

Alright...you had me until #6. I'm not going to take the clubs out of the back of my car. Damn it Congress, let's drill some oil and build some refineries! I'm not giving up my clubs!

Hell, I got me there as well. I've *not* taken the clubs out of the car yet either. Fucking wife has the garage filled with kiddie toys...I don't have any room for them in the house anyway...

That sounds familiar!

Makes me think...peddling around in Lil Tikes cars would save us some money! It worked for Fred Flintstone.

[Rip Rokken]

I would submit that the most significant way to save gas, is to simply drive 'differently'. Do things like:

1) When coming up to a red light or stop sign in the distance, take your foot off the gas and coast to the red light or stop sign. Dont accelerate or continue 'driving' to the eventual stop.

2) Accelerate slower. Car engines use more gas when the tachometer climbs high. Starting off slower from a standstill will keep your gas consumption down.

3) make sure your tires are filled properly. A common mistake is to look on the side of the tire for the proper psi. That's wrong. Look on the inside of the door. There's a sticker there that tells you what your tires need to be filled to. That sticker is apropriate for the car. The tires on your car might be OEM equipment on 20 different models of cars with different weights. The proper amount of tire tread on the road will give you optimal gas mileage.

4) Determine the most efficient speed for your vehicle. In reference to the above...do some testing and determine what speeds are the most efficient speeds for your car. Don't trust the little 'readout' in your car either. Actually fill your tank on the way to work, record your odometer, drive to work at an extremely constant speed, when you get to work, refill your tank. Take the difference in odometer readings and divide it by the amount of gas you needed to put in your tank when you get to work. try the same experiment at different speeds. Chances are, you will arrive at a number that is *not* 55mph, but a little bit higher.

5) lose weight. Yeah, this might not fly on this board...but being a fat ass can and will cause your car to have to cart around extra poundage it doesn't need to. Don't carpool with fatties or charge them extra for gas...

6) take the golf clubs out of the trunk. In the same spirit as #5, reduce excess weight in the car that you don't need. why pay to drive around golf clubs, a stroller, books or garbage....when you can store them at home for free?

Yes on all counts. I experimented with "Hypermiling" for a few weeks last year, and am giving it a 2nd shot. At the time, I tried as much as I could to use the techniques I felt were safe, and especially was surprised at how many places in my daily route I was able to coast for upwards of even a mile without losing much speed if any. We're just kinda used to thinking we are only going forward as long as our foot is on the gas pedal, and it's not true. Also, I might cut the engine if stuck at a red light for more than a minute. I did try some of the more extreme Hypermiling techniques such as also cutting off the engine when coasting long distances, but with power steering/brakes, I felt that was just foolish and dangerous. Overall at the end of the experiment, I was pulling about 3mpg more out of my vehicle than I ever had before, but at the time decided that wasn't enough of a benefit to sacrifice driving my car the way I like to, so I stopped. I'm giving it another shot now.

[hoagiepete]

I would submit that the most significant way to save gas, is to simply drive 'differently'. Do things like:

1) When coming up to a red light or stop sign in the distance, take your foot off the gas and coast to the red light or stop sign. Dont accelerate or continue 'driving' to the eventual stop.

2) Accelerate slower. Car engines use more gas when the tachometer climbs high. Starting off slower from a standstill will keep your gas consumption down.

3) make sure your tires are filled properly. A common mistake is to look on the side of the tire for the proper psi. That's wrong. Look on the inside of the door. There's a sticker there that tells you what your tires need to be filled to. That sticker is apropriate for the car. The tires on your car might be OEM equipment on 20 different models of cars with different weights. The proper amount of tire tread on the road will give you optimal gas mileage.

4) Determine the most efficient speed for your vehicle. In reference to the above...do some testing and determine what speeds are the most efficient speeds for your car. Don't trust the little 'readout' in your car either. Actually fill your tank on the way to work, record your odometer, drive to work at an extremely constant speed, when you get to work, refill your tank. Take the difference in odometer readings and divide it by the amount of gas you needed to put in your tank when you get to work. try the same experiment at different speeds. Chances are, you will arrive at a number that is *not* 55mph, but a little bit higher.

5) lose weight. Yeah, this might not fly on this board...but being a fat ass can and will cause your car to have to cart around extra poundage it doesn't need to. Don't carpool with fatties or charge them extra for gas...

6) take the golf clubs out of the trunk. In the same spirit as #5, reduce excess weight in the car that you don't need. why pay to drive around golf clubs, a stroller, books or garbage....when you can store them at home for free?

Yes on all counts. I experimented with "Hypermiling" for a few weeks last year, and am giving it a 2nd shot. At the time, I tried as much as I could to use the techniques I felt were safe, and especially was surprised at how many places in my daily route I was able to coast for upwards of even a mile without losing much speed if any. We're just kinda used to thinking we are only going forward as long as our foot is on the gas pedal, and it's not true. Also, I might cut the engine if stuck at a red light for more than a minute. I did try some of the more extreme Hypermiling techniques such as also cutting off the engine when coasting long distances, but with power steering/brakes, I felt that was just foolish and dangerous. Overall at the end of the experiment, I was pulling about 3mpg more out of my vehicle than I ever had before, but at the time decided that wasn't enough of a benefit to sacrifice driving my car the way I like to, so I stopped. I'm giving it another shot now.

I've long tried the coasting to the stop light, but it pisses me off when three cars zoom past me on the left and swerve into the right lane in front of me thinking they're really going to get somewhere faster.

[Rip Rokken]

I've long tried the coasting to the stop light, but it pisses me off when three cars zoom past me on the left and swerve into the right lane in front of me thinking they're really going to get somewhere faster.

You got that right! It's all a mentality, really... and a foolish one, at that. I only go around someone if I think they are dragging ass and wasting a perfectly good green light, and if there is plenty of room.

[classicstyxfan]

When it came time to pick a vehicle this winter, I swallowed my pride and purchased a Ford Focus, increasing my gas mileage by 50 percent. I also shut off the engine while waiting in less efficient fast food drive through lanes. The $4.00 /gal price also has me considering slowing down on my commute by 5-10 mph. I'm trying to be smarter about non essential trips, putting them off, and/or trying to pick up what I need by short detours when going to/from work.


There's not much more I'll be able to do, except looking for work closer to where I live, and I'm planning to try that soon. This really sucks though, and we measure the pain by having a seperate credit card soly devoted to gas purchases, closing in on $500 per month, which may be remembered as "the good old days" fairly soon at the rate we are going.

[strangegrey]

As much as I would love to practice what i preach on alot of this...I cant fucking stop driving like a balls to the wall motherfucker. I can't fucking stand slow drivers and fucking hate it when slow, big ass, fat mothers thinking they're being safe while driving some ford explossion or yukon jack denali tank pull in front of me and drive like they own the fucking road.

I often will speed up when they try to pull their big fat fucking rediculously large asses being hauled around in their useless SUVS in front of my line of sight...and Iheartily enjoy cutting these fuckers off and making them all pissy. Fuck that.

My driving habits have not changed one bit. My previous posts were done more as a public service announcement...but frankly, I dont drive far enough on a daily basis for the cost of gas to change the way I do business on the open road. The cost of gas still pisses me off....

...but it's not stopping me from driving like a mother fucker with a chip on his shoulder...

[Natalie]

This is officially the most BORING thread EVER!

[S2M]

Yep, and a good majority of people bitchin' about gas prices drives huge-arse SUVs.....

[conversationpc]

As much as I would love to practice what i preach on alot of this...I cant fucking stop driving like a balls to the wall motherfucker. I can't fucking stand slow drivers and fucking hate it when slow, big ass, fat mothers thinking they're being safe while driving some ford explossion or yukon jack denali tank pull in front of me and drive like they own the fucking road.

I often will speed up when they try to pull their big fat fucking rediculously large asses being hauled around in their useless SUVS in front of my line of sight...and Iheartily enjoy cutting these fuckers off and making them all pissy. Fuck that.

My driving habits have not changed one bit. My previous posts were done more as a public service announcement...but frankly, I dont drive far enough on a daily basis for the cost of gas to change the way I do business on the open road. The cost of gas still pisses me off....

...but it's not stopping me from driving like a mother fucker with a chip on his shoulder...

Where are you located and what kind of vehicle do you drive?

[Rip Rokken]

I can't fucking stand slow drivers and fucking hate it when slow, big ass, fat mothers thinking they're being safe while driving some ford explossion or yukon jack denali tank pull in front of me and drive like they own the fucking road.

I often will speed up when they try to pull their big fat fucking rediculously large asses being hauled around in their useless SUVS in front of my line of sight...and Iheartily enjoy cutting these fuckers off and making them all pissy. Fuck that.

Like this guy?

[mikemarrs]

i'm a night watchman and now i sweat more and use my air less to save on gas.i also cut down on my running to the book store and record shop while my g/f shops in the grocery store for hours where yes i again sit in the vehicle and sweat to save gas.i also used to go gamble some at the casino and dog track where i now visit less because i have no gambling money because gas cost more and since it cost more now i can't gamble,lol.dad lives in the country three counties away and now family relationships suffer because i don't have as much gas to go see him.can't carry the kids to the zoo and go to the park as much and they raise hell because there is no gas in the car.plus that real good 'revelation' CD i want to buy so bad i have to wait because i have no money because i spent my last 20 bucks putting a couple gallons in the car.i want to punch some oil men right now,lol

[mikemarrs]

this shit is affecting people's lives because it branches out and affects everything else and other things suffer too.it has a trickle down affect and none of its good.