$3.00 gas?

[cute fuzzy bunny]

I thought that the joke was originally a Porsche and a porcupine?

Its had many guises, I think the vehicle varies depending on what type just drove by you acting like a moron.

 

[ascenzm]

The economists, whenever gas price spikes, always trot out "when factoring in inflation" that gas prices are still well below all time highs, and that compared to 1981, we are paying about 90 cents a gallon vs. $1.35 back then. I guess the math looks right, but I'm not sure if I smell something fishy here. I was far too young (7 years old) to remember what it was like back then, just how bad was it compared to now? How did gas prices "feel" back then as to now?

I checked out a web based CPI inflation calculator. A dollar spent in 1981 is equivalent to $2.10 spent in 2005. I remember paying ~ $1.50/gallon for 87 octane unleaded gasoline in rural West Virginia in 1981. In today's dollars, that gasoline would cost ~ $3.15/gallon. I paid $2.059/gallon for 87 octane unleaded gasoline yesterday in Pittsburgh.

I'm old enough to remember gasoline prices pre October 1973 (the start of the Arab oil embargo). I had just started to drive in 1973. Just before October 1973, leaded regular gasoline sold for 33.9 cents/gallon (~ $1.46/gallon in 2005 dollars).

 

[brewer12345]

salary Guru, you bring up an interesting point.  The economists, whenever gas price spikes, always trot out "when factoring in inflation" that gas prices are still well below all time highs, and that compared to 1981, we are paying about 90 cents a gallon vs. $1.35 back then.  I guess the math looks right, but I'm not sure if I smell something fishy here.  I was far too young (7 years old) to remember what it was like back then, just how bad was it compared to now?  How did gas prices "feel" back then as to now?

I was still a young'un back then, but several years ago I did a syndicated study which necessitated a review of automobile equipment trends over many, many years. Through 1983-1985, it was amazing to see the sudden popularity of 4 cylinder engines, 5 speed manual trannys, etc. I suspect that is what is driving the notion that 3 bucks a gallon would be the turning point.

 

[MJ]

I guess in a couple of years, the auto market will have a hugh supply of used SUV and Humveys.

MJ

 

[unclemick]

Yep

At $5/gal gas - that will be the time to buy a good used Humvee.

 

[charlie]

laurencewill,

When I was a senior in high school in '52 making
$0.75 per hour, spending $.25/gal for gas was
a pretty big deal!

Cheers,

Charlie

 

[laurence]

Yeah, that put's in it perspective, Minimum wage here in Cali is over six bucks now, so it's about the same ratio...

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Back when I was a kid, we had to cling to the window sills in our house because we couldnt afford floors. We clung there, night after night, wishing we could afford a car and have to pay a lot for gas...

 

[charlie]

Hell, TH ..... we used to sleep in the window sills
during hot summer nights in Texas.

Cheers,

Charlie

 

[MJ]

Yep
At $5/gal gas - that will be the time to buy a good used Humvee.

I forgot to put a smiley but if the cars cost 2k to 3K, just might be worth it. It will only $10k a year for gas consumption.

MJ

 

[unclemick]

My last two vehicles - $184 1994 GMC Sonoma(donated by step daughter) and a $65(cost of towing) 1992 Geo Storm - not running or licensed in my name yet. 4 bangers - my 1999 Silverado V6 is getting increased park time. Ratting around in a 4 banger is nice when I gas up now.

 

[Dreamer]

Okay-I will bite. What is the difference between the car and the porcupine?

 

[laurence]

ooo! ooo! I know! With the porcupine, the pricks are on the outside!

 

[Dreamer]

LOL! Thanks Laurencewill.

 

[Mr._johngalt]

When I was a kid we were so poor we lived in a
garage. Not only that, my mother cut the bottoms out of our pants pockets so we would have something to play with.

JG

 

[Spanky]

We were poor compared to standards of western societies. We shared a flat with seven other families. A flat is about 1,000 sq. feet, one kitchen and one bathroom. Each room is about 10 feet x 10 feet. Our family had 5 children (+ two adults) and we lived in one room.

Regarding gas price, it was $.29 back in 1969 when I was still a teenager.

 

[Spanky]

If gas hit $3.00 I would make some serious changes.

JG

John,

I am driving a Toyata Corrola - 38 mpg. It's good, but a hybrid will yield better gas mileage.

Spanky

 

[parnass]

When I was a kid we were so poor ...
JG

We had to walk 12 miles barefoot to and from school and it was uphill both ways.

 

[unclemick]

I was rich - I rode my Sears and Rare-back bike to school. Except in high school - I walked - because bikes weren't 'cool'. No car - you walked. Teenagers siphoning gas for the weekend was the biggest juvy crime by far in our little town. Price was irrelavent - getting caught was.

 

[laurence]

We were so poor, we couldn't afford to pay attention...

 

[laurence]

.....and our house was so small, we had to eat a large pizza outside....

 

[Mr._johngalt]

Yep, and we had to dismantle our garage for metal
to sell for scrap so we could afford gruel. After that
we burned what was left to keep warm. Once my brother was so hungrey he choked on a potato he found
in the road. Tried to swallow it whole. It turned out okay though. We were able to save the potato

JG

 

[unclemick]

Since it's getting 'deep' on this thread:

? The difference between Engineer boots and Cowboy boots?

With Engineer boots the doo doo is on the inside.

We have an ancient thread of engineer jokes somewhere on this forum.

During gas crisis days I worked with lab rat cats -  you know the type - supervaporizing carburators, special spark plugs, teflon in the oil, trying to disable x no of cylinders during cruise mode, regenerative braking, overinflated tires, etc, etc.

A few actually had a second vehicle to 'play' with.

 

[eridanus]

http://money.cnn.com/2005/03/12/Autos/gas_prices.reut/index.htm

Rising U.S. gasoline prices are hurting sales of large sport utility vehicles and pickup trucks, according to some industry analysts, a trend that could stall a major engine of profits for Detroit's automakers.

The gas-thirsty, full-sized SUV segment lost 1.2 percentage points of U.S. market share over the last two months and large pickups were down about 2 percentage points, according to Edmunds.com, which tracks the industry.

Fuel-efficient compact cars, on the other hand, gained 2.2 percentage points of market share in the same period.

...

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

ooo! ooo! I know! With the porcupine, the pricks are on the outside!

Hey! Quit that disgusting banter!