When will gas prices alter driving habits??

[HFWR]

Have a short commute, and don't joyride much, so gas prices suck, but don't hurt that much.

 

[Andre1969]

[

in fact just got back from a top down, drive fast so it don't rain in the car, drive down to south beach and back.

LOL, I have a '67 Catalina convertible, and I discovered that too, that if you drive fast enough in the rain with the top down, the air flow just takes the rain right over the top of the car and the interior will stay dry!

 

[Mwsinron]

Have 2 weeks off in August. Had a planned driving trip up the Pacific Northwest. Part of canceling it and staying near home is due to the suspected fuel costs. Not like heading up to Lake Tahoe for a couple weeks is much of a downgrade :

 

[donheff]

Probably more than price, the gas lines of the 70s caused quite a few people to take notice. Small cars were big for a while back then. If we had instituted a substantial gas tax at the time our habits might very well have changed. Certainly there would have been an incentive for the manufacturers to develop more fuel efficient motors. As for today, remember, even at the seemingly high prices, fuel costs are merely keeping up with inflation (at least I have read that in several articles). A $1/gallon tax rising to $2 in 5 or 10 years would stimulate some changes.

 

[MikeD]

I don't know if it's the one you remember but one of those incidents happened at a gas station two blocks from my apt in Riverdale, MD.


Hey Mike, where in Riverdale was that apartment? When I was an infant, we lived in an apartment complex right off East-West Highway that bordered the B-W Parkway. I was too young to remember living there though, and can't recall the name of it. My Granddad and Dad still live over that way, so I go by there fairly regularly. Heck, I might even know the gas station if you named it!

It was the Park Tanglewood apts. It was just off East West highway by the train tracks. (a potato chip truck got hit there by a train once - what a mess) I can't remember the name or brand of the gas station - it was a long time ago. The apts (and Riverdale in general, are a dump now).

Mike D.

 

[aenlighten]

Gas consumption was down last year in the US. I hadn't expected that without a recession. I drive a little less and combine my trips more, but since I don't drive much to begin with, it doesn't make much difference.

 

[justin]

Our mass transit authority noted a 10-20% increase in bus ridership immediately after the $3+ gas hit following Katrina. Don't know if those numbers remained high or not. I expect these increases in gas prices to cause changes in behaviour on the margins. Folks might prefer a few more MPG in new car purchases. Folks might want to be a little more efficient in reducing/combining trips. Might be a reduction in trip quantity/length for vacation/recreation purposes. But only on the margins.

 

[treypar]

I have an SUV now which averages 18 mpg. I plan to purchase a Prius next year to replace it. I just do not want to keep sending my dollars overseas.

 

[dumpster56]

Well gasoline prices are at or just above 3 dollars a gallon nation wide as of april 29.

Change of habits? Nope, there were still 18 cars waiting and idling on the drivethru window of the fast food bojangles and McDonalds yesterday morning! That was a total of 39 cars waiting to buy fast food garbage while burning 3+ a gallon gasoline!

What are these morons thinking?

 

[mathjak107]

i paid 3.60 here in nyc for premium

 

[dumpster56]

i paid 3.60 here in nyc for premium

Amazing, it is way before july 1. I bet we see gasoline over 4.50 a gallon.

 

[youbet]

Price will not change the behavior until I see 5 dollars a gallon.

Change of habits? Nope, there were still 18 cars waiting and idling on the drivethru window of the fast food bojangles and McDonalds yesterday morning! That was a total of 39 cars waiting to buy fast food garbage while burning 3+ a gallon gasoline!

What are these morons thinking?

When I look at your two posts, it appears that you call yourself a moron. Is that what you meant?

 

[dumpster56]

When I look at your two posts, it appears that you call yourself a moron. Is that what you meant?

Thanks for that..

 

[chinaco]

If gas prices go to $5/gal... we will be spending approximately $100 - $120/wk on gas. Ouch! I am sure there are those that would spend more. DW and I both drive approx 24k mi/yr. One car requires high octane (premium) it is a 4 cyl. The other is a 6 cyl.

 

[justin]

Ouch! Just filled up that gas-guzzler civic of mine for the first time in 3 weeks. $32!!! That's the first time I've broken $30 on a tank I believe.

 

[dumpster56]

Looking at over 3 dollars a gallon this week here in the raleigh for reg unleaded. Crude is now above 66 dollars a barrel.

There is no stopping the price run up now for the summer driving season.

Get ready for 4+ a gallon.

 

[USK Coastie]

Since we refuse to develop known reasources in the US and refuse to allow construction of new refinery capacity this should not be a shock to anyone. Our consumption of gas is 9.1 million gal/day but our refinery capacity is only 8.7 million gallons per day. OOPS an inconvient truth

 

[FinanceDude]

Since we refuse to develop known reasources in the US and refuse to allow construction of new refinery capacity this should not be a shock to anyone. Our consumption of gas is 9.1 million gal/day but our refinery capacity is only 8.7 million gallons per day. OOPS an inconvient truth

Isn't that 9.1 million BARRELS a day?? Or are we thriftier than I thought as a country............

 

[janeeyre]

We are going to need new refineries and alternative fuels pretty d** quick. If Bin Laden and Co. had been successful last week, we would be paying $16.00 a gallon today. Let's ask the presidential hopefuls about their energy plans.

 

[USK Coastie]

Isn't that 9.1 million BARRELS a day?? Or are we thriftier than I thought as a country.

Just trying to help everyone's carbon foot print. It seams to me that you are correct. It was barrels not gallons. Just means we are even further behind the supply/demand curve.

 

[FinanceDude]

Isn't that 9.1 million BARRELS a day?? Or are we thriftier than I thought as a country.

Just trying to help everyone's carbon foot print. It seams to me that you are correct. It was barrels not gallons. Just means we are even further behind the supply/demand curve.

I think the world consumes something like 30 billion barrels a year, so we better find something pretty soon..............

 

[Sundance Kid]

At some point we'll say, "Remember when gas was @2.99/gal ?" Of course, we'll all be dead or walking by then

Guess the answer is to just to keep getting on, by getting on. Doesn't seem like anyone has a clue! The Feds don't, the Presidential wannabees, don't.

We have found the enemy, and it's US! Deplorable, that this great nation, is so incompetent and incapable of making a decision, to rectify this issue.

 

[dumpster56]

At some point we'll say, "Remember when gas was @2.99/gal ?" Of course, we'll all be dead or walking by then

Guess the answer is to just to keep getting on, by getting on. Doesn't seem like anyone has a clue! The Feds don't, the Presidential wannabees, don't.

We have found the enemy, and it's US! Deplorable, that this great nation, is so incompetent and incapable of making a decision, to rectify this issue.

You are so darn right!!

Americans are so dumb and wasteful! Yes just wait gang no railroads no real way to get from point A to B when the oil runs out OR when Bin laden and scum bomb Some oil infrastucture !!

Just like when I see 19 cars idling at the bojangles fast food driveup window waiting for a darn biscuit!


BANG Look at this and its only april 30th

http://marketwatch.nytimes.com/cust...2-4F1C-8253-D554463CEEB6}&siteid=NYT&dist=NYT

3.02 a gallon!!!Are you angry yey? Are you getting rid of your wasteful vehicles??

Every useless politician running for president has no vision! Not a one republican or democrat!

 

[haha]

Every useless politician running for president has no vision! Not a one republican or democrat!

New Guy, you are such a fence sitter! Why don't you just come out and say what you mean some time?

Ha

 

[Culture]

Quite frankly, I am not too worried about the cost of gasoline. The fact is, we have the technology today to get me to work at 100 mpg, if not 150 mpg. That means that I effectively could pay four times more for fuel per gallon and spend the same amount of money per year, as I currently get 25 mpg. Do you really think fuel will reach $12/gallon? At this point alcohol will actually make sense.

Now, I am certain that I will not like my 150cc scooter as much as my car, but the reality is we have been living a fossil fuel fantasy for about 100 years and it will end. Life will not end and we will still drive to work.