Why is no one whining about gas prices anymore?

[Mixolydian]

It doesn't bother me much anymore. Costs me between $80-90 to fill up the tank, only once every 3-4 weeks or so.

 

[xaeniac]

It's ATOT we're all millionaires. Money is no issue. duh.

zing! Winnar!

 

[SlitheryDee]

I can't stay pissed about stuff for a long time. I was never pissed about gas prices though.

In any case, shit has been getting more expensive my whole life. I'm not surprised at all that shit continues to get more expensive. In fact, it would be pretty stupid to suddenly act shocked and outraged by it now.

 

[Brian Stirling]

because bush ain't in charge anymore!

The prices was never higher than when he was in charge...


Brian

 

[MrSquished]

in jersey it's gone from 40 bucks to fill my tank to about 50. 2000 Acura 3.2 TL.

I've been bitching, just not on ATOT.

I'm a freelance Real Estate Photographer and a Realtor as well, so I drive a ton.

 

[Train]

The prices was never higher than when he was in charge...


Brian

you could also say they've never been lower.

 

[Rinaun]

I think it has to do with multiple small factors. Shit's worse in other countries for the first time in a while (Syrian Conflict, Ukrainian Conflict, etc) and on top of that, gas prices haven't been increasing dramatically as they had in the past. Also, most people are now moving from older 80's cars into more modern, 90's and even 2000+ cars. I know at the local high school it's pretty hard to find a 1990 or below car that isn't a project car. Most newer cars will take your MPG from something below 20 or around that and boost it upwards towards 30mpg.

For me, I know in my prius I hardly bitch about gas prices. At 40MPG it's hard to complain versus just being more careful in how you utilize your gas usage.

EDIT: Great analogy I thought of just now. I went to my local party place to get balloons, and was told we are having a helium shortage which will last for quite some time since helium isn't something we can afford to waste (it escapes our atmosphere once unleashed). I got angered at first when told that my balloons would cost over 50% more than 4 years ago, but in the end I understood the reasoning and just adjusted how I allocated funds for balloons in that scenario. In the same sense thats how I view gas. It's not like 76, chevron, texaco or shell is fucking me over, but more-so the industry as a whole which relies on values outside of their control. It's easier to adjust your lifestyle so they won't affect you, rather than having an entitled attitude. Things change over time, and consumers will have to adapt if industry won't (the car industry is; look at how many cars are over 40MPG since 2010).

 

[eng2d2]

Its been going up for a month now thats why.

 

[maddogchen]

I haven't because I've switched to taking the train and walking to work. Saves gas and is more relaxing reading a book on a train than stuck in bumper to bumper traffic. Also saved me in auto insurance cuz I drive so little mileage now. I barely make it to the point of oil change once a year...

 

[wabbitslayer]

b/c people got tired of bitching about it and the market has proven that it will bear per gallon prices of between $3.50 and $4 per gallon....and then when it gets much above that, demand goes down b/c people can't afford to go anywhere except absolutely necessary trips; price then drops until people resume their regular buying habits


Put $50 worth of gas in my truck this morning, it almost filled it half way up.

 

[Peter Nixeus]

Oil Futures contracts, Futures Options, commodities trading...

Study and understand these things, and you will understand why Gas prices are high.

Very wealthy people do not trade stocks, they play with Futures. D:

 

[Sonikku]

Worrying about gas prices is a concern of the little people. Not ATOT

*puffs Cuban Cigar, adjusts monocle*

 

[tortillasoup]

Electric cars are a joke. By the time the extra cost from buying an electric car vs. buying gas now (with an 8MPG Mazda, mind you) - it would take almost 10 years to balance out.

People are idiots.
"Let's buy a Tesla today for $100k. We'll save money because we won't have to buy gas."

If you buy a Nissan leaf and spend $20K after taxes/rebates/incentives, how can you possibly say that then? You're getting a new car with new car reliability while having the fuel efficiency of a 100MPG vehicle and potentially charging with the equivalent of $2 per gallon gasoline... (Some utilities will give you special rate for electric vehicle charging if you charge off-peak)

 

[blankslate]

Cause we know that it serves the will of the oligarchs or plutocrats or both. Take your pick.


....

 

[Wreckem]

Electric cars are a joke. By the time the extra cost from buying an electric car vs. buying gas now (with an 8MPG Mazda, mind you) - it would take almost 10 years to balance out.

People are idiots.
"Let's buy a Tesla today for $100k. We'll save money because we won't have to buy gas."

Diesels have a long break even point(if they ever break even, heavily depends on if the base model requires premium or not, if it requires premium well diesels break even much quicker) and people still buy them.

People by a Tesla because its a high performance sport sedan. Just like why people by diesel cars.

Anyone buying anything but a highly efficient econobox is buying for something other than fuel efficiency/saving money.

 

[Wreckem]

The prices was never higher than when he was in charge...


Brian

If your are using the "annual average" maybe. However, the national average for regular unleaded under Bush peaked at of $4.16 in July 2008. The current national average is $3.63.So we are still a ways off from all time high(not adjusted for inflation). 2008's annual average would have been much higher if the world wide economy didn't collapse causing gas prices to drop to under $2.00 by the end of the year. Basically we are still under pre-recession gas prices.

Gas prices are expected slightly climb higher and then stabilize over the next month or so and then start declining the rest of the year(like they almost always do).

 

[Fritzo]

In fairness, Telsa does market their cars as being cheaper to operate. Which they are. Until the batteries go.
http://www.teslamotors.com/en_CA/goelectric

Electric has a long way to go before obtaining mass market appeal. They have a high up front cost and lower range than gasoline cars, and take a long time to refuel. Whoever makes the first EV that can drive 300mi on a single charge, takes minutes to recharge, and can be sold for the same price as a base Honda Civic, they'll be a billionaire.

The problem with petroleum is it just happens to be a perfect fuel. Gasoline, diesel, and kerosene have a high energy density, are light weight, and stable. The best Lithium-Ion batteries maybe hold 0.95 megajoules of energy per kilogram. Petroleum bi-products hold 40-46MJ/kg. Which is why smaller EVs have such limited range.

Aren't the batteries rated for 7-10 years though? My co-worker has an 0G Prius and the batteries are still at 91% peak capacity. That car has to be at least 15 years old now.

 

[Train]

Aren't the batteries rated for 7-10 years though? My co-worker has an 0G Prius and the batteries are still at 91% peak capacity. That car has to be at least 15 years old now.

15 years? holy crap. Just looked it up, Prius debuted in 1997, USA in 2000

/feels old

 

[Peter Nixeus]

Aren't the batteries rated for 7-10 years though? My co-worker has an 0G Prius and the batteries are still at 91% peak capacity. That car has to be at least 15 years old now.

15 years? holy crap. Just looked it up, Prius debuted in 1997, USA in 2000

/feels old

That settles it... my next car will be a Prius/Hybrid...

 

[Ns1]

Bought a scooter and a prius - 80+ mpg and 45mpg. Barely care about gas prices

 

[Train]

That settles it... my next car will be a Prius/Hybrid...

From the Wikipedia article on the Prius, Car and Driver tested a 2002 prius with 200k miles on it, and could barely register a 1% drop in battery performance from their original review from 10 years earlier.

 

[Fritzo]

Bought a scooter and a prius - 80+ mpg and 45mpg. Barely care about gas prices

Scooters have gotten uber cool lately Some of them even look like crotch rockets. Wouldn't mind getting one myself.

 

[Rinaun]

That settles it... my next car will be a Prius/Hybrid...

I enjoy the fuck out of mine. You can always have other cars to be "manly" and if anyone laughs at you for using the prius, laugh at them because why would anyone drive a nice car to a parking lot and leave it unattended for hours at a shopping mall or shit. The last time we took a show car anywhere my brother and I came back outside 30 minutes later to see two mexican kids taking gangbanger pictures LAYING on the fiberglass hood. Plus I like saving gas and saving the trees/whales/whateverwomenlikethisweek

 

[Ns1]

Scooters have gotten uber cool lately Some of them even look like crotch rockets. Wouldn't mind getting one myself.

wow that looks really nice. BMW makes some killer scooters (with the killer price tag to match)

 

[GrumpyMan]

Oil companies and traders have bought everyone who could do anything about it.