Gasoline shortage

[Podling]

Everyday I see another new car with a new tag on it that is a large gas eating monster. I can't figure out why people are still buying them. Don't they realize that a gasoline shortage is heading our way? Are they so rich that they don't have to care about the earth? Why is it that other countrys have figured out that if you buy a smaller more fuel wise car it is better for everyone but not the U.S. I watched a commercial today that said " We are still the number one maker of large trucks F150. How many times have you seen the them actually hauling something with that large truck? So why are they buying them? I admit that we have an old truck that sits in the driveway and we never use it unless we have to haul something. What I have problem with are the ones that have to drive them to work everyday. Are they thinking about selling them but nobody will buy them? We have to all think about the future and for those of us that lived through the gasoline shortage in the 70's this is not something that we want to go through again. I remember having to sit in long lines and then when you get to the pump you can only get a few gallons. My family walked or bicycled everywhere. The yard was mowed with a push mower. If we wanted to go someplace far away we had to take the bus of forget about it. Instead of the president going to other country's and asking for more oil, stay home and make better cars that run on alternate fuel! The other countrys are saying no To Bush because they can see what is coming and they want to fill their bank accounts before the oil runs out and believe me it will run out. The earth only holds so much oil and then its gone. We should have been working on this long ago. My freinds and I were talking about the fact that we would love to take the bus more but it doesn't come to our area of the city. We also thought it would be great if we could utilize the golf cart set up to get around from point to point but we are all afraid that the big SUV's and trucks would run us over for going so slow. We have to figure this out now while we still can. Europe is paying so much more for fuel than we are perhaps we should learn from what is happening there before it happens here. If we all stop buying the large vehicle then they will stop making them.

[NW Admin]

Very well said, Podling. I was one of those ding-bats that bought an SUV... not really thinking. Well, I actually was enticed by the fact that it was a Flex Fuel Vehicle and that E85 was better for the environment and supposedly cheaper. The fact of the matter is that the cost still balances out to be the same with the ridiculous gas mileage it gets and since it does require more E85 to go the same distance, I wonder if I am really consuming that much less of unleaded or if that balances out too. I am really feeling the pain of having to fill that thing up with gas and drive it. Believe me, I have been trying and trying to get rid of it, but the sad truth is that I would be lucky if I could even get anyone to steal it.

My husband drives an older Dodge Dakota that is also a gas hog. We didn't buy it, but rather it was a gift from his father. Hubby didn't have a car so we had to take what we could get. He has to drive it all over town for work and we are really hurting financially from the gas prices.

It's interesting to hear about the gas shortage you went through. Being from another generation, it's hard to imagine that. But at the same time, I remember when hurricane Katrina hit and seeing on the news how people couldn't get gas. That will always stick out in my mind because it really dawns on you... what if WE had no access to gas??

I told my husband, the Amish people will be all set if that happens. They are ready to go with their horse & buggies. Those people will definately survive.

All of this, the war, terrorism, 9/11, increase in cost of everything, increase in theft and gas syphoning (sp?)... it really makes me feel like I need to stock up my house with supplies, be prepared to grow my own food, have bycicles on hand, and to top it off... guns just to protect it all from those who didn't plan ahead. It really could come to that you know. A lot of people do not agree with owning weapons, but even I know that when the world is in economic failure, only YOU can protect yourself and your family. There WILL BE those who will try to take everything from you.

Yes, the gas will be gone one day. If we haven't come up with alternatives before that, all hell is going to break loose.

[Podling]

I just returned from the NY area and the price of gas was horrible. We had to pay as high as $4.59 per gallon. What I figured out was that everyone was only purchasing enough gas to make it to the next state because the truckers told eveyone around them that gas was cheaper in Ohio. So most people didn't purchase the gas up there. Now, what does that mean to NY's economy when most of the travelers are not purchasing gas anymore. I noticed a few people that stopped because they didn't have enough to make it all the way but for the most part everyone just kept driving to make it over the border and once they made it they all headed for the first gas station where the price was $3.89. Now, that tells me that the local goverment is taxing the hell out of the gasoline or there is some major price gouging going on. Sure the lines were long at that first station but it was well worth it to wait. Will this make the gasoline prices in NY go up even higher because the use has dropped? Most likely.

[NW Admin]

That's terrible! This is definitely headed the wrong way. I can't believe people in New York have to pay that much! It's insane! I have believed for a long time now that there is something not right about the calculation of gas prices. I mean, how can gas prices in Grove City, OH be 10 cents more then in Hilliard, OH which is only 10 minutes away?? Or how about how there is always a good sized variation with the Speedway on Roberts Rd. and the Kroger on Roberts Rd.?

You know, I can see people moving away from New York just because of the gas prices. It's a downward spiral making it's way. It will just get worse if things continue the way they are.

Yeah, hubby and I had thought about driving the RV to his family reunion next month. But we immediately remembered the gas prices and opted for the tent. Haha. How sad is that??

So do you think that if people stop buying as much gas, then the prices will be forced to go even higher? Probably.

What makes me angry is that the government is making all this hype about new electric, hydrogen, and other alternative fuel vehicles and how they are going to "save the day", but they are still ridiculously priced! The majority of the world can't afford those new cars. We need them now and they are being just as overpriced with those as they are gas. Now I understand that the cost to make those is very high, but if they price them reasonably, then enough middle class people could buy them to outweigh the few wealthy who buy them now. They would probably make a lot more money anyway if they priced them lower and more people could afford them. I would LOVE to buy a hybrid, but I can't afford the $500/month payments!

They have come out with a hydrogen vehicle and started putting out the first models. But get this, they are only sold to people in California who "qualify". You basically have to have a lot of money, excellent credit, and live in CA. How does that help the rest of the world?? Ugh. It just infuriates me!!!

[NW Admin]

Ohhh... and I would like to add that now you also have to worry about other worthless idiots stealing the gas that you paid nearly $5 for!! Don't leave the RV unattended or you might find it won't start when you get back!

[CarolineWH]

Here we have now hit $5 a gallon and what to do? It will still go higher...I read on the news that the eating establishments are off 25% because of the high price of gas...People cannot afford to go out to eat....We had a new SUV with only 9,000 miles on it...Traded it in on a luxury Hybrid...At the time I just about choked at the price but now realized what a smart move it was...Our payments are high but so goes life....We are getting an easy 27 mpg. vs. 16 on that new Explorer...We have had it 7 months and only have 4,000 miles on it....I don't even want to think of the thousands we lost in trading it off....Bad dream...

I doubt that the big SUV's will survive this...I see where some are necessary for large families but we are not done with the high gas prices. We used to have a RV back in 91. We went through all that fun and it was a blast...I can recall it had a 100 gallon tank and when we filled it up people would gasp...It shot a $100 bill...But those five years that we did that were some of the neatest times in our life...It was 34 ft. long and now I look back at it as our days of wine and roses. We were going to wait until we retired to do this and how happy I am that we did this then...

They say that gas is around $9 in England...What do people eat? Dirt? Yet our Petro manufacturer's are enjoying the highest profits they have ever had....TC, C

[CarolineWH]

Originally Posted by CarolineWH

Here we have now hit $5 a gallon and what to do? It will still go higher...I read on the news that the eating establishments are off 25% because of the high price of gas...People cannot afford to go out to eat....We had a new SUV with only 9,000 miles on it...Traded it in on a luxury Hybrid...At the time I just about choked at the price but now realized what a smart move it was...Our payments are high but so goes life....We are getting an easy 27 mpg. vs. 16 on that new Explorer...We have had it 7 months and only have 4,000 miles on it....I don't even want to think of the thousands we lost in trading it off....Bad dream...

I doubt that the big SUV's will survive this...I see where some are necessary for large families but we are not done with the high gas prices. We used to have a RV back in 91. We went through all that fun and it was a blast...I can recall it had a 100 gallon tank and when we filled it up people would gasp...It shot a $100 bill...But those five years that we did that were some of the neatest times in our life...It was 34 ft. long and now I look back at it as our days of wine and roses. We were going to wait until we retired to do this and how happy I am that we did this then...

They say that gas is around $9 in England...What do people eat? Dirt? Yet our Petro manufacturer's are enjoying the highest profits they have ever had....TC, C

Today when we filled up at the station and paid $3.96.9, I recalled that I had put down $5 on this post...I recall thinking as I previewed it, to change it to $4.00 per gallon...Unfortunately I changed a few other things in the post and forgot...Only looking at the sign today, did I realize my mistake...So with that in mind, we in the Midwest are paying $3.96.9.....I am sorry for the mistake....TC, C

[NW Admin]

Originally Posted by CarolineWH

Here we have now hit $5 a gallon and what to do? It will still go higher...I read on the news that the eating establishments are off 25% because of the high price of gas...People cannot afford to go out to eat....We had a new SUV with only 9,000 miles on it...Traded it in on a luxury Hybrid...At the time I just about choked at the price but now realized what a smart move it was...Our payments are high but so goes life....We are getting an easy 27 mpg. vs. 16 on that new Explorer...We have had it 7 months and only have 4,000 miles on it....I don't even want to think of the thousands we lost in trading it off....Bad dream...

I doubt that the big SUV's will survive this...I see where some are necessary for large families but we are not done with the high gas prices. We used to have a RV back in 91. We went through all that fun and it was a blast...I can recall it had a 100 gallon tank and when we filled it up people would gasp...It shot a $100 bill...But those five years that we did that were some of the neatest times in our life...It was 34 ft. long and now I look back at it as our days of wine and roses. We were going to wait until we retired to do this and how happy I am that we did this then...

They say that gas is around $9 in England...What do people eat? Dirt? Yet our Petro manufacturer's are enjoying the highest profits they have ever had....TC, C

Your post made me think. My parents had talked about driving their motor home and traveling a lot when they retire. I just wonder what things will be like at that time. If they will even be able to use the motor home for long trips or if they will even be able to put gas in it at all? Interesting thought.

I just LOVE motor homes and driving/traveling places. My hubby and I want a RV, but it seems like if we bought one, it would be as silly as me buying this darn SUV that I can't get rid of. We wouldn't be able to drive it anywhere without going broke.

I heard that about England. That is insane!! So why is it so much more over there anyway?

PS... thanks for clarifying on that post about the price of gas here. Give it a week and you would have been right the first time around. Give it another week and it will probably be $6 per gallon! LOL!

[CarolineWH]

I just read that the DOW closed with oil topping at $139.00...This was a new record......Opec warned us that it will be up to $170 by the end of the Summer.....I wonder where people are going to get the money to not only buy gas but fuel for the Winter....This is getting bad....And the answer????