Pondering Pump Price's

[jdb]

Sign said, "Gas Prices Suck!" but my light was on and since rolling around Nova Scotia last summer, $3.00 is a deal.
Nothing new: pull in, fill up, ride off - $15 bucks traded for another 150 miles on my odometer.
Not too bad for "Sucking".

But that charged a few spare synaps with the mission of defining "Suckdom", as pertaining to the price of gasoline at the pump, but about that time the girl - out of the blue, and front of the dirt pile, previous known as the Metro Diner - leans in and say's she saw where gas was going to hit $7/per by late summer.

Really, 7 bucks?

I remembered Jim losing more then a few employee's at the Diner due to gas hitting $3.
A sudden jump to $7 might be a good definition of Gas Prices Sucking - not that that would force me to ponder a Metro Bus Pass or start smoking off-brand cigarettes - but because of the effect this would have on Mom & Pop's and the employee's who can no longer afford to get to work.

A quick Google search for a horse's mouth offered this:

"This year is certainly shaping up to be one in which consumers will likely see high gasoline prices throughout the summer months," -  The federal Energy Information Administration

Gasp! Those Fed guy's are amazing.
Alright...I guess, we're going to likely see higher prices, but that pleads the question, "What can the man in the street, running on E do about it?".

Back to Google:

• Shop Non-Brand Name Gas Stations: Most non-brand name gas stations use the exact same product as the brand names.  Save a few cents every gallon getting a very similar product.


No way, bit ago three of us topped-off at a No-Name in Claremore and had to have our top ends rebuilt - Mom's for a burger or a one-off flyrod but not a gallon of gas - and besides there was something fishy about the diction.

So after calming down from having just been reminded of the Bad Gas Ordeal, the girl shrugs and say's she just keeps an eye on the signage and whips in when the price is right.

(I often wonder what I would do without her, even if she does watch a bit too much tv.)

Back to Google:

On the local front I found a site posting price's that is updated by comsumers, presumably on their way to somewhere, and not just driving aound looking for cheap price's to post about on the site:
http://www.tulsagasprices.com/

That led to finding a National site posting price's with state by state links:
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/gasprices/states/OK.shtml

I'll cap this later, gotta split, jdb

[Steve]

quote:Originally posted by jdb

• Shop Non-Brand Name Gas Stations: Most non-brand name gas stations use the exact same product as the brand names.  Save a few cents every gallon getting a very similar product.

Unless you come across a crooked retailer, this is absolutely true.  The only thing that makes Texaco different from Conoco different from Citgo different from Shell, etc.  is the "proprietary blend" of additives (detergents and such) that they add to the basic gasoline and use as a marketing tool.  Gasoline is gasoline and all must conform to basic octane and detergent standards.

Being a capitalist economy, the gas wholesalers and retailers are going to charge whatever the market will bear.  I don't take much stock in all the recent explanations about refinery down time and switching to seasonal blends.  If they don't think the public will pay $3 a gallon, we wouldn't have the current prices.

I don't think prices will ever fall much below $3 again without government intervention, until the driving public dumps their gas hog trucks and SUVs and significantly decreases demand.  As long as the public continues to "adjust" to higher prices, gas prices will continue to rise.

[Ed W]

This was on television news earlier in the week.  I've excerpted it, so follow the link for the full story.  These techniques obviously work for cars with manual transmissions, and I'd hesitate before attempting them in traffic.  But then again, I prefer riding a bicycle rather than driving.

http://kotv.com/news/local/story/?id=126884

Saving Gas With Extreme Driving
KOTV - 5/10/2007 10:00 PM - Updated 5/11/2007 1:51 PM

...Friday afternoon and Jeff Townsley is beginning his drive home from work. Forty-two miles lie between his east Tulsa office and his Okmulgee home, but he's not dreading the trip. In fact, every time he gets behind the wheel, he sees it as his chance to stick it to OPEC. And he says you can, too.

"So many of these tactics and techniques are so basic and so simple that all it requires is good vehicle maintenance and slowing down," hypermiler Jeff Townsley said.

Jeff's what's known as a hypermiler, he's determined to squeeze the highest gas mileage he can out of his Honda Civic. And just two blocks into the trip, he starts saving money by shifting to neutral.

"See, we've got a red light down here, there's not much of a reason to go after, we're just gonna shut the car off," said Townsley.

Yep, he's turned the motor off, but kept the battery power on, and he's coasting toward the entrance ramp to U.S. Highway169. It's a trick he tries at every stoplight.
"Ha, lookee there, we've got a green light," Townsley said.

..."Now everybody's passing us. That's fine," he said. "Is that the way it always is?" Thompson asked.
"That's the way it always is," replied Townsley. "When people are giving you hand signals and honking at you, you just grin at 'em because hey, you can get all mad and you're driving a car capable of 40 miles per gallon and you're getting 23, I know you are, hey, I'm havin' a good day, I'm pushing 50."

...I know what you're thinking; sure, he's got a hybrid. But when that car was in the shop last month, Randy drove his wife's plain old Honda Civic to work, and using hypermiling techniques, he got over 60 miles per gallon.

By the way, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol says coasting downgrade in neutral or with the clutch disengaged is illegal. Text

[RLitterell]

quote:Originally posted by Steve
...until the driving public dumps their gas hog trucks and SUVs and significantly decreases demand...

Yeah, thing is I want everyone else to do this so I can continue to drive my gas hogging pickup truck when the price goes down.[}:)]

Seriously, I am now considering trading the pickup for a hybrid. They got me at 2.88 per Gal. Filled up last night and it was 67.00. That p*ssed me off.

[Breadburner]

The retailer at the end of the hose makes the least of anyone.....And don't forget about the fuel tax added in....Plus some states tax are a percentage not a flat tax like ours is.....

[patric]

quote:Originally posted by SteveThe only thing that makes Texaco different from Conoco different from Citgo different from Shell, etc.  is the "proprietary blend" of additives (detergents and such) that they add to the basic gasoline and use as a marketing tool.  Gasoline is gasoline and all must conform to basic octane and detergent standards.

Unless it's changed, Tulsa has to buy more expensive gasoline from refineries along the Gulf because of a deal we cut with the EPA over our dirty air.

The refineries we have here sell our cheaper gas to cleaner communities that dont have refineries that dirty their air.

Catch-a-twenny-two...

[sgrizzle]

quote:Originally posted by Ed W

This was on television news earlier in the week.  I've excerpted it, so follow the link for the full story.  These techniques obviously work for cars with manual transmissions, and I'd hesitate before attempting them in traffic.  But then again, I prefer riding a bicycle rather than driving.

http://kotv.com/news/local/story/?id=126884

Saving Gas With Extreme Driving
KOTV - 5/10/2007 10:00 PM - Updated 5/11/2007 1:51 PM

...Friday afternoon and Jeff Townsley is beginning his drive home from work. Forty-two miles lie between his east Tulsa office and his Okmulgee home, but he's not dreading the trip. In fact, every time he gets behind the wheel, he sees it as his chance to stick it to OPEC. And he says you can, too.

"So many of these tactics and techniques are so basic and so simple that all it requires is good vehicle maintenance and slowing down," hypermiler Jeff Townsley said.

Jeff's what's known as a hypermiler, he's determined to squeeze the highest gas mileage he can out of his Honda Civic. And just two blocks into the trip, he starts saving money by shifting to neutral.

"See, we've got a red light down here, there's not much of a reason to go after, we're just gonna shut the car off," said Townsley.

Yep, he's turned the motor off, but kept the battery power on, and he's coasting toward the entrance ramp to U.S. Highway169. It's a trick he tries at every stoplight.
"Ha, lookee there, we've got a green light," Townsley said.

..."Now everybody's passing us. That's fine," he said. "Is that the way it always is?" Thompson asked.
"That's the way it always is," replied Townsley. "When people are giving you hand signals and honking at you, you just grin at 'em because hey, you can get all mad and you're driving a car capable of 40 miles per gallon and you're getting 23, I know you are, hey, I'm havin' a good day, I'm pushing 50."

...I know what you're thinking; sure, he's got a hybrid. But when that car was in the shop last month, Randy drove his wife's plain old Honda Civic to work, and using hypermiling techniques, he got over 60 miles per gallon.

By the way, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol says coasting downgrade in neutral or with the clutch disengaged is illegal. Text

It's a neat thought, but turning the engine off means no power steering and no power brakes. Just in neutral you get those two but you lose some of your defensive driving abilities.

[rwarn17588]

The guy's a moron for coasting in neutral or shutting the engine off while the vehicle is still moving.

I'm a pretty big hyper-miler, but I would never do something like that. My Insight shuts the engine off automatically when stopped at a stop light (which makes sense), but never anytime else.

But not driving like a jackrabbit and making sure your tires are inflated properly is something I do all the time, and it makes a big difference.

I get about 57 miles per gallon around town (52-54 with the A/C on) and 62-64 on the highway.

[jdb]

"Ever notice that anyone going slower than you is an idiot, but anyone going faster is a maniac?" - G Carlin

Hyper-milers are those colorful characters on the road that every loves to hate. They should be mandated to place an orange roadcone on the hood of the car so everyone knows in advance and can start switching lanes in an orderly fashion.

Bucking the system: earn 2 pts.
Screwing with the pattern and flow: lose 4 pts.

Turning off motor on any roadway, except a downhill stretch in the middle of the dessert with noone else insight, is illegal for a reason. Should merit an "Actual Physical Control" citation.
(Like bears screwing in the woods: they don't make a sound unless someone's around o hear them)

Conserving 2oz of petrol: earn 2 pts.
Causing everyone else to burn .4 extra gallons -from lighting up the tires to go screaming by you: lose all accumulated pts. to date.

Creating a situation that incites "pancakes" kinda anger: which has been linked to Road Rage, and known to the State of California* to lower ones higher level of consciousness: lose 3 pts.

Spend any time at all doing the math to determine milage: get a life! Small Carbon footprints are not bragging rights. Just like recycling, it's a given - you either do or you don't, and besides anything you accomplish will be off-set twenty fold by the creep nextdoor.
Keeping score is for sports.


Have flamesuit can haul butt,


jdb

* Primer on unsustainable mentalities.

"This process is also strongly affected by the opinions of others, which can cloud our ability...".
http://www.ananda.org/Meditation/support/articles/higherguidance2.html

[AMP]

Unleaded in Texas is $2.79 today, same as it was on Tuesday.

[inteller]

i'm guessing that most of you just commute here around town.  I could tell you how to get around for $1 a gal and 30 mpg, but most people aren't interested.

[tulsascoot]

I ride a scooter. 100 MPG. I say let gas go to $4/gallon. I drove a Ford Focus across Germany last year and it cost $5.92/gallon. We have it made at $3/gal. We need our cars to get smaller, and more people to use efficient motorcycles and motorscooters. They are the norm in the rest of the world. Until we as a people change our over consumptive habits, we'll never get ahead of this energy problem.

[cannon_fodder]

Who killed the electric car?

[iplaw]

[Conan71]

quote:Originally posted by RLitterell

quote:Originally posted by Steve
...until the driving public dumps their gas hog trucks and SUVs and significantly decreases demand...

Yeah, thing is I want everyone else to do this so I can continue to drive my gas hogging pickup truck when the price goes down.[}:)]

Seriously, I am now considering trading the pickup for a hybrid. They got me at 2.88 per Gal. Filled up last night and it was 67.00. That p*ssed me off.

I'm in the same boat.  I need a pick up, they are handier than a shirt pocket when you need to move stuff around and I can also grab parts around town for my company if I happen to be out on a sales call or having lunch near where we need a part picked up.

I've given the hybrid, or something more fuel efficient a thought or two, but I'd have a car payment again, and I've enjoyed a no car payment "holiday" for about 2 1/2 years.  I've got a daughter starting college just over a year from now, so cash flow is a good thing!