gas prices aren't high enough

[yonyon]

Today I rode shotgun in a late model Hyundai coupe driven by a real estate lawyer for a trip of maybe 6 or 7 miles. In that trip there 5 near misses with other vehicles (all would have been entirely his fault) and three curb scrapes but no hops. I'm convinced that I could safely have driven the same trip both ways at least twice in that car using less total fuel and with a greater average speed.

Most people don't drive that badly and most people don't drive the same way you do. There's a whole spectrum of driving styles. Some folks place a different value on speed; efficiency; safety; legality than others. Some drivers don't have the mental or physical capability to drive but do it anyway. Some people just don't care. We all have our resons for driving the way we do, even if some of those reasons don't make sense.

 

[friendly_jacek]

Originally Posted By: PandaBear

But I'd imagine people who buy a $30k SUV factored in the fuel cost and think it is not an issue, so they drive the way they do still at this fuel price.


Nope, I see a lot of expensive SUV and trucks in poor parts of the town. I don't think they are all drug dealers.

I actually noticed that some of those big cars drive slower than they used to, some people are feeling the pump pain.

Once I was walking to my parked Corolla, and this "poor" lady in Cadillac asked me for gas money. I pointed to my Corolla and joked "I can't give you money as I'm poorer".

 

[ridgerunner]

Originally Posted By: LT4 Vette
ridgerunner,

But you are actually putting your truck to good use with loads like that in your bed. The idiots that drive a big truck just to go to Walmart and pick the kids up from school are the first to complain about gas prices.


My truck is my daily driver too. I too went to Walmart (1hr drive round trip) today with this truck. The only diff is...no whining

 

[Barkleymut]

I have always laughed at the local news stories profiling drivers who mention all of the ways they are going to save at the pump. Yet I still get passed by 95% of the cars on the highway and I typically set the CC to 2 MPH over. Most people are of the mindset that they are going to start saving tomorrow, but for today they need to get to soccer practice or work or their friends place quickly.

 

[Merkava_4]

Originally Posted By: spasm3
Originally Posted By: mpvue
I just don't get it, I'm trying to get 450mi out of a tank of gas in my camry, and everyone else it seems is trying to see how few miles they can get on a tank...

Why are you worried about how much gas other people burn? I hate to say it but is sounds like some type of jealousy.


He probably hates the tailgaters like I do.

 

[mva]

America and Canada are very vulnerable to increases in oil prices due to many large vehicles and long travel distances.

I would like to see gas prices at 10 to 15 $/gal or higher.

It is going to take these kind of price increases to make people change their behaviour.

 

[rjundi]

When my wife commutes with our Acura MDX occasionally she does 80MPH in it. It still manages 21MPG. I gets better MPG at 80MPH than driving around in all the stop and go and short trip (<10 mins usually) I do with it where 18MPG is all you get.

 

[bigmike]

Originally Posted By: mpvue
judging by how people continue to drive, it doesn't seem people are really all that concerned.
the other day I had my doors blown off my an infinitiQX-whatever big SUV, a range rover, and a tahoe, I think, not to mention the diesel pickups that can't seem to travel at less than 80mph.
I'm not driving like granny either; on rt22, a heavily traveled 2 lane in the lehigh valley, PA.

is it that people just don't equate fast driving with how much gas they use? or do people think that if their car is rated 23mpg, for instance, that it just always gets that, regardless of how they drive?
I'd have to imagine that a 6000lb V8 SUV is only getting mid teens at 75mph. if you drive like that, how can you complain about how much it costs to fill the tank?
I just don't get it, I'm trying to get 450mi out of a tank of gas in my camry, and everyone else it seems is trying to see how few miles they can get on a tank...


It's probably middle class people living outside their means to begin with. I figure they probably need to take a finance class and start prioritizing their life. Even when I drive my Silverado, I take it easy on the pedal and try to make every green light. No sense in waste if it is avoidable.

 

[bigmike]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Originally Posted By: shadow7
Rich people making 100k and above doesn't care about gas prices.


100k does NOT make you rich.

Stupid and no understanding of physics makes people prone to integrate stupid practices into everyday life and consider them "normal".


Couldn't agree more!

 

[spasm3]

Originally Posted By: mva
America and Canada are very vulnerable to increases in oil prices due to many large vehicles and long travel distances.

I would like to see gas prices at 10 to 15 $/gal or higher.

It is going to take these kind of price increases to make people change their behaviour.


Why do you feel like you need to control other people or change their behavior? Why would you worry about what they drive?

 

[mva]

Originally Posted By: spasm3
Originally Posted By: mva
America and Canada are very vulnerable to increases in oil prices due to many large vehicles and long travel distances.

I would like to see gas prices at 10 to 15 $/gal or higher.

It is going to take these kind of price increases to make people change their behaviour.


Why do you feel like you need to control other people or change their behavior? Why would you worry about what they drive?


I am concerned because it puts the entire north american economy at risk plus oil supplies are limited and it is wasteful to drive a 7000 lb 4 door pick-up if it is not required for cargo or passengers.

If we had all have better fuel economy then our economy will not be as sensitive to high gasoline prices.

 

[Ursae_Majoris]

Originally Posted By: mva
America and Canada are very vulnerable to increases in oil prices due to many large vehicles and long travel distances.

I would like to see gas prices at 10 to 15 $/gal or higher.

It is going to take these kind of price increases to make people change their behaviour.

Ready to pay double and triple for your groceries, airplane tickets and anything made out of plastics?

 

[daves87rs]

Interesting, as I thought about posting this thread as well.

I also agree with the same things as mpvue. They need to go UP for people to grow UP.

Will that affect the prices of everything? Yep! But no pity to the unprepared....it simply blow my mind that people can't afford adjustment in their lives. Especially since our parents managed to do it....

 

[daves87rs]

Originally Posted By: ridgerunner
Here is my gas pig. It is my work truck, tow vehicle and my daily driver. 10-13mpg empty. It does everything I need it to do without compromise. I don't like the high fuel costs anymore than the guy with a Pius but I don't whine either.

Nice truck, by the way.

 

[daves87rs]

Originally Posted By: RedCorvette
In real terms, gas is no more expensive than it's ever been:

http://inflationdata.com/inflation/inflation_rate/gasoline_inflation.asp

But what I think happened / is happening is this:

Last time it peaked before the financial crisis, the run up was severe. Pretty much doubling very quickly. People felt it. I noticed the change on the freeways around me.

This time, it's basically gone up to where it was before the financial crisis and from a higher low point. The increase is not as severe and people saw these prices before.

It'll need to hit $5 for things to change again. Most people now accept this new price and the reality is that you spend the same amount of money for the entire family to go to the movies for 2 hours as you do for a week or two of commuting.



And it's sad people just accept it too...

 

[Trav]

Originally Posted By: shadow7
Rich people making 100k and above doesn't care about gas prices.

Some don't but a lot do. Many people have just bent over and grab their ankles and accept what they believe is the inevitable.

 

[spasm3]

Originally Posted By: mva
Originally Posted By: spasm3
Originally Posted By: mva
America and Canada are very vulnerable to increases in oil prices due to many large vehicles and long travel distances.

I would like to see gas prices at 10 to 15 $/gal or higher.

It is going to take these kind of price increases to make people change their behaviour.


Why do you feel like you need to control other people or change their behavior? Why would you worry about what they drive?


I am concerned because it puts the entire north american economy at risk plus oil supplies are limited and it is wasteful to drive a 7000 lb 4 door pick-up if it is not required for cargo or passengers.

If we had all have better fuel economy then our economy will not be as sensitive to high gasoline prices.


So you are saying you would rather pay 10-15 dollars a gallon vs 5 dollars a gallon, in order to prevent people from having the freedom to drive what they enjoy.

 

[doitmyself]

My take on this discussion is why are we so ignorant to not take our energy situation into our own hands by being proactive to ween ourselves off our fragile dependence on foreign oil.

We didn't learn from the oil embargo of the 1970's. We complain about wanting the least government intervention in our lives, yet we refuse to practice self control on the issue of energy conservation. Simply driving moderate speeds is a start.

The bottom line is we will someday be forced to deal with our energy supply. Why not take charge ourselves and choose our outcome instead of being forced to do it according to others in the future?

But, it won't happen. I'm not just talking vehicles. I'm talking huge, energy wasteful homes and other buildings, inefficient food system, and on and on.

I think the OP's gist of this is that we complain, but chose not to take initiative on our own to guide our future, as evidenced by people driving 80mph alone, in bloated vehicles. This is not about people that need certain vehicles. It's not even about people that enjoy vehicles for recreation. It's about our attitude, or lack thereof.

 

[matrass]

I have an idea why people in my area are not worried about gas prices, while driving super fast ( they do it all the time around my area ) to me it seems that lots of people have lost their patience. not only do they drive like they are in a race but they cut in front of people and drive on the shoulder in traffic jams to get where they are going as fast as possible. they must think that trying to save a couple of minutes is worth and money that they sacrifice in fuel costs. I for one do not get it either. in my neck of the woods the speed limit is as fast as you want to go, sad really.

 

[Kestas]

During the first run up on gas prices some four years ago, I saw the crazies disappear and people were easy on the gas pedal. Now that gas prices have run up again to the same level, I still see people sport driving with their lift kit F-250s. This time they don't care.