Support NeoGAF

[whytemyke]

Gas prices peaked a few days ago with $63/barrel, but just today it is announced that the price of a barrel of oil has topped $65.

According to reports, despite these numbers, people will still buy gasoline, as the demand for gasoline has actually gone UP in the past year by 1.4%. A USAToday report cited gas companies as saying that they'll let it continue to climb until people simply quit buying gasoline.

Has this kidn of crap effected anyone here? I for one have already made plans to park my car in a parking lot at my university and just use my bike to get around everywhere. It's healthier and, from the looks of it, could definitely save me money.

 

[Diablos]

I could always use the "Well in Europe it's so much more expensive" argument but that's besides the point. We have gone, in what... 7 years... from just a little over $1 a gallon (sometimes cheaper) to what we have now. That is unbelievable.

 

[Vandiger]

Yeah, I fear the worst so I'm looking for some sort of alternative economy car. I have no other alternatives considering the work I do and where I live....sigh

 

[Diablos]

I love how Bush signed a bill that's somehow supposed to help the economy for gas and keep prices low... but not to the consumer.

 

[TheQueen'sOwn]

And here I just bought a 400$ parking spot.... =(...

 

[sc0la]

Hippies everywhere secretly longed for gas prices to drop so they could validate their "oilwar" claims and find relief at the pump.

Conservatives meanwhile wonder how bush fucked the standard plan up (hint "liberation = oil on teh cheap *wink wink* )

Wolfowitz pwned everyone and got promoted to chief of the world bank as a reward

gotta love the system.

 

[DCharlie]

the oil companies must be pissing themselves laughing.

it can't possibly suddenly cost this much more to produce oil, and a 1.4% spike in oil usage doesn't sound like they'd suddenly have production issues, so i'm guessing they are simply going to keep raising the price until suckers stop buying.

 

[sc0la]

the oil companies must be pissing themselves laughing.

it can't possibly suddenly cost this much more to produce oil, and a 1.4% spike in oil usage doesn't sound like they'd suddenly have production issues, so i'm guessing they are simply going to keep raising the price until suckers stop buying.

that is pretty much always been their MO.

Instability cause swift and sharp price increases, people continue to buy so they have little incentive to reduce prices even if their costs or instabilities acheive normality again. They raises prices quicker than you can blink and lower slower than molassas

 

[Cooper]

They raises prices quicker than you can blink and lower slower than molassas

Isn't that the truth. Premium at the Chevron by my home was $2.93 this morning. I wonder what it will be when I pass by tonight?

 

[Phoenix]

the oil companies must be pissing themselves laughing.

it can't possibly suddenly cost this much more to produce oil, and a 1.4% spike in oil usage doesn't sound like they'd suddenly have production issues, so i'm guessing they are simply going to keep raising the price until suckers stop buying.

Considering they keep posting record profits and getting tax breaks, they are laughing all the way to the bank Funniest part about it all is that we're about to spend $260 or so billion to improve roads instead of mass transit systems so that we can spend more money on gas... its just hilarious.

 

[Ninja Scooter]

am i the only one that doesn't notice what gas costs? I just pump the usual 89 octane and dont' pay attention to the price. I know its fairly high, like over $2.50 but i don't get all gonzo and freeper because it goes up 5 cents.

 

[TheOMan]

Well, I'm gonna try to take advantage of the situation and invest in some barrels of oil. This is getting ridiculous so I might as well make some money off of it :/

 

[Ninja Scooter]

Well, I'm gonna try to take advantage of the situation and invest in some barrels of oil. This is getting ridiculous so I might as well make some money off of it :/

too late. The local EBgames just bought all of them.

 

[Outlaw Pro Mod]

Oil refineries.
"A BP spokesman wouldn’t comment on how much production would be lost at its Texas City refinery, though the unit that went down because of a leak has the capacity to process 80,000 barrels of fuel per day. The U.S. burns about 9.5 million barrels of gasoline a day."

"U.S. refineries have been hit by more than half a dozen unplanned outages in the past few weeks as plants strain to keep up with two years of strong demand growth after a decade of underinvestment. "

"A fire over the weekend shut down a 200,000 barrel-per-day crude unit at Sunoco Inc.'s (Research) Philadelphia oil-refining complex, a company official said.

Further storms in a severe Atlantic hurricane season could knock out more U.S. output, according to analysts.

"People dare not price in the surpluses they see," said Deborah White, senior energy analyst at SG Commodities in Paris, of comfortable U.S. crude inventories. "

Also, cost per barrel 25 years ago = $80.

Gas is still a hell of a lot cheaper than bottled water!

 

[ToyMachine228]

Most people can't just avoid to buy gas...They have to go places, so the demand for gas stays the same and increases with the number of new drivers. But I am getting sick of it. I get $10 in gas do a bit of running around, and I'm almost empty again. It really sucks.

 

[Moose]

Right now, at 15, I can only ride a bike and my electric Golf Kart. I don't think I'll do any different once I get my liscense. D:

 

[SteveMeister]

Considering they keep posting record profits and getting tax breaks, they are laughing all the way to the bank Funniest part about it all is that we're about to spend $260 or so billion to improve roads instead of mass transit systems so that we can spend more money on gas... its just hilarious.

To be "fair" though, Bush threatened to veto the ORIGINAL highway improvement bill -- which was around $400B. So at least it's not quite as much as it would have been.

The funny thing is, car companies are in the midst of the rebirth of the muscle car, and SUV sales are still high. Not everyone is REALLY upset about the higher gas prices. More important than the direct effect on consumers' gas purchases is the effect higher gas prices will have on commercial transportation. Higher gas prices mean higher shipping charges and a trickle down effect of higher prices for EVERYTHING.

 

[Mandoric]

Well, I'm gonna try to take advantage of the situation and invest in some barrels of oil.

You and everyone else, hence -why- it's hitting such high prices.

 

[DSN2K]

dont think im ever going to driver until cars are are fueled by something else....

 

[chaostrophy]

The funny thing is, car companies are in the midst of the rebirth of the muscle car, and SUV sales are still high. Not everyone is REALLY upset about the higher gas prices.

Yeah, people just refuse to give up big wasteful vehicles and suburban McMansions. They can always save money in other ways to make up for the rising gas prices, like getting groceries at Super Wal-Mart every week instead of the supermarket that actually pays their workers a decent wage.

 

[Diablos]

am i the only one that doesn't notice what gas costs? I just pump the usual 89 octane and dont' pay attention to the price. I know its fairly high, like over $2.50 but i don't get all gonzo and freeper because it goes up 5 cents.

:rolleyes
The idea is that it KEEPS increasing by 5 cents and more often than not does not go down in price.

Over a rather short period of time (say, a year) the average price of gas next summer will be a good ten or twenty cents higher than it was this year. And the year after that, it'll be another ten or twenty. Fast forward five years later and gas is over $3.50/gallon for most people.

If nothing is done about this we're going to be just like Europe in another ten years. You'll be paying attention when you're pumping the 89 octane into your 15 gallon tank and end up paying $80 for it.

 

[Escape Goat]

Gas was 85 cents when I got my license

 

[Phoenix]

Gas was 85 cents when I got my license

Likewise. I've watched gas triple in price over a relatively short amount of time.

 

[Koshiba]

Yeah, I've noticed that it doesn't seem to stop going up.. =( I haven't gotten my license yet but suddenly, I'm not in much of a hurry to do so.. This really must be hell on the people that have trucks that eat gas like candy. But people are either going to start using bus systems more often or they're just going to keep paying for the gas until they can't afford it anymore. At this rate, people are going to end up spending more money on gas than they can actually even afford. Especially with alot of people working minimum wage jobs, it'd be impossible to live. I think I'll just try using the bus if I can.. though the nearest bus stop is a really long walk.

 

[sans_pants]

Yeah, people just refuse to give up big wasteful vehicles and suburban McMansions. They can always save money in other ways to make up for the rising gas prices, like getting groceries at Super Wal-Mart every week instead of the supermarket that actually pays their workers a decent wage.

i worked at a nonwalmart, and trust me, i didnt get paid much at all

 

[Cubsfan23]

Gas is still a hell of a lot cheaper than bottled water!

Yeah, except our cars need more gas than we do of water. I don't spend 30 dollars a week on bottle water.

 

[gigapower]

i'm scared for the upcoming winter and the cost to heat my home.

 

[Lambtron]

If all these analysts keep saying "oil prices are going to continue to rise" aren't people going to be all "BUYBUYBUYFUUUCKBUY!!!" and continue to drive prices up? Like a self-fulfilling prophecy?

Hey, gas hit $2.35/gallon here today. It was $2.09 just a week ago or so. This is way more than I want to pay. I'm going to get a fucking bus pass on payday. Fuck this gas shit. I'm through with it.

 

[Suikoguy]

If all these analysts keep saying "oil prices are going to continue to rise" aren't people going to be all "BUYBUYBUYFUUUCKBUY!!!" and continue to drive prices up? Like a self-fulfilling prophecy?

Hey, gas hit $2.35/gallon here today. It was $2.09 just a week ago or so. This is way more than I want to pay. I'm going to get a fucking bus pass on payday. Fuck this gas shit. I'm through with it.

I wish more people were apt to use public transportation such as yourself.. its not available where I live (smaller town) but I surely would use it if I could.

Its a win win situation imo; with one con

+You save energy, and conserve oil
+You pollute less
+You have some free time to play your GBA/DS/PSP
+You don't have to deal with traffic

-Having to wait for bus/train/sub stops kinda sucks, but nobody says you can't do something to pass time time. IE> Read a book, play a handheld, talk on a phone, etc.

 

[sans_pants]

I wish more people were apt to use public transportation such as yourself.. its not available where I live (smaller town) but I surely would use it if I could.

Its a win win situation imo; with one con

+You save energy, and conserve oil
+You pollute less
+You have some free time to play your GBA/DS/PSP
+You don't have to deal with traffic

-Having to wait for bus/train/sub stops kinda sucks, but nobody says you can't do something to pass time time. IE> Read a book, play a handheld, talk on a phone, etc.

this is why i miss college, the bus went around osu's campus all the time and i never had to drive

 

[Lambtron]

I wish more people were apt to use public transportation such as yourself.. its not available where I live (smaller town) but I surely would use it if I could.

Its a win win situation imo; with one con

+You save energy, and conserve oil
+You pollute less
+You have some free time to play your GBA/DS/PSP
+You don't have to deal with traffic

-Having to wait for bus/train/sub stops kinda sucks, but nobody says you can't do something to pass time time. IE> Read a book, play a handheld, talk on a phone, etc.

I'm in a pretty small town, so the public transportation is okay here at the BEST. I work at 10:30 am, when I drive, I leave by 10:15 and I'll be on time. Taking the bus I have to be to the bus stop, a block from my house, by 9:01 am. Sigh. And then I have to walk 5 blocks from the nearest stop.

Ah well, I'll play music and bolster my handheld collection.

 

[Drinky Crow]

Public transportation also means I'm on someone else's schedule -- fuck that.

 

[Raistlin]

I'm starting to hate that my car takes premium

 

[demon]

Public transportation also means I'm on someone else's schedule -- fuck that.

Yeah, unless you live in a big city, public transportation is fucking crap. A huge inconvenience.

 

[Raistlin]

The US is just too big, with a huge chunk of the population in suburban sprawl or the boonies. Obviously the infrastructure just isn't there for mass transit outside of the major cities.

 

[Triumph]

Gas is still a hell of a lot cheaper than bottled water!

Uh, last I checked a gallon of gas was like $2.50 and likely going higher. A gallon of water is like a dollar, AND I get a plastic jug. Mmm... jugs....

 

[WrathOfOtaibah]

In my hood it raised up six cents a gallon for today alone and up 20 cents in two weeks to about $2.40. Next week, the only mode of transportation I will have is my feet and my bike.

 

[Triumph]

The US is just too big, with a huge chunk of the population in suburban sprawl or the boonies. Obviously the infrastructure just isn't there for mass transit outside of the major cities.

That's entirely our fault, though. The boonies is one thing, but suburbia is going to be remembered as the most wasteful, untenable way of life from the 20th century.

 

[Brannon]

Gas is still a hell of a lot cheaper than bottled water!

As an avid drinker of water, I'm gonna have to say no, hell no, and hell the fuck naw it ain't, unless you're buying those small bottles of premium Fuji/Evian, then you need to stop that.

 

[GaimeGuy]

I should learn how to ride a bike. :|

 

[Wario64]

gas is so high that i refuse to go outside.

 

[MetatronM]

Gas was 85 cents when I got my license

Same here. And that was only 6 years ago.

Thank God my car only likes regular unleaded. I can't imagine what it's like for you suckers who have to use premium.

 

[Deku]

I could always use the "Well in Europe it's so much more expensive" argument but that's besides the point. We have gone, in what... 7 years... from just a little over $1 a gallon (sometimes cheaper) to what we have now. That is unbelievable.

I think the silver lining is, it will eventually get North Americans off their SUVs and get a real practical appreciation of smaller cars and fuel efficiency as well as drive technological innovation and acceptance of hybrids. There's absolutely no excuse for soccer moms to be hogging the road and crashing into buses in busy downtown streets on an SUV when they could be zipping around on a smaller more fuel efficient car where the frequent starts and stops wouldn't waste so much fuel.

And yes, I was on a bus in downtown Vancouver when a soccer mom crashed into a Bus on her SUV and tried to blame it on the bus driver.

the oil companies must be pissing themselves laughing.

it can't possibly suddenly cost this much more to produce oil, and a 1.4% spike in oil usage doesn't sound like they'd suddenly have production issues, so i'm guessing they are simply going to keep raising the price until suckers stop buying..

That's a simplistic analysis. The oil companies also took a hit with the low fuel costs in the 90s but no one seem to mind then.

Most of them have to get their fuel from somewhere to process in their refineries, it's not like they get the oil for free and make a fortune off of it.

That said, since a lot of the commodity business has to do with futures contracts where prices are locked in ahead of time, rising price of oil means contracts that were locked in when prices were expected to be lower would yield considerable profit for the oil companies. But it's not really their fault since prices could just easily fall and they'd be stuck with a bunch contracts where they are supposed to buy crude at higher than the spot price on the market.

The real driver of rising oil prices is limited supply or more precisely, limited capacity to raise supply and China's surging demand for oil.

 

[mrklaw]

Yeah, people just refuse to give up big wasteful vehicles and suburban McMansions. They can always save money in other ways to make up for the rising gas prices, like getting groceries at Super Wal-Mart every week instead of the supermarket that actually pays their workers a decent wage.

Yes, us in Europe get raped on petrol (although at least we get 95-98 octane).

But because you crazy americans have such wasteful cars, you could probably spend the same as you used to on 'gas' by using a more efficient car. In Europe, we already use efficient cars, so we're screwed.

Then you could still eat nice food.

 

[ChrisReid]

Gas was 85 cents when I got my license

Me too.

Fortunately, my car gets 30/40 miles to the gallon, and I just got a new job 1-1.5 miles from my house.

 

[Wendo]

I say, let them rise! Let them rise to $5 a gallon!

Neccessity is the mother of invention...and we're in need of a new type of (clean) fuel for our cars. The hydrogen fuel cell is not that answer.

 

[Silent Death]

If I've heard correctly in Europe half of the price of gas is due to taxes. If that's the case then the Europeans are not getting screwed per se because they are getting that money back in form of service be they road maintenance or health care or what ever that 50% goes to in the general fund. In the US only something like 10 percent of the price of gas is tax. The US is still getting screwed because the bulk of that money goes back to the oil companies who will lay people off and before they cut the salaries of their CEOs.

 

[mrklaw]

If I've heard correctly in Europe half of the price of gas is due to taxes. If that's the case then the Europeans are not getting screwed per se because they are getting that money back in form of service be they road maintenance or health care or what ever that 50% goes to in the general fund. In the US only something like 10 percent of the price of gas is tax. The US is still getting screwed because the bulk of that money goes back to the oil companies who will lay people off and before they cut the salaries of their CEOs.

I guess (and its more like 75% goes on tax). Although I'd quite like for some of that to go on making the roads I drive on less like a dirt track..

 

[xsarien]

too late. The local EBgames just bought all of them.

:lol :lol

Public transportation also means I'm on someone else's schedule -- fuck that.

Coming from the New York metro area, I never, ever understood this mindset until I went to school just outside of Albany, where "mass transportation" was a bus fleet that made what should be a 20 minute ride to the mall an hour long (or more) adventure.

To mitigate the stance of the naysayers though, a proper mass-transportation system can be very fast. Subways, light-rail, and commuter rail systems don't have to deal with traffic lights, congestion is pretty much a non-issue unless there's a switching malfunction, and "someone else's schedule" is pretty much defined as every 10-20 minutes. If it's properly zoned and built, it's actually better than driving in several aspects: You don't need to worry about parking, it could be available at (nearly) all times of day or night, and a monthly pass should cost about $40-$70/month. At the rate gas prices are going, your trips on mass transportation have paid for themselves within a week or two.

I'm a little less tolerant of bus-based systems; about the only thing they're good for is getting cars off the road. But they're still slow, and often have routes so extensive that there are too many stops on the way to make it more efficient than just getting into a car. But in a pinch, or for a (relatively) short distance, they're okay.

Gas prices are getting high to the point of parody. I'm thankful that I managed to land myself in the one city in California that lets me rely on mass transportation and my feet. If gas prices keep going up, any hypothetical car of mine would be too expensive to drive.

 

[Suikoguy]

I say, let them rise! Let them rise to $5 a gallon!

Neccessity is the mother of invention...and we're in need of a new type of (clean) fuel for our cars. The hydrogen fuel cell is not that answer.

Yep, while it comes with a ton of drawbacks.. I think its the only thing thats going to get us off our dependance on oil. I truely hope that billions of dollars are poured into research of new energy production technologies (Lets get fusion working alright?), to the point that there is a scientist shortage

I think the answer is out there, but its easier to get someone to quit smoking if it costs them 3 times as much.

Edit: (another fun analogy)
Its also tough to get someone to Study for a test, if they can get the answers online.