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Gasoline Prices.

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Posted by passengerfan on Saturday, April 23, 2005 9:49 PM
Evening news said we could expect gasoline prices to continue to rise over next two weeks as much as ten to fifteen cents per gallon. And no guarantees they will go down after that. Won't be able to do much railfanning this summer.
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Posted by passengerfan on Saturday, April 23, 2005 9:58 PM
A little off topic but was in office today and one of the young staff members in early twenties had never heard of full service gas stations. I told her that when going to high school worked the three to eleven shift in gas station. Gas was around .22 cents per gallon and the attendant(me) filled the tank, washed the windshield, side windows and rear window and mirror. Also checked the oil and water levels, and fan belts under the hood and if we had time even checked tire pressure. This was all part of the service. When we did an oil change and grease job we checked all of the above and also cleaned the windows inside vacuumed the interior and washed the exterior. What ever happened to full service? Guess it when the way of the DoDo.
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Posted by passengerfan on Sunday, April 24, 2005 4:38 AM
P.S As I recall was paid 1.12 per hour for working in Gas Station. Not bad for a fifteen year old at the time in 1958. Was able to purchase car and insurance in those days when I turned sixteen. Wi***hat was true today.
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Posted by Modelcar on Sunday, April 24, 2005 7:55 AM
....Don't forget the customer saying..."Hey bud, where's your restroom"....Family built new Esso Station in 1938...First sign said "6 gal. for $1.00...!!"....and we provided all the above services...

Quentin

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Posted by passengerfan on Sunday, April 24, 2005 10:50 PM
Station I worked in was Richfield now part of Atlantic Richfield. I know this is not the place to ask but it seems to me that many of trhe Stattions I grew up with are no longer in existence just like the railroads they were merged. I can remember the Standard Stations, Chevron. Richfield, Texaco, Shell, and many others that I can't recall will have to think about for awhile.
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Posted by Puckdropper on Sunday, April 24, 2005 11:56 PM
passengerfan, it's still around...

Places like to charge you extra for stuff like that... I took my car in for an oil change and the guy checked the lights and replaced one of the brake lights. $1.80 for parts and $6.90 for labor. (I could have done the same job for less than the cost of the part!)
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Posted by spbed on Monday, April 25, 2005 6:46 AM
Wow thanks you took me back in time many, many years. I think when I 1st bought gas $0.19 sticks in my brain at a Texaco station around the corner from my home in Brooklyn NY . [:o)][:p][:)]


Originally posted by passengerfan

Living nearby to MP 186 of the UPRR  Austin TX Sub

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Posted by spbed on Monday, April 25, 2005 6:50 AM
I was getting $50.00 per 35 hour week working as a office boy in 58 for a steamship line in downtown NYC. Subway was probably a nickel or a dime. Newspaper $0.03 to $0.05 [:o)][:D]


Originally posted by passengerfan
[

Living nearby to MP 186 of the UPRR  Austin TX Sub

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Posted by Modelcar on Monday, April 25, 2005 8:41 AM
...And I believe it is today our President is meeting with Saudia Arabian Prince..{?} to discuss crude oil among other things as reported....Will we get results....Getting them to up production and bring some relief to the world oil prices....?

Quentin

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Posted by spbed on Monday, April 25, 2005 12:44 PM
Good news CNN says gas has dropped about $0.05 in a week per gallon.

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Posted by passengerfan on Monday, April 25, 2005 4:54 PM
CNN doesn't stand for California News Network as prices are still rising in gold country as I write this response. Maybe prices are getting lower in other 49 but not here.
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Posted by Modelcar on Monday, April 25, 2005 9:47 PM
...Of course that figure was a national average....If fluctuates up and down here weekly.

Quentin

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Posted by passengerfan on Tuesday, April 26, 2005 8:21 AM
It wasn't that many years ago that we had gas wars where competing stations would drop prices lower to get your business. Now days it seems when one station raises its prices the others cant wait to raise theirs higher.
Lets see. In the not to distant past you paid .19 to .23 cents per gallon
The station pumped the gas for you
They cleaned your windows
Checked your oil and water
Checked tire pressure
and wished you a happy day.
Today you pay over 2.50 per gallon
You pump your own gas
You clean your own windows if there are any paper towels and windshield cleaner available
You check your own oil and water
and they charge you for the air you pump into your tires.
When you fini***hey don't tell you to have a nice day instead they ask you if you would like to remortgage your house to pay for a fill up.
Tell me their isn't something wrong with this picture or am I just getting old.
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Posted by Modelcar on Tuesday, April 26, 2005 8:33 AM
...All You mentioned in above post is true but we must consider one other item...Taxes...Gasoline has been heavily taxed over the years since all the above was true and of course effected the price. But of course the heavy boosts in crude prices in most recent times is another story....and it continues.

Quentin

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Posted by spbed on Tuesday, April 26, 2005 3:06 PM
They are saying that do to spikes in oil usage by India & China the price of oil should again begin a upward movement

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Posted by passengerfan on Tuesday, April 26, 2005 9:11 PM
Just heard story that tankers load oil than poke along on trip until oil prices rise before heading for port to unload at the higher price. If true Bush needs to send our submarines to sink tankers for practice.
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Posted by spbed on Wednesday, April 27, 2005 7:00 AM
Sorry to report the local electric company here says it needs a increase due to high fuel costs. What is scary about this is they also asked for one for next & following year claiming they KNOW fuel costs in 06 & 07 will be MUCH higher then in 05

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Posted by spbed on Thursday, April 28, 2005 9:24 AM
Last nite news report said that sales of SUV's are off by 15% & the value of used SUV's has also dropped.

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Posted by Leon Silverman on Thursday, April 28, 2005 4:04 PM
Saudi Arabia agreement to raise oil production will have absolutely no effect on gas prices here since we have no excess refining capacity available to handle the added supplies. This is why Bush has already stated that he cannot do anything that will lower gas prices for the short term.
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Posted by Modelcar on Thursday, April 28, 2005 4:52 PM
....Gas prices were considerably lower one year or so ago and our refinery capacity was most likely similar to what it is now......

Quentin

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Posted by passengerfan on Friday, April 29, 2005 12:20 AM
One of California Refineries is down for annual maintenace so that is reason we are paying higher prices than others. I guess when they fini***he annual maintenance another refinery will be due for its annual maintenace keeping the prices high.
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Posted by eolafan on Friday, April 29, 2005 9:00 AM
QUOTE: Originally posted by passengerfan

It wasn't that many years ago that we had gas wars where competing stations would drop prices lower to get your business. Now days it seems when one station raises its prices the others cant wait to raise theirs higher.
Lets see. In the not to distant past you paid .19 to .23 cents per gallon
The station pumped the gas for you
They cleaned your windows
Checked your oil and water
Checked tire pressure
and wished you a happy day.
Today you pay over 2.50 per gallon
You pump your own gas
You clean your own windows if there are any paper towels and windshield cleaner available
You check your own oil and water
and they charge you for the air you pump into your tires.
When you fini***hey don't tell you to have a nice day instead they ask you if you would like to remortgage your house to pay for a fill up.
Tell me their isn't something wrong with this picture or am I just getting old.



[V] Well, I think we are all getting old(er) and this is "progress". Do you all remember going into the gas station for that full service fill up and getting a coffee mug or glass or some other gift free with the fill up. I even remember going into an Esso station and gettng a "Put a Tiger in your tank" Tiger tail that they encouraged us to let hang out of our gas cap area to show we used Esso gas. Now they would charge you for such a priviledge. Progress sucks sometimes.[:(!]
Eolafan (a.k.a. Jim)
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Posted by Modelcar on Friday, April 29, 2005 9:05 AM
....Don't forget the Free "Esso Road Maps"...that now cost $$$.

Quentin

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Posted by eolafan on Friday, April 29, 2005 9:11 AM
"Back then" we were able to go to our corner gas station and have our car serviced by a reasonably experienced mechanic (note that I did not say "technician"), and you could wait for your car to be fixed. Nowadays you need to make an appointment weeks ahead to bring your car into a dealer and have them diagnose the problem with a computer by a "trained technician" and pay through the ever loving nose only to find out the problem you brought it in for was not fixed and you need another "two weeks from Thursday" appointment to fix the original problem (never mind expecting them to credit you for fixing a problem that never existed in the first place). At the gas station you either pay your money to a pimple faced teenager or to "Mohamed" behind the counter (personally I'll take the pimple faced teen...at least he speaks some sort of English).
Eolafan (a.k.a. Jim)
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Posted by spbed on Friday, April 29, 2005 9:21 AM
How about free air & vacum? [:o)][:)]

Originally posted by eolafan

Originally posted by passengerfan

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Posted by passengerfan on Saturday, April 30, 2005 7:34 AM
You still get a free vacuuming every last dollar in your pocket.
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Posted by spbed on Saturday, April 30, 2005 8:07 AM
Not in the lower SE air is a $0.25 & vacum is also a quarter [:o)][8D]

Originally posted by passengerfan
[

Living nearby to MP 186 of the UPRR  Austin TX Sub

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Posted by passengerfan on Sunday, May 1, 2005 5:11 AM
Headline in our money section of papaer reads oil falls below $50.00 a barrel. So what it will take weeks for that to convert to a price drop in gasoline at the pump.
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Posted by Modelcar on Sunday, May 1, 2005 7:35 AM
....And in the service station....."we"...{our family business}, washed thousands of cars at 1.50 each and detailed {waxed}, for up to 20.00...an all day job worked in along with the other routine business....

Quentin

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Posted by passengerfan on Sunday, May 1, 2005 8:38 AM
My service station experience wasn't in a family station but the owner certainly made everyone feel like family. Especially the day shift he brought them doughnuts everyday from the bakery up the street. There were four service bays and all four were busy during the day shift. I came on at 3:00 PM and by six I was all alone. The others had all gone home. The boss would often drop in during the evening and bring me a piece of fresh pie left over from their dinner or sometimes my favorite Chocolate cake. His wife Sandy was one heck of a baker and I enjoyed the treats brought to me. My Mother used to bring me dinner as itr was only two blocks away. The one stipulation was that I bring the plate home clean, we had silverware at the station. I usually ate my dinner about six thirty then it was study time for my homework. Wasn't many customers in the evening so one of my jobs was to fill the island oil racks that were covered and locked at night. Another chore was the cleanup of the bays. Which we used solvent and mops in those days to clean. It probably took one hour to do the clean up of the bays and then I had to sweep the office area a ten minute job. My last task before goiung home was to wash down the islands so they would be nice and clean for the mornig shift that started at five AM. It was a good job for a high scholl kid in those days and I always managed to get my homework completed for the next day. Rarely did I have anything but pumping gas in the evening. Sometimes the occasional fan belt or once in a great while a battery needed replacing. I think my biggest sale one time was a set of tires. I had to call one of the day mechanics to help with that as I still had customers to pump gas for.

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