$60 a barrel for oil?

[edblysard]

Well, Don, if truth be told, my 5.7 Hemi gets 27 to 28 mpg on the freeway, and 16 to 17 city driving, and thats with all five of us inthe car, and luggage too.

Seems technology has gotten around to making a multi displacement system that works.

Although this is starting to sound like the tree huggers vs. the rational people...

But it tickles me to death listening to folks grip about the oil use of a car...the whole time wearing nylon windbreakers, plastic shoes, talking on a cell phone and writing on a machine made mostly from...plastic, a nice petroleum product.
But I guess its just easier to point out the car as the bad guy..after all, wouldnt want to be asked to give up your cell phone, or your tennis shoes, or your computer, or any of your personel creature comforts.

Ed

QUOTE: [i]

I won't change my ways, if I want to drive a hummer, or a large pickup/suv that don't get 20 MPG, I'll pay...... Gotta have that HEMI.

[Anonymous]

I drive a corolla with a stick, it can get up and go. That is my primary commute car. It still gets 30 miles to gallon despite it's 1988 vintage.

Regarding the misconception with failure to merge onto a freeway.. I am not budging from my position. Every morning I deal with one specific on ramp that forces people to the left because mergers in their big cars fail to speed up to highway speed properly.

It has gotten dangerous so the regulars form in the left lane about 5 miles before that specific onramp so we can breeze by safe from the lane changing and braking. The number of cylinders is really irrevelant when people dont understand how to merge properly.

This year my family has ruthlessly paid off thousands in credit card debt. By christmas we will essentially be debt free and in a position to keep buying gasoline at whatever price.

The credit cards were the true enemy with the interest and we are just about finished retiring that debt that was costing hundreds in interest.

We know that the gas will get expensive. We adjusted our work places to be closer to home and not have to worry about a 60+ mile commute. We did alot of work to ensure that our cars are getting the mileage they need to.

So, let them raise the gas prices. I dont care. even at 10 dollars a gallon we would need to buy approx 200 dollars worth a week and still can meet our commute needs. So, we are not rich, but at 7.00 a gallon we can still maintain our lifestyle. But anything over probably will force us to make cuts somewhere.

Part of the attitude regarding the use of gasoline stems from the fact that I used to see thousands of dollars a month in Desiel fuel at 3.50-4.00 a gallon in some areas of the USA. I am old enough to recall when the oil embargo hit. That was the end of the muscle cars and 70 mph speed limit in those days.

SUV's? I suspect people drive them either as a status symbol "Hey look at me!" or use them as battering rams to force thier way thru traffic. Aggressive driving in the mid atlantic states provide testamony to my theory.

You want to save energy? Then we as a society need to consider the emerging Hybrid Technology that can provide a 600 mile weekly commute for 20 dollars one time on a fill up. Now THAT is attractive. But I refuse to consider buying one the size of the old Geos. They cannot provide any meaningful protection in a accident.

We used to pay that much a week on several vehicles when we both commuted far away to work. The locals here with thier big pickups and powerful vehicles are staying with them too. There is too much work to be done with the farm to let them go.

[cpbloom]

QUOTE: Originally posted by OneSecondPle

I dont think the problem lies in the lack of refineries. It lies with the people in America who insist on buying cars that on the highway dont even get 20 mpg. Who needs an h2? No one does. There are many cars out there that get great gas mileage, that, should people realize they do not need gas guzzling cars, could help with gas prices. i would love to see gas go to five dollars a gallon, then laugh when people who think that suvs are the best thing, cant drive them anymore. 6 bucks a gallon, I wish....

I somewhat agree that some will pay whatever it cost for gas as long as they have it, but.....at some point the cost per gallon will start to exceed what people will pay (it won't take 5 bucks a gallon for me; I'd quit driving at 4).

At one time we didn't have SUV's or minivans, now people are convinced they can't do anything with out them. It seems like everytime I see one its almost always just has ONE passenger (the driver), so let's stop the misconception that most people that have one NEEDS one........because most don't!

And let's stop the misconception that 4 cylinder cars have poor acceleration/power because my 2003 Toyota Corrola doesn't have any problem merging onto the interstate!

All this talk of justifying why one should own a SUV/Mini Van on a railroad message board where others try and justify why we should keep Amtrak makes no sense to me. [:(!]

[Anonymous]

There is this attitude that one will pay whatever to get their gallon of gas, and forgot any lessons of supply and demand of the 1970s. Oh, they will remember the lessons when one has to wait in line 5 hours to fill his gas tank when supply don't meet demand at any price....nothing like seeing everyone top off their tanks every day or every other day. Of course, they are rich enough to hire someone to fill their car with gas every day when supply don't meet demand.

In my opinion we are only a couple of years away from supply not meeting demand at whatever price. It was so bad during the 1970s oil embargo one member of the family had to keep a watch on their car's license plates and go without sleeping. People would do anything to change their license plates from an even number one day to an odd number the next, especially those on the road.....much less stealing your gas..... Where did you think the plot of the movie the Road Warrior came from?

However, the next time the supply panic hits, there won't be an embargo to lift.....

I won't change my ways, if I want to drive a hummer, or a large pickup/suv that don't get 20 MPG, I'll pay...... Gotta have that HEMI.

[Anonymous]

how can you compare things like carbonated sugar water prices to gas? thats like comparing caviar to the price of cement, they are totally unrelated....

[selector]

Larry, HighIron, and Murphy, you fellows have it right. My dad always asked me, when I was younger and we were going through the oil crisis in the mid-70's, why would you drink soda that costs more per unit volume than gasoline?! I don't hear that Pepsi or Coca Cola are falling on tough times. MacDonalds and Big Boy are doing okay. NBA and pro-ball are just fine, thank you very much. So when we find that gas is driving us (pun intended) to ruin, I am guessing that all of the others aforementioned will have closed shop due to diverted dollars. Okay, I'm gonna hold my breath.

[Anonymous]

I don't care how high the Coffee goes up! That's still not going to stop me from buying my Coffee. I need my cup of Coffee in the morning or I go realy crazy.
Allan.

[Murphy Siding]

All things considered, I think the most I've ever paid for gas was $1.359-in 1979. It's all reletive. How much is a 5 cent cup of coffee?

[Anonymous]

But that's the whole point, we don't need pickups to haul 4X8 plywood or several bales of hay. We can do as the Europeans do, rent a lolly when we need to haul freight, or have it delivered. The Europeans have learned the tricks, having paid twice to three times as much for gas than we do.....

In Europe, a VW Lupo or VW Polo are considered economical, at over 50 MPG, whereas in America many still think 20 MPG is economical...... WRONG!

[martin.knoepfel]

If we take into account inflation since the early 80's, oil should be at 80 $/barrel to equalize the price payed a quarter of a century ago.

[Anonymous]

Or 660 a barrel for ink.

[tree68]

We'll pay $268 per barrel for carbonated sugar water, why not $60 for a barrel of oil?

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by sammythebull

In the 1980's when the oil & gas industry took a nose dive, Oil bottomed out at $14. a barrell in 1989. In just 16 yrs, the price has jumped from a low of $14. to now on the verge of $60. Pretty scary.

Not if you have oil stocks...lol

LC

P.S. Wish I hadn't sold my Exxon after the Exxon Valdez now...

[Anonymous]

In the 1980's when the oil & gas industry took a nose dive, Oil bottomed out at $14. a barrell in 1989. In just 16 yrs, the price has jumped from a low of $14. to now on the verge of $60. Pretty scary.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by OneSecondPle

I dont think the problem lies in the lack of refineries. It lies with the people in America who insist on buying cars that on the highway dont even get 20 mpg. Who needs an h2? No one does. There are many cars out there that get great gas mileage, that, should people realize they do not need gas guzzling cars, could help with gas prices. i would love to see gas go to five dollars a gallon, then laugh when people who think that suvs are the best thing, cant drive them anymore. 6 bucks a gallon, I wish....

I'll tell you why. Americans are a self reliant people. If it cannot haul a 4x8 sheet of plywood, forget it.

If you cannot pack a baseball team in it and take em to pizza forget that too.

The old Station wagons I grew up in is considered quite the romance killer today.

No one wants a tiny 4 cylinder car that shuts down a interstate every time it tries to merge on.

No. We demand space, power and accesories.

Im a-sticking with that old pete I once drove so long ago. Perfect for me.

[tatans]

Yahoo $60.00/bbl I worked for an oil company who refused to pay us peasants(non-directors) a decent wage, one of the geologists told us "quit complaining" go buy some shares in the company, it makes millions a year, get in on it ! I took his advice and am now reaping the benefits, you cannot imagine the obscene profits these boys make, aaahhhh, free enterprise.---keep buying those big SUV"s, you're making me wealthy(my car gets 39 mpg) I just talked to a guy who drove a new VW from Calgary, Alberta to Vancouver, B.C. on one tank of gas and drove around for 3 days before buying some gas--who cares what gas costs at those rates.

[Anonymous]

I dont think the problem lies in the lack of refineries. It lies with the people in America who insist on buying cars that on the highway dont even get 20 mpg. Who needs an h2? No one does. There are many cars out there that get great gas mileage, that, should people realize they do not need gas guzzling cars, could help with gas prices. i would love to see gas go to five dollars a gallon, then laugh when people who think that suvs are the best thing, cant drive them anymore. 6 bucks a gallon, I wish....

[vsmith]

$60? I heard this AM that $100 a barrel was likely by end of summer, and gas will be $3 a gallon, I dont see any effort to build any new refineries to help open the refining bottleneck causing the high gas prices also, its too sweet a deal for Big Oil to keep supply tight and prices high, so much for Prez Bush's Energy Policy.....as for me? I'm getting a Smart car when they come out [}:)]

[gabe]

First of all: good.

When oil spiked in the 70s, there was a very pronounced movement to develop alternate energy forms. Had that movement continued, we would not be having the energy problems we are right now.

The only thing that is stifling alternate forms of energy was the low cost of oil. If the current prices can be maintained, alternate forms will be viable and our dependence upon crude will diminish.

Gabe

[Anonymous]

It's only going to get worse. Because as Amercia want's more so does the Price as it reflecs with high price of gas. Even though China guzzels up more than the USA does. That's why they pay more than us.

[georgel]

With the price of housing up 93 %,and medical care up almost 200%,and your morning coffee up 56%, gas is only up 45% from a year ago. I think $4.50 a gallon is not far off.

[spbed]

Sorry to say that there are going to be many hurting Americans as paying for gas disrupts the way they are used to living up to now. [:(][:(]

If I was a money planner I would recommend to anyone that you should begin to evulate what you are now spending money on that is really not necessary. [;)][;)]

Originally posted by donclark
[

Living nearby to MP 186 of the UPRR  Austin TX Sub

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