How have gas prices affected you?

[hexicon]

I have a long commute (35 miles). During the off-season I try to conserve by carpooling with a neighbor and by taking LOTS of time off!

Ironically, one of the reasons I don't want to move closer to my job is that the neighborhood where I live is very walkable. I can hop on my bike or get out my iPod and sneakers and bike/walk to the grocery store, dr.'s office, library, etc.

If I wanted to live closer to my job I'd have to buy in some nasty development where I'd have to get out the car and drive five miles just to get a carton of milk.

[Frau_Blucher]

[quote][i]Originally posted by Wavedancer101[/i]
<br>Hi everyone,
Surely gas prices in the USA are on a constant rise, but compared to gas prices in Europe...
just a little Example:
Price per liter (Unleaded 95): 1,35 €, that makes about 5 € per gallon, which is about 6,50 $ at the current exchange rate.
[/quote]
Yes, it's still only 1/2 the price, but we're used to it being 1/4 of the price. We demand that it at least go back to 1/3 of the European price! [8D]

Seriously though, it's the first time the US administration has used the word "crisis": [:0]

http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/04/30/ ... index.html

It at least calls into question the extent of the multi-billion dollar tax breaks that the energy industry gets:

http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pi ... news_index

I can see Bush not wanting to monkey with the markets and impose windfall profits taxes on the oil companies, but why extend such broad tax breaks as well? These companies may actually be disincentivised to reinvest their profits when they can just get it from their sugar daddy government.

Of course this is overly simplistic - I'm not against very focused tax breaks that will require direct investment in specific areas of R&D for alternative fuels...but not for deeper drilling and everyday operations for chrissakes. Big oil should be in the same supply/demand/reinvestment boat as the rest of us.

<img src="http://home.comcast.net/~myirwin/Scroll.gif">

[stella]

Yesterday we had to shelter in place. The old UNOCAL refinery, now owned by CONOCO, is cranking out product as fast as they can to cash in on the market and they had a little accident.

We got these sirens that go off, sounds like the end of the world, hurts your ears and inspires panic, great system. They shrieked for ten minutes. You're supposed to bring your pets inside, close all doors and windows, fireplace flu, put towels under doors and use tape and plastic over any leaks. Half an hour after that I get an automated call telling me there's been a release at blah blah blah telling me to shelter in place. My friend Bill calls from the other end of town and tells me he can see dark smoke coming over the hill behind me. Several hours later we got the all clear.

And that's how gas prices affected me yesterday.

[eight6]

[quote][i]Originally posted by stella[/i]
<br>Yesterday we had to shelter in place. The old UNOCAL refinery, now owned by CONOCO, is cranking out product as fast as they can to cash in on the market and they had a little accident.

We got these sirens that go off, sounds like the end of the world, hurts your ears and inspires panic, great system. They shrieked for ten minutes. You're supposed to bring your pets inside, close all doors and windows, fireplace flu, put towels under doors and use tape and plastic over any leaks. Half an hour after that I get an automated call telling me there's been a release at blah blah blah telling me to shelter in place. My friend Bill calls from the other end of town and tells me he can see dark smoke coming over the hill behind me. Several hours later we got the all clear.

And that's how gas prices affected me yesterday.

[/quote]

Why not just move?

<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v647/dbince/eight.gif"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v647/dbince/number6.gif">

[stella]

My husband and I talk about moving. The thing is this is my home and letting these guys run me off is just too much. Stupid I know but the harder someone pushes me the more they piss me off. I'm going to drive over to their front gate and stand with a sign that says CONOCO STINKS at rush hour. Other ideas gratefully accepted.

[ben_at_work]

[quote][i]Originally posted by stella[/i]
<br>My husband and I talk about moving. The thing is this is my home and letting these guys run me off is just too much. Stupid I know but the harder someone pushes me the more they piss me off. I'm going to drive over to their front gate and stand with a sign that says CONOCO STINKS at rush hour. Other ideas gratefully accepted.
[/quote]

2 words...Smear Campain

or the ol' burning bag of dog pooh on the doorstep is a good fail-safe