There are increasing signs that US motorists are changing their driving habits in the face of record prices at the fuel pumps. Posted on 04/09/2005 9:23:32 AM PDT by traumer
There are increasing signs that US motorists are changing their driving habits in the face of record prices at the fuel pumps.
While the US love affair with the motor car is far from over, consumer dismay has greeted the latest predictions that the average price of petrol will hit $2.35-a-gallon during the peak summer driving season.
That is cheap fuel by European standards, but represents a substantial spike in the US, where motorists were paying some 40 cents less last summer. Sales of gas-hungry sport utility vehicles and pick-ups are stalling, while drivers are taking drastic steps to cut down on expenses.
Brad Proctor, founder of Gaspricewatch.com reports a surge in price spotters for the site, which records prices at 128,000 gas stations to help consumers. "We are a nation that drives a lot. When prices go up by 25 cents in 30 days, it hits business and consumers hard."
'Changes in driving'
The price spike is fuelled by the rising cost of crude oil, which makes up about half the cost of retail petrol in the US.
I am a cabbie who does 120 miles a day - I'm not taking long fares as I lose out on the return trip - Daryl Smith
"Taxi firms and pizza deliveries are now charging surcharges to cover gas costs," said Proctor. "We are seeing changes in the way people are driving, what cars they are using. Families are leaving the big, gas-guzzling SUV at home and taking their second car for short trips."
Jay McIntosh, director of retail and consumer products at Ernst & Young, said "lower income earners" were most vulnerable. "In the longer term I think we'll see some inflationary pricing at retail on many imported items like clothing and household goods," he told the BBC.
AT THE PUMPS Highest gas price in the US is $2.99 per gallon, in San Francisco, California Lowest is $1.96 in Evanston, Wyoming UK drivers pay equivalent of $6.10 per gallon Source: Gaspricewatch.com
A majority of Americans say gas prices are causing financial hardship, according to a recent CNN/USA Today poll of 1,040 adults.
Fifteen percent of respondents said the price of gas was causing them "serious hardship" jeopardising their standard of living, while 43% described "moderate hardship".
Forty-eight percent said gas prices had caused them to cut back on their driving.
But demand grows
Despite high prices, demand is expected to continue to rise due in part to the increasing number of drivers and vehicles on the roads. The US Energy Information Administration says demand this summer will rise 1.8% from last summer, helping push pump prices to a peak average of $2.35 a gallon in May.
Lynn Franco, head of consumer research at The Conference Board, warned: "If we have several months of significantly higher prices then that is when we could see a marked impact in terms of consumer confidence."
For those on tight margins, the solution is to drive less.
Washington DC cabbie Daryl Smith said: "I'm not taking long fares as I lose out on the return trip. "In fact, I'm not cruising for fares now - I'm parking in the good spots."
I go through an equivalent amount of gas as milk each week.......my weekly milk bill is nearly double the weekly gasoline bill.
"B.) Drill EVERYWHERE there's oil here, (to hell with all environmental concerns!),"
Do you really think that domestic production is going to drop prices? Oil is sold on wold markets, if others are willing to pay these companies a better price, do you really believe a corporation is going to sell to the American market at a discount. Hell no, they will sell to the highest bidder, it is the job of a corporation to look out for it's share holders, not anyones national interests.
Unless you are talking about a socialist government owned or controlled oil company that is.
--and what effect do you think it would have--?
No, but during WWII American industries were TOLD what to do and WHO they could sell to. This is a national emergency and we're at war.
Its any American companies PATRIOTIC DUTY to sell to their fellow citizens at a discount. If were at war, and we are, then we need to act like it with industry, too.
To hell with the world. This is what happens when we sign crap like GATT, NAFTA, FTAA, and we get in to the WTO.
We need to be just the USA again and free ourselves from this globalist horse manure.
I don't care if the rest of the world goes down the drain. Only the USA mnatters to me.
sorry for the confusion - I was referring to
"We need the oil, screw the Chicoms.... We must not ever allow the rising of another superpower "
Make a lot of people including me feel better that we can send a message to the oil companies that enough is enough and stink is at an all high level. Who knows? Maybe a coordinated national two-day-a-week boycott on fill up could be managed. Who knows? But one thing is certain, a message will be sent. Remember the adage: United we stand; divided we fall!
PS, outlaw oil bidding by US controlled oil companies...problem with the rest of the damn world taking OUR oil solved.
USA #1
FTW!
http://jbs.org
Have not checked in the death valley area, but its going up here in Pahrump. Yesterday I payed 2.45
BTW nice to know there are freepers near Pahrump.. lol thought I was all alone out here.
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Strange. The mini-mart gas stations in Spokane have been selling it for $2 a gallon all winter long here. Bust be a loss-leader to get folks into the store and profit from the gasoline sales!
Stop driving like everyone else - stay home and blog.
Who is going to pay $2.50 a gallon when crude goes back down to $20/barrel?
Stop driving like everyone else - stay home and blog.
Who is going to pay $2.50 a gallon when crude goes back down to $20/barrel?
... and save AMERICAns
not likely. I'd pay 5 bucks a gallon not to have to a)wait for the darn thing b) sit next to some low life with bad breath c) expose myself and my children to god knows what viruses d) wait for the thing to come back and most importantly E) drive in anything with a GOVERNMENT employee running the controls. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"No, but during WWII American industries were TOLD what to do and WHO they could sell to."
Fine if that is how you feel so be it. That is however, a government controlled corporation and the antithesis of small government conservatism.
"Its any American companies PATRIOTIC DUTY to sell to their fellow citizens at a discount. If were at war, and we are, then we need to act like it with industry, too."
Short of mom and pop stores, there aren't too many "American companies". Large corporations by their nature are international entities. Sure they might have main offices or main branches in one country or another, but they exist outside the borders of any one country. They have their own constituency, and it is not the voting population of America, it is their shareholders (as it should be).
They world market price is only a problem when you have a weak currency.
We had a discussion a couple of months ago about avoiding the Commiefornia border when one is shooting the AR-15---
" The law of supply and demand would say yes."
True, but you are increasing the "world supply" of oil not the "American supply" of oil, unless you are talking about restricting the sale of American produced oil to the American market. Domestic production of oil is a drop in the bucket (or barrel in this case) on the world oil market.
I do stay home but We the People need to send a nationwide coordinated message to the oil companies & to Congress that we've had enough. Oil companies are laughing themselves all the way to the bank at these high prices. A coordinated message got George W. Bush elected. Now another one needs to be aimed at the oil companies.
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