AMERICAN GAS PRICES ARE CHEAP!
Looking at the American press in the last couple of days is seems that there is a lot of disquiet about surrounding the ‘high’ price of gas in the U.S.
Indeed in the ‘Stars and Stripes‘ newspaper that is given out to the troops and read by American ex-pats across the globe, yesterdays paper had a cover story about how one gas station owner paid the ultimate price for his expensive gas at $3.29. According to the paper the man was ran over and killed when he tried to chase down a driver who was trying to leave the station without paying for his gas.
From the outside looking in this seems like a staggering situation, Americans complaining that their gas price is less than 43p a litre in English money. To put that in context look at it like this: While you are whining about paying around $3.20 for a gallon of gas, the same gallon in the UK would cost about $8! That seems like a statement that is worth repeating to you – In the UK we pay around $8 a gallon for gas that you are complaining you pay something like $3.20 for!
Now, imagine how much your car, van or SUV would cost to fill if you were paying $8 a gallon, a figure that can climb as high as nearly $10 a gallon in certain rural places in the UK! My little MGF has a relatively small gas tank, yet even that costs me nearly $100 to fill, and I fill it every couple of weeks!
Your gas is cheap, no matter how expensive it gets.
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Todays front pages
Stars & Stripes
High gas prices are sparking calls for regulation
Gas-pump angst: Why rising price riles us up
My MGF
Wrote the following comment on Aug 25, 2005 at 1:32 am
Okay, first off, Marz when the day comes that you are paying $80 for a gallon of gas we’ll probably be paying $800 for a gallon of gas :-) Your gas IS cheap. Hell I would love to be paying even your most expensive gas price because I would save possibly thousands of dollars a year.Christine, the thing about raising the price to lower demand is that it really doesn’t work like that. In the UK where gas is something like $8 a gallon, people still use their cars the same as they ever did. And S.U.V’s are becoming popular now too. I’ve even seen Hummers!Driving up the price won’t have a significant demand on driving down demand. I think we need to start getting some better alternatives from car makers. I’d like to see more hybrids and other such alternatives. I would also like to see S.U.V’s walloped with higher taxes and tax breaks given to those who choose greener options.
Wrote the following comment on Aug 24, 2005 at 5:56 pm
True, what we pay is cheap compared to $8.00 but it’s still way higher than we’re accustomed to paying and most people live to the limit of their income so every little increase hurts. Maybe the high prices will cause people to quit using so much, quit driving so much, walk more, push for more economical engines, and be willing to make sacrifices, even little ones. Ya think?
Wrote the following comment on Aug 24, 2005 at 6:15 pm
That’s stupidity at it’s finest.
Gas is about $2.49 a gallon where I live. A full tank lasts me about 2 and 1/2 weeks because I live within walking distance to everything.What kills me is natural gas for heating my house. I pay roughly $700.00 a month for heat in the winter months.Thanks for the link to the story about the navy yard closings. Portsmouth Naval Shipyard is in my hometown (It’s actually in NH not Maine – that’s an arguement that will never be settled). I know a lot of people there who were worried about losing their jobs. I know they must be relieved.
Wrote the following comment on Aug 24, 2005 at 6:54 pm
“Your gas is cheap, no matter how expensive it gets.”
What if it gets to be $80/gallon? Is that so cheap? Hmph. ;-)
Wrote the following comment on Aug 24, 2005 at 7:41 pm
Americans use gas that’s priced lower, but in the long run, the cost probably evens out…I say that because of the environmental destruction we wreak with our overconsumption. So, maybe more expensive gas might work as preventative medicine.But then again, Americans are all about their freaking gas guzzlers. What do I know? :-)
Wrote the following comment on Aug 25, 2005 at 5:13 am
I think there is an illusion held by a lot of Americans about our public transport here in the UK and across Europe. yes it is in many ways better than yours because we are a smaller country, but when was the last time I took a bus or train? Taxi’s are an even more expensive alternative and do nothing to scale back environmental impact either. I’m not spending $100 every few weeks Paul, I’m putting that in between every ten to 14 days and I don’t go that far really. Just to and from friends houses, the gym and the occasional meetings and stuff. My milage is probably average.We’re not “forced to drive” as I fully understand some (most) Americans are. However, if your public transport was better I would bet you every penny I have that it wouldn’t make that much difference. Driving from A to B is as much about convenience as it is practicality. A quick trip to my friends house might take me 10 or 15 mins by car, that same trip might take an hour by slow public transport, then what if I stay late, and it rains a lot here too, and gets cold.Gas prices won’t stop you from driving places. it might make you consider a smaller car, but my point is the alternative choices such as greener cars etc, are so limited as to not be a viable choice in reality but more a consciences ‘green’ decision at this stage.
Wrote the following comment on Aug 25, 2005 at 5:19 am
Yes Patti, we have the North Sea Oil rigs and others too. Strange isn’t it. The reason for the price is that our gas is taxed heavily. Something like 80% of the cost of gas is tax, as opposed to the U.S which effectively subsidises gas prices. A couple of years ago there was mass consumer protests at the price of gas. But the oil companies just sat back with the government and weathered the storm safe in the knowledge that we had to put gas in our cars.The high tax is supposedly to help pay for our public transport system. But that’s a laugh in itself. Buses and trains may be good, but they’re a poor alternative the the convenience of your own mode of transport.
Wrote the following comment on Aug 25, 2005 at 5:56 am
6 cents! Wow! I’m glad Toyota are adding hybrids to their line. I think that the worlds biggest consumers of oil (you and the chinese) should be the ones who pay the highest price, just from an environmental impact point of view. But hey, it’s almost a double standard though because do you think I wouldn’t have a Ferrari if i could afford one! :-)
Wrote the following comment on Aug 25, 2005 at 4:22 am
If gas gets to be 8$ a gallon here, I will be trading in my SUV for a bike thats for sure.
Wrote the following comment on Aug 25, 2005 at 4:36 am
I freaked out the last time I filled my tank and it was $34.41 usd. It usually only cost me $23.00. Thank God for 28miles to the gallon as opposed to 11 or 12 like some of those SUV’s. I’d would definitely start taking the Metro!
Wrote the following comment on Aug 25, 2005 at 4:48 am
Jeanna and I traded the SUV for a Saturn when the price crossed 1.50! Perspective is great…. thanks for the reality check sir king! :-)
Wrote the following comment on Aug 25, 2005 at 4:56 am
Our gas is cheep, but we are also are forced to drive much more. At least where I live, there are no taxis, few buses, and no trains/subways. I would much rather fill my gas tank up to the tune of $100 every few weeks than $40 every 4 days.
Besides, consumers are going to freak out whenever a product doubles in price – regardless of the pricing in different markets.
Wrote the following comment on Aug 25, 2005 at 5:00 am
Do you guys have refinerys there? Or drilling? I’m curious…never wondered about tht before.
Wrote the following comment on Aug 25, 2005 at 5:47 am
Toyota is adding 10 new hybrids to they production line – look for them soon. I’m sure all the car companies are doing the same.
Also, Arabians pay about 6 cents a gallon for their gas. There’s some perspective, Simon.
Wrote the following comment on Aug 25, 2005 at 7:44 am
Simon, you should have been born in the 60’s! ;-)
Wrote the following comment on Aug 25, 2005 at 7:53 am
A trip to Scotland costs you far less than it does us, or Spain, or anywhere else in Europe, but that doesn’t make it cheap for you, Just cheaper, a trip to Ireland is out of my budget completely right now, that doesn’t mean you can’t complain about the cost, if you decide to go there….
Wrote the following comment on Aug 26, 2005 at 1:10 am
Or, everyone could get Smart cars, like myself. Wouldn’t that be the perfect solution? Tax the large-engined cars. It costs me £10 to fill mine up, and it does about 250 miles to the tank. I don’t think that’s bad at all. :-D
Wrote the following comment on Sep 2, 2005 at 6:16 am
In re. the last comment, I have been driving a Smart around whilst my car was getting a new gearbox. It was so cheap to run. I was horrified to find when I got my back that the cost of a full tank was now £50; it was only about £44 a month before!