Gas Has Gone Way Up (Maryville: maintenance, to live, cost of)

[AlisonL]

Originally Posted by LauraC

For those of you who are moving to Tennessee places far from your job, has gasoline (and the future of gasoline) been a factor in making your decision?

I think it has been a factor in some ways. We had originaly planned to tow our small car behind a u-haul (or similiar truck) and have our daughter drive our truck down and then fly her back to Maine. We recently decided to sell our truck as we really don't have any use for a heavy duty towing vehicle anymore. So that means more $$ in our pocket, as our truck gets roughly 12 mpg. Plus no airfare to get dd back to Maine.
I am not sure how far of a commute my husband would have to a job. He has an hour now..when he goes to the shop. We're not city folks and prefer to live out in the boonies if at all possible. In reality, I guess gasoline prices will be a factor.

[hiknapster]

In 1999, I sold Expeditions and Excursions. Boy, people loved those vehicles. I just had an uneasy feeling.

One of my earliest political memories was of gas rationing, which was under Nixon and not Carter, by the way. After the early 70s, you couldn't give away those gas guzzlers.

I talked to a lot of people in 2004 and asked them why the wanted to drive such large vehicles. Most were elderly and didn't need the extra room for passengers. They said they felt safe and found it ludicrous to be worried about gas prices. I often wonder what they think now.

We both drive Saturns, which get about 40 mpg, too. We are considering moving into the city and closer to our jobs.

[CAtoGA]

Originally Posted by hiknapster

Yep. Gas is cheaper in Tennessee than it is in California or whatever. So what.

It is still expensive, wherever you live, and we shouldn't be paying it.

PeggyM, you are right. Rather than DOING something about it, we pack up our stuff and move, like that will resolve the problem. Seems like it is just more energy wasted.

I just want to say that, while the price of gas being lower in TN than CA is a consideration for us to move, one of the things I am looking for in a new home is a home that is close enough for the kids to ride bikes to school, walk to the park, and walk/ride to the store. One of the things that I dislike about my current area is that we HAVE to drive everywhere we go. There is no park close, the stores all require travel on a VERY busy local highway, and while there is a shortcut to the local school, the homeowners only allow the kids they know personally to use it, so again there is travel on the highway.

I feel very strongly about cutting back on gas usage, not just for the obvious reason of saving money, but also to cut back on the pollution and the dependence on "foreign" oil. Then there is the added health benefit when you walk or ride. I'd like to enjoy that as well.

So, I am no moving JUST because gas prices are lower.

[AlisonL]

Originally Posted by hiknapster

In 1999, I sold Expeditions and Excursions. Boy, people loved those vehicles. I just had an uneasy feeling.

One of my earliest political memories was of gas rationing, which was under Nixon and not Carter, by the way. After the early 70s, you couldn't give away those gas guzzlers.

I talked to a lot of people in 2004 and asked them why the wanted to drive such large vehicles. Most were elderly and didn't need the extra room for passengers. They said they felt safe and found it ludicrous to be worried about gas prices. I often wonder what they think now.

We both drive Saturns, which get about 40 mpg, too. We are considering moving into the city and closer to our jobs.

We love the Hyundai and the gas milage. Love our truck too, but since we will no longer be towing the race car hauler, there is no need for it. I am sure once we move south we will get another pickup but we won't need a big one. We seldom use the truck due to the cost of gasoline. The one thing we will see a savings on is electric and heating oil. But that is another topic.

[LauraC]

Originally Posted by hiknapster

In 1999, I sold Expeditions and Excursions. Boy, people loved those vehicles. I just had an uneasy feeling.

One of my earliest political memories was of gas rationing, which was under Nixon and not Carter, by the way. After the early 70s, you couldn't give away those gas guzzlers.

I talked to a lot of people in 2004 and asked them why the wanted to drive such large vehicles. Most were elderly and didn't need the extra room for passengers. They said they felt safe and found it ludicrous to be worried about gas prices. I often wonder what they think now.

We both drive Saturns, which get about 40 mpg, too. We are considering moving into the city and closer to our jobs.

I look at the SUVs today and they remind me of the "bus" that used to come to pick up the handicapped kids when I was a kid. If anyone is older than dirt here, like me, can you imagine when you were dating back in the day, if a guy came to pick you up in something the size of an SUV. That guy would have been laughed at and teased like I don't know what. And station wagons, the other big vehicle - those were driven by nuns.

It all went downhill with the VW van and guys wearing earrings...but I digress.

[LauraC]

Originally Posted by AlisonL

I think it has been a factor in some ways. We had originaly planned to tow our small car behind a u-haul (or similiar truck) and have our daughter drive our truck down and then fly her back to Maine. We recently decided to sell our truck as we really don't have any use for a heavy duty towing vehicle anymore. So that means more $$ in our pocket, as our truck gets roughly 12 mpg. Plus no airfare to get dd back to Maine.
I am not sure how far of a commute my husband would have to a job. He has an hour now..when he goes to the shop. We're not city folks and prefer to live out in the boonies if at all possible. In reality, I guess gasoline prices will be a factor.

Some people have an hour commute but it's now always because of distance. Sometimes it's just bad traffic and short distances. I know in Los Angeles it can take a half hour just to go a few blocks.

[LauraC]

Originally Posted by hiknapster

In 1999, I sold Expeditions and Excursions. Boy, people loved those vehicles. I just had an uneasy feeling.

One of my earliest political memories was of gas rationing, which was under Nixon and not Carter, by the way. After the early 70s, you couldn't give away those gas guzzlers.

I talked to a lot of people in 2004 and asked them why the wanted to drive such large vehicles. Most were elderly and didn't need the extra room for passengers. They said they felt safe and found it ludicrous to be worried about gas prices. I often wonder what they think now.

We both drive Saturns, which get about 40 mpg, too. We are considering moving into the city and closer to our jobs.

Jimmy Carter - odd or even license plate numbers depended on which days you could get gasoline. It was 1979. I don't remember the one in 1973 because that was the first year I had my license and I lived in the boonies where there weren't many people so I would have never seen lines at the pump like in 1979 when some people had to push their cars to the pumps .

[bebette]

Originally Posted by LauraC

Jimmy Carter - odd or even license plate numbers depended on which days you could get gasoline. It was 1979. I don't remember the one in 1973 because that was the first year I had my license and I lived in the boonies where there weren't many people so I would have never seen lines at the pump like in 1979 when some people had to push their cars to the pumps .

I don't know who was President....but I do know the year was 1974, (the year that Nixon resigned), because I was engaged to marry and fiancees car was odd number and mine was even number so we had to buy gas on different days as we drove from Raleigh to Cary daily! That's the only year that we ever had to do it and I'm sure that in NC we didn't have it in 1979 because I remember that year well too, because I had two babies under the age of two and definitely wasn't having to wait in line for gas during that year! Maybe it was different in different states!

[hiknapster]

"During the period, many people believed the oil companies artificially created oil shortages to drive up prices, rather than simply high prices caused by natural factors beyond any human influence or control. Many politicians proposed gas rationing, such as the Governor of Maryland, Harry Hughes, who proposed odd-even rationing (only people with an odd-numbered license plate could purchase gas on an odd-numbered day), as was used during the 1973 crisis. Coupons for gasoline rationing were printed but were never actually used during the 1979 crisis."

Interesting that the Governor of Maryland proposed it. Maybe they did this in your area?

It was done nationally under Nixon, but not under Carter.

[mpsouth]

Originally Posted by LauraC

For those of you who are moving to Tennessee places far from your job, has gasoline (and the future of gasoline) been a factor in making your decision?

When I move, I don't plan on driving a lot unless it's for vacation. My reasoning for retiring to Tennessee takes in many factors. Gas prices, along with the prices of many other things, is part of it.

I currently live between the Bay Area and Sacramento. My drive to work in San Francisco is 110 miles roundtrip. Luckily, I have several others I commute with so it's not as bad as it sounds. It's a pain in the a**, but tolerable most days.

I am so looking forward to moving where the pace is slower and less congested. Nashville's or Knoxville's worst day of traffic can't compare to every day traffic here.