I pay $3.35 per gallon for gas. Should I be angry? (Needles: rental, daycare) - Los Angeles - California (CA) - City-Data Forum

FilmCutter · 03-31-2007, 12:38 AM

I'm probably beating a dead horse, but it's really annoying to see the gas prices drop like a lead balloon during election time, but as soon as the elections are over, the prices start creeping up again, and then reach for the sky when the weather gets warmer. It's like "Hey it's summer, and people drive more, and use the air conditioning which burns more gas, let's raise the price of gas." If I were in Boston, I wouldn't really care because I could hop on the train or walk to where I need to go. But out here in the desert where everything is spread out and the buses run every 30 minutes, maybe, it's not like we can just say "F**** you, I'm not paying that" can we? Especially those of us who have to cart children around most of the time. Are these companies justified in raising these prices? Rant off.

kettlepot · 03-31-2007, 01:17 AM

Yes, they are justified in raising gasoline prices, because we keep on buying it even as the price goes up. We keep buying the big cars, buying the houses that are WAAAYYY outside the city and far from our jobs. Drive our kids everywhere instead of making them walk. Design our cities so kids HAVE to be driven and CAN'T walk.

How many of us have gone shopping in some strip mall area, parked and done some shopping on one side of the street and then DRIVEN across the street because the parking lot you were in was so big, and the road so wide, and the parking lot on the other side of the road was so large, and the entrance of the other store so far away that you couldn't imagine walking across the street, shopping and then returning to your car with bags of purchased goods because the distance from one side of the road to the other just seemed so daunting and so dangerous. That's just poor anti-pedestrian gas-guzzling planning. Ok, Rant off.

Colin Baugh · 03-31-2007, 01:29 AM

Hi Film Cutter
I pay over $2 per litre here in England......one of the reasons I`m moving to the US.

JerZ · 03-31-2007, 01:33 AM

LA so seriously needs better public transportation. It's not just the price of gas (though I hear you on that, FastFilm, to be sure)...it's the pollution created by the burning of it.

We all think we need SUVs. I've always wondered: for what? Is every single person out on the freeway gabbing on her phone while passing from the right really in dire need of nine bajillion cubic storage feet...in her car? Good lands, if I have THAT much to store I'm sure not putting it in a car.

Ironically, because there are so many *other* SUVs on the road, we *do* feel we need them because what if we're whacked by an SUV while we're in our little sedans? I can tell you what...my car got totalled that way.

(Not out here, though.) I was pinned between two cars, actually, while at a full stop behind one of them for more than a few seconds. My son was in the car with me. That was my Sunbird. I miss that car, d*mn, it was so cute. Oh Sunbird I hardly knew thee........

If we could get over our Bigger is Better fixation, start driving cars that require less gas, and figure out how to improve on public transporation, gas prices wouldn't hurt so much. Of course I'm saying all this as a dream or a wish but I can't say I know how it would be done. So I'm not trying to be hypocritical...just commenting on what I think could ultimately be the only solution to transportation issues, prohibitive gas prices and pollution.

Paula Lynn · 03-31-2007, 06:19 AM

One more reason I don't have a car. Today I'll be walking to work, then walk about a mile to deposit my pay check, get a hair cut, continue walking to one of my rental properties, walk to the grocery store and finally walk home. Do I miss a car???? Not in the least.

junkman18 · 03-31-2007, 07:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FilmCutter

I'm probably beating a dead horse, but it's really annoying to see the gas prices drop like a lead balloon during election time, but as soon as the elections are over, the prices start creeping up again, and then reach for the sky when the weather gets warmer. It's like "Hey it's summer, and people drive more, and use the air conditioning which burns more gas, let's raise the price of gas." If I were in Boston, I wouldn't really care because I could hop on the train or walk to where I need to go. But out here in the desert where everything is spread out and the buses run every 30 minutes, maybe, it's not like we can just say "F**** you, I'm not paying that" can we? Especially those of us who have to cart children around most of the time. Are these companies justified in raising these prices? Rant off.

Look at the price of gas in some other states it can be allot less. That will make you angey. Why is it so much more in California? Just cross state lines and see the price has gone down. One would think it would be more cuz it has to be trucked allot more miles. California has got you by the ----- and they love to squeeze

ferretkona · 03-31-2007, 01:24 PM

We pay a lot more taxes added to the price of fuel, this is a topic many people should raise arms about. You go to other states and thier registration for cars are much less regardless of age. The registration for a new truck here is what close to $1000, where in Oregon it would be $20 a year.

FilmCutter · 03-31-2007, 09:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paula Lynn

One more reason I don't have a car. Today I'll be walking to work, then walk about a mile to deposit my pay check, get a hair cut, continue walking to one of my rental properties, walk to the grocery store and finally walk home. Do I miss a car???? Not in the least.

I quite envy you, Paula. I am curious though, do have a lot of hills to walk when you go to work and the store? And do you have small children? I only ask because those are my barriers. It's really hard walking up a steep hill with a 40-lbs pre-schooler in a stroller. I have done it, and I don't think I could do it every day. I do want to walk more, but it pisses me off that with my school-work-errands-school-daycare-home schedule, I'm at the mercy of the gas companies. If I opted to walk and take the bus, it would take me hours to do two things. Add a child, stroller, groceries, and 80-degree whether, and you have a regular nightmare. I used to take the bus a lot living in California. I hated it then and I hate it now. It would be great if California were more like the east coast with a subway system that actually went places I need to go, and buses that ran regularly. Maybe I'm just a spoiled brat. I just can't help reminiscing that 10 years ago, I could fill up my gas tank for $10. Those were the days.

whatalady · 04-01-2007, 12:25 AM

Gas companies know we have to pay for gas no matter the cost.
Most people commute. I have a minivan. It would still hurt me if I had a smaller car. I doubt very highly that gas companies would lower their prices if more people drove smaller cars. They would lower it if we stopped driving cars.
I wish I could walk to where I needed to go. Heck, I would even ride a bike it I could.
I have pondered this many times. Really, what can we really do? Who can we complain to? When does it all end? In the mean time I will continue having my gas shipped to me from Texas. It's cheaper in Texas! Ahhh, just kidding. But, it is cheaper.
Do you live near a safeway grocery store? They give a fuel discount if you spend $50 or more.
Not to put salt on your wound, but gas prices in the Capital City is as low as $3.11 and high of $3.21.
With my Safeway fuel discount my gas today was $3.03.

I remember back in the day when gas was $1.50ish, I said I'll never pay $2.00 for gas. Needless to say, I'm not paying $2 I'm paying $3.

killer2021 · 04-01-2007, 01:03 AM

buy a motorcycle. The Honda rebel gets about 60+MPG and costs about 1-2k. Can't beat that. If you really want to get good fuel economy you can go with a scooter. Some of those get 100+ MPG!

"Gas companies know we have to pay for gas no matter the cost."

That isn't entirely true. The gas companies want to maximize profits. When the price goes up people tend to drive less and use less gas. There is surprisingly a lot of alternatives that you have access to. Such things as a bike, public transportation and even walking. As the price of gas goes up using those services becomes more incentive. Right now you are saying, "yea right, ill never walk to work or take the bus!" But when the price is 50$/gallon of gas you will think twice. It all comes down to the cost benefit you place on driving to work. Will you give up all your other luxuries so you can afford to drive to work? Though decision. What you really need to be worried about is all the things that we use gasoline to produce, mainly FOOD. When the gas prices go up so does the price of food. Now how important is driving to work?