embiggen Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 we filled up our tank on Saturday. $44.15!!!! holy shit! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
austrya Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 Yeah, one of the upsides is that we're staying home more and going for walks through our neighborhood and eating at local restaurants instead of the chain restaurants in Ann Arbor. But I do miss taking the kids downtown to window shop and to U of M campus to walk around and stuff like that. But then again, when we do get to do those things, it just makes it that much more fun. One thing that sucks is that when you have 4 kids and 3 of them are in car seats, you need a big vehicle. At least Jay can drive a Civic. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Twisted Acres Posted June 9, 2008 Author Share Posted June 9, 2008 I traded in my Honda element for a Subaru Impreza, and I'm getting noticeably better mileage... 27/28mpg as opposed to 21/22. I miss the extra space, but that's the trade-off I guess. I hear that it'll soon be cheaper to fill your tank with Gentleman Jack, Moet White Star, or Cristal than with regular unleaded. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Edie Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 I actually stopped into a dealership on Friday when I had a little time to kill waiting for Jake. I was thinking briefly about trading in my beloved Accord EX for a Fit or something. I think gas would need to climb above $5 (and look like it would be there for a while) for me to actually pull the trigger. I am above water on the Accord and have just a year left to payoff. No car payment sounds damn good right about now. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Thanatos Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 It seems rather obvious to me that we are experiencing the first effects of "Peak Oil", also referred to as "Hubbert's Peak" (named after the geologist M. King Hubbert, who predicted U.S. oil production would plateau in the '70's, and worldwide production would peak in the early years of the 21st Century). A quick glance at the numbers show that discovery and production rates for petroleum have begun to stall over the past several years, while demand continues to grow, in part due to rapidly growing economies such as India & China. This doesn't mean that the world has run out of oil, but rather that the easy-to-extract, sweet crude is becoming more scarce. This means that you end up expending more energy in extracting and refining. Thus it quickly becomes less and less cost effective.While I'd like to believe that alternative energy sources will eventually step in to save the day, I can't honestly say that I'm optimistic...especially in the U.S. We are far too dependent on petroleum to make an easy switch overnight to another energy souce. Rather, I suspect there will be some rough days ahead. I shudder to think what life will be like in car-dependent suburbia when gas becomes too expensive or too scarce. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tugmoose Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 Just ordered a Civic EX coupe. I know I'll miss the Jeep's 4WD in the winter, but I lived without it before. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bjorn_skurj Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 It seems rather obvious to me that we are experiencing the first effects of "Peak Oil", also referred to as "Hubbert's Peak" (named after the geologist M. King Hubbert, who predicted U.S. oil production would plateau in the '70's, and worldwide production would peak in the early years of the 21st Century). A quick glance at the numbers show that discovery and production rates for petroleum have begun to stall over the past several years, while demand continues to grow, in part due to rapidly growing economies such as India & China. This doesn't mean that the world has run out of oil, but rather that the easy-to-extract, sweet crude is becoming more scarce. This means that you end up expending more energy in extracting and refining. Thus it quickly becomes less and less cost effective.While I'd like to believe that alternative energy sources will eventually step in to save the day, I can't honestly say that I'm optimistic...especially in the U.S. We are far too dependent on petroleum to make an easy switch overnight to another energy souce. Rather, I suspect there will be some rough days ahead. I shudder to think what life will be like in car-dependent suburbia when gas becomes too expensive or too scarce.It's gonna suck, is what it's going to do. Telecommuting will become huge. It'll take 20-30 years for a transition away from a almost-exclusively petroleum-based economy to whatever the next thing will be. It won't be all bad, but it will be different. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Reni Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 We bought a '99 Civic about a month ago - mainly because our old beater 93 Accord is on its last legs - but we are getting about 32MPG in it, which is nice. Graham bikes to work on some days, though he had an accident a couple weeks ago and it looks like frame is f*cked. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
fatheadfred Posted June 11, 2008 Share Posted June 11, 2008 Goddamn. Still going (up). Will continue to ride bicycle to work, despite the asspain. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bjorn_skurj Posted June 12, 2008 Share Posted June 12, 2008 Goddamn. Still going (up). Will continue to ride bicycle to work, despite the asspain.Somewhere, Jimmy Carter is smiling at you. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
watch me fall Posted June 12, 2008 Share Posted June 12, 2008 Just ordered a Civic EX coupe. I know I'll miss the Jeep's 4WD in the winter, but I lived without it before. I have a 2007 Civic and I love it. It really does get great gas mileage. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mrs. Peel Posted June 12, 2008 Share Posted June 12, 2008 $4.29 this morning I'm sure missing my little 35-38 mpg Corolla right now. We were in an accident and it has been at the auto body shop for almost a month. I'm borrowing my mother's gas guzzling '96 Jeep Cherokee. I have doubled the amount of money I'm used to spending on gas by driving that thing. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
yermom Posted June 12, 2008 Share Posted June 12, 2008 I stopped at a small gas station yesterday (I think it was right at $4), and they had the older pumps where the numbers roll over like this:Only with room for four digits. Because the price of gas is so high, they had to set the pump at half-price, so that if you want $30 of gas, you pump to $15 on the read-out. The gallons are accurate and you pay the $30 inside. There were little notes on neon paper all over it, "Set to half-price!!" "Only pump half of what you want!!!" I should have taken a picture to look back on in the future when gas is crazy cheap for a good laugh. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Duck-Billed Catechist Posted June 12, 2008 Share Posted June 12, 2008 It's gonna suck, is what it's going to do. Telecommuting will become huge. It'll take 20-30 years for a transition away from a almost-exclusively petroleum-based economy to whatever the next thing will be. It won't be all bad, but it will be different.My work is talking about letting us telecommute 2 days a week. I figure the day they figure out that we can telecommute full time will not be long before the day that they figure out that our jobs can be shipped to India! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
embiggen Posted June 12, 2008 Share Posted June 12, 2008 I would f**king LOVE to telecommute!!! bring it on!!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mrs. Peel Posted June 12, 2008 Share Posted June 12, 2008 My company is so behind the times, they won't allow telecommuting. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bigshoulders Posted June 12, 2008 Share Posted June 12, 2008 With the price of petro-diesel fuel at 4.79 (and no bio-Diesel in this town) I'm asking the question: "Can I work from home at least once a week?" in the one-on-one meeting with my manager, today. Fingers crossed,Kevin update: the jury is out... but there are 3 of us who have ea. requested the same. It looks promising! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
watch me fall Posted June 12, 2008 Share Posted June 12, 2008 My company is so behind the times, they won't allow telecommuting. Mine, too. I began mentioning it in our monthly manager meetings about 3 years ago and everyone looked at me like I was nuts for even suggesting it. With the price of petro-diesel fuel at 4.79 (and no bio-Diesel in this town) I'm asking the question: "Can I work from home at least once a week?" to my one-on-one meeting with my manager, today. Fingers crossed,Kevin Good luck! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
JUDE Posted June 12, 2008 Share Posted June 12, 2008 Mine, too. I began mentioning it in our monthly manager meetings about 3 years ago and everyone looked at me like I was nuts for even suggesting it. How does one run the Fry station via telecommuting? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Edie Posted June 12, 2008 Share Posted June 12, 2008 I too would love to telecommute. I am training a new employee, so once she is up to speed, I'm gonna ask. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Spawn's dad Posted June 12, 2008 Share Posted June 12, 2008 I would f**king LOVE to telecommute!!! bring it on!!! pfffft you'd just post on the internet all day Quote Link to post Share on other sites
embiggen Posted June 12, 2008 Share Posted June 12, 2008 pfffft you'd just post on the internet all day well like yeah! thanks Captain Obvious. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
anthony Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 Gas prices are so irritating. Never thought I'd be happy driving a Corrola Quote Link to post Share on other sites
froggie Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 we're up to $1.70 a litre Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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