I don’t know about where you live, but here in Deep East Texas, USA, gas is unreasonable.
We put 4.5 gallons in two different gas cans yesterday and it was $25…that makes mowing the grass expensive.
In these days of record high fuel prices affecting already stretched budgets, many of us are looking for tips on fuel savings. Unfortunately, most tips are “no-brainers”.
Some suggest staying within posted speed limits because “…the faster you drive, the more fuel you use.” Daah !!! Explain that to a teenager!
Do you ever get the feeling that you as a consumer are being tested to see just how much you will pay when it comes to the skyrocketing gasoline prices we are continually facing? It seems that everyday the media is reporting that the cost of a barrel of crude oil is climbing higher and higher! This, of course, causes an immediate inflationary effect on the price of what refineries and fuel distributors charge you and I for the finished fuel product that we must purchase in order to merely go about our daily routine. For most of us, this has become an all too familiar scene as we are reluctantly forced to view our car’s fuel gauge and acknowledge that the little “E” stands for “Empty”, not “Extra”. Then the real horror begins as we drive past station after station, looking for that ‘bargain’, only to realize that with each passing gas station, gasoline prices are rising higher and higher, and since we are now running on fumes, we can’t risk going back!
While it is understandable that a rise in the cost of crude oil, (the main ingredient necessary to manufacture fuel products, such as gasoline and diesel), will result in higher future fuel prices, what I do not find understandable is the practice of charging more for the gasoline and diesel fuel that has already been produced from crude oil purchased before the rise occurred.
…your carbon kids are taken away. In fact, your will be spending your “mun, mun, mun” until those skuzzy little rebels are removed.
Remember the good old days when you drove your brand new vehicle off the lot — the engine purred like a kitten, responded to your slightest touch, you got the miles per gallon claimed on the sticker, and driving was something you looked forward to? You may have even enjoyed being nominated the “designated” driver.
Truck Traffic in the United States is up and with all this construction traffic is slowed. With the construction and the hours allowed to drive reduced, more trucks are needed yet cannot be afforded as trucking companies consolidate and resort to hiring parolees as drivers due to the fact there is no drivers. No rest stops to hold the trucks either due to the increase.
Many cities rebelling with no trucks allowed on city streets such as in New Jersey. Stay on the freeway and keep driving even though it is now against the law to drive more than eight hours and traffic is increased due to number of trucks, increased permit regulations, down sizing of state staff to issue permits, reduced hours to issue permits. What is going on here? OFR, over-friggin-regulation, on top of fuel price increases. By messing up Americas distribution system we are crippling America, and I would not be surprised if there is a nation wide truckers strike. You want to see this nation fall to its knees. It would take less than 6 days. There would be rioting in the streets, runs on what was left at the grocery stores, no power, nothing. Also Clinton got passed the reduction completely of Sulfur in Diesel Fuel by 2006. Sounds good? Wait, will that be another excuse to raise fuel prices by 10-20 cents per gallon?
In 2005 we say incredible leaps in fuel prices. From what started out the year at $1.35 to $1.50 per gallon ended up after the major Hurricanes of Katrina and Rita to be over $3.30 in some states. We saw mostly peaks with few valleys in fuel prices in 2005. The valleys we saw were isolated mountain valleys which looked more like plateaus to middle income Americans trying to fill up their SUVs and Mini-vans and taking kids to soccer; well let’s just say that car-pooling suddenly became popular again didn’t it? Such issues with supply and demand will only get worse in the future as we can expect a repeat of the 2005 Tropical Hurricane Season on our gulf coast oil production assets and we are seeing more world wide competition for oil demand also in countries like China.
We are going to see more of the same in 2006 with supply and demand fluctuations. There will be issues with OPEC, weather and Earthquakes. Indeed the real nasty weather of the year will be the unknown 2006 Tropical Hurricane Season which will most likely start two-weeks early and speculation will drive the per barrel oil prices upward and effect every aspect of American life and further slow the economic efficiency and output later in the year. Also the war with Iran and conflict with Syria will be at issue along with World-Wide Nation State unrest and threats of future wars. Think on this in 2006.
Posted in General | Also tagged Trends in 2006 |