And asked for five dollars worth of gas.

The clerk farted and gave me a receipt.

No lie, it took $70 to fill my trucks tank yesterday.

jerseykrs said:

ugh! I'm getting rid of my ford explorer cause I just can't afford the gas. I put approx 60 bucks a week in (at current high prices) and my husband's truck gets about 80 bucks a week worth. that's about 560 bucks a month in gas alone! yikes! I can't take it anymore! I'm getting rid of it for a 4 cylinder!

Shorty said:

Shit, I have to fill it up 3 times a week.

There´s something I don´t understand about Americans...I mean, gas is still comparatively cheap over there, at least much cheaper than in Europe, and in 2002 I paid less for gas than for bottled water but you´ re still complaining
( which is probably normal because you´re used to getting gas cheaply ) but I´ve never understood why Americans don´t just drive smaller cars, for instance a small European car or some of those gas saving Japanese cars.

Sure, you´re already used to your SUVs but wouldn´t it be much much cheaper to drive around in a car with a less powerful engine ?

Is it something like a social stigma or do you simply find economic cars too ugly ?

Driving a car like that would almost be like driving for free...some of them only need roughly more than two gallons of gas per 100 miles.


I have always wondered about this....more so in the mid 90´s when gas was much cheaper....I kept saying to myself :" Gas is already sooo cheap over here, if I had a smaller car my expenses would be even smaller than they already are."

Over here we pay something like 1.40 dollars for a liter. That´s like a third of one gallon..
[Edited 5/2/06 9:47am]

3.11 a gallon down the street. Right next to my house its 3.29 a gallon

KoolEaze said:

Because apparently everyone over here "needs" an SUV or a humongous pickup truck! I think part of it is status, and the fact that everyone has an SUV these days, and people obviously want to be safe on the roads so they get a huge car to protect themselves from the other huge cars - the little cars stand no chance against those monsters.

I love the little cars in Japan and Europe but that shit just ain't gonna happen over here!

in the last two weeks the highest prices in the EU topped at $6.32 a gallon in Germany, a little over $7 in England, and damn near close to $9 in Scandanavia; I don't know how anyone can get their knickers twisted in a bunch over paying $3 a gallon for gas. Back in 2001 I was paying about $160 a week to fill up my Saab, and when that baby (finally!) died a couple years later all I could say was GOOD RIDDANCE, !!! Fortunately, I'm lucky enough to live in a city with a great public transportation system, and like everyone else in this country, have adapted to using the bike routes throughout the city to get around and it's lightened my budget incredibly, even with taking taxis everywhere for longer distances and social outings.

All I know is, when I finally do settle on a new car, I'm going HYBRID: in Brazil 85% of their cars now run on sugar alcohol, and there's now a home fuel kit being tested in the EU (in the Netherlands, I think) that converts regualr vegatble oil into non-flammable car fuel for about 85 cents a gallon for diesel vehicles. So you can drive everything from a Ford to a Lexus hybrid and not feel the pinch in your pocketbook. I am seriously steering my family members at home to go hybrid for their next cars, so they can become independent from all this oil crazines

KoolEaze said:

Somehow America got hooked on SUVs to keep up with the Joneses and those who made vanity purchases, I really don't feel too sorry for. But many people have long commutes and so gas is really an issue. It costs me about 45.00 to fill up my tank and I get about 400 miles to the tank. My commute is 80 miles a day. One tank is my commuting only and does not cover any other driving I need to do in order to live my life.

$3.18 by my house, 3.25 by my job.

Ottensen said:

There are other fuel sources available...it's just that our self-imposed President of the Planet Bush is profiting from the high oil prices...why wouldn't he keep the research on alternatives down?

Ottensen said:

Yes, I know what you´re talking about...


www.elsbett.com


By the way, Ottensen is nice ! You´re right, you don´t really need a car there. But it´s still nice to cruise around in your car around midnight in Hamburg.


PS: Some people used to buy tons of vegetable oil from ALDI for their car. Saw it on TV a couple of years ago...

There are certain cars that you don´t even have to convert in order to run on vegetable oil.

i think rising gas prices are a good thing. gas has been 5$ a gallon in europe for quite some time. americans need to choose and use their vehicles more wisely too. like, for starters, get those road-hog, viewblocking SUV monstrosities off the road

KoolEaze said:

I tell you, I am really getting more and more into this concept of cars that simply don't need gas, period...and you're right that you don't need a car in Hamburg...it's just like New York and Paris for being able to get around evrywhere by bus or train...and I like I said before, I can still take taxis all over the place (maybe 15 a month) and still come nowhere near the cost of what I needed to fill up Betsy (my last car) each month. My monthly subway pass is about $50 a month (even reaching 30 minutes out into the countryside), and that leaves a LOT of extra $$$ for taxis...and with the taxis all being late model Mercedes with kick ass sound systems...and the taxi drivers usually having GREAT taste in music...it's kinda FUN this way

well like I said, I drive a ford explorer. it's considered a mid size SUV, it's certainly no monster but not an economy car either.
I AM getting rid of it for an economy car...but I don't think I'll feel safe with my son in it on the highways...
luckily I don't have to drive on the highways that much.
and public transport is great ONLY if you live in the city...if you live in the sticks like me...there ain't no taxi's or subways anywhere with in 50 miles of me.

XxAxX said:

if not off the road, at least get them OUT of Uptown



I get sooooo annoyed when some dickhead comes barreling down those small streets in an SUV

If anyone wants to donate to the "Buy JerseyKRS a Hybrid Lexus LS430" fund, feel free to orgnote me.

jerseykrs said:

i am willing to donate to the jerseykrs flip flop fund

Savour said:

endorphin74 said:

me too. i drive a compact and guess who has to be the one to pull over and let the SUV pass on those narrow, parked-in streets?? me, the one who isn't taking up all the room.

then again, not every american can actually fit into a small car

oops, double post!
[Edited 5/2/06 13:54pm]

Shorty said:

I hear exactly what you're saying! I wish there was a way to convince the average citizen to put pressure on the lawmakers to have more of these hybrids available so we could basically say to oil. I mean, if in Brazil, with cities like Rio populated by 10 million people are running 85% of their cars on SUGAR for goodness sakes, surely we can get cracking on using alternative fuels, too! My sister is already sold on the idea for her new and growing family, but now I have to work on my crachety old mom and dad, who have never driven anything less than oversized, overpriced, gas-guzzling tanks since the time I was two years old (you know how FIXED old people can be) !
[Edited 5/2/06 13:55pm]

funkpill said:

For real?

I just spent $31.54 today to fill up my gas tank.
That is the most money I have ever spent on gas since I started driving/owning a car.

applekisses said:

Yup!

KoolEaze said:

I currently drive a 2003 Toyota Corolla - I love it. It's probably the best car I've ever owned.

dang!!!

This was a joke y'all.

But I guess gas prices isn't huh???...
[Edited 5/3/06 8:12am]

psychodelicide said:

Now y'all know that's not RIGHT! Especially when we could all be driving our cars on CRISCO instead !

Ottensen said:

Eww, Crisco. My mom used to cook with that stuff.

$5 used to fill my Corolla up half way

Those were the daaaayyyyss

endorphin74 said:

EXACTLY!!


I am now taking the bus as my primary form of transportation. I still have my car, but I'm not using it for work anymore.

i spent 56 dollars to fill up my minivan 3 days ago...