$3 a gallon doesn't seem to bother some people [Archive]

BeetDigger

4/25/2006, 09:09 AM

Like the three or four people I have encountered the last couple of days in Yukons, Escalades, etc. that are driving like they are running 15 minutes late to an interview. Maybe they really are late to something important. I sure hope they don't drive like that all of the time. I can't think that putting $75 - $100 into the truck each week is fun.

afs

4/25/2006, 09:13 AM

it doesn't bother me too much. gas is gas, i'll just quit buying bottled drinks, fast food and extra crap making me fat.

mdklatt

4/25/2006, 10:12 AM

Like the three or four people I have encountered the last couple of days in Yukons, Escalades, etc. that are driving like they are running 15 minutes late to an interview.

You can bet they're the ones bitching the loudest about gas prices.

It's just ridiculous that I have to pay almost $100 to fill up my tank.

No, it's ridiculous that you bought a vehicle that you really didn't need that gets 12 MPG and now you're complaining about fuel costs.

walkoffsooner

4/25/2006, 10:13 AM

what are you going to quit at $5 per gall. just saying its going to get tough.

Mjcpr

4/25/2006, 10:14 AM

I'm thinking if they can afford an Escalade, they can afford the gas.

Osce0la

4/25/2006, 10:20 AM

It's bad enough for me trying to make my car payment and be able to drive back and forth to work between paydays...

Every night for the last week they have had stories on the news about people pawning their stuff just so they can get gas to get back and forth to work...

sooneron

4/25/2006, 10:23 AM

I'm thinking if they can afford an Escalade, they can afford the gas.
That's usually furthest from the truth. There are so many people up here trying to keep up with the Jones' - 2MM dollar house- 80K cars, they are in hock up to their eyeballls. I know a mortgage dude and he says that there are a ****load of people behind on their payments. That banks are soemwhat worried about foreclosing as the housing market is teetering on the buyer's market again.

Hatfield

4/25/2006, 10:23 AM

it doesn't bother me too much. gas is gas, i'll just quit buying bottled drinks, fast food and extra crap making me fat.

a gov't sponsored diet if you will. pretty creative if you think about it.

Jimminy Crimson

4/25/2006, 10:23 AM

I've always wondered why people are so concerned with other peoples car choices and the fuel efficiency of said vehicles... :texan:

soonerbrat

4/25/2006, 10:28 AM

my car gets close to 30mpg and i still pay about $100/week to drive. If my ex husband hadn't volunteered to take over the driving responsibilities for the kids, i'd have to take them out of their respective schools and let them ride the bus (my son goes to a private school on the other side of town and my daughter goes to a school in my mom's district)

olevetonahill

4/25/2006, 10:35 AM

I dont much like it , But it sure as hell beats walking ;)

mdklatt

4/25/2006, 10:36 AM

That's usually furthest from the truth. There are so many people up here trying to keep up with the Jones' - 2MM dollar house- 80K cars, they are in hock up to their eyeballls.

**** 'em.

OklahomaTuba

4/25/2006, 10:43 AM

That's usually furthest from the truth. There are so many people up here trying to keep up with the Jones' - 2MM dollar house- 80K cars, they are in hock up to their eyeballls. I know a mortgage dude and he says that there are a ****load of people behind on their payments. That banks are soemwhat worried about foreclosing as the housing market is teetering on the buyer's market again.

I don't doubt that.

People aren't saving enough, have to much debt and just seem to have lost self control. Hyper-consumerism.

This is why I pay off debt and save, save, save.

Sooner Among The Pack

4/25/2006, 11:06 AM

You guys might find this little site interesting..it's the Gas-Buddy.com "Heat" map, which shows gas prices in the US graphically by county (and by zip code if you zoom in).

http://www.gasbuddy.com/gb_gastemperaturemap.aspx

Glad to see there's still about a .10 difference between Raleigh, NC and Norman, OK...with a storm chasing trip coming in a few weeks. We have forumulated our budget for $3.05/gal for gas during the trip, and I am sure glad it's being split 4 ways.

sooneron

4/25/2006, 11:11 AM

GottaHavePride

4/25/2006, 11:22 AM

I don't doubt that.

People aren't saving enough, have to much debt and just seem to have lost self control. Hyper-consumerism.

This is why I pay off debt and save, save, save.

I'll do that just as soon as I get a freakin' job. ;)

OUinFLA

4/25/2006, 11:26 AM

Hmm, central Wyoming looks to be a good place these days.

except it is a long ways to anywhere you want/need to go.

Jimminy Crimson

4/25/2006, 11:29 AM

except it is a long ways to anywhere you want/need to go.

...except Brokeback Mountain. :eek:

royalfan5

4/25/2006, 11:34 AM

My Uncle bought a brand new large SUV recently. However, I really can't complain as he owns 3 oil wells. I figure if you have you're own well you can drive a monster SUV.

sooneron

4/25/2006, 11:34 AM

I don't doubt that.

People aren't saving enough, have to much debt and just seem to have lost self control. Hyper-consumerism.

This is why I pay off debt and save, save, save.
Very reminiscent of the 20's if you ask me. If I were alive then...

SoonerInKCMO

4/25/2006, 11:36 AM

Very reminiscent of the 20's if you ask me. If I were alive then...

Now if only we had a whole lotta people buying stocks on margin. Hellllooooo Depression. :texan:

mdklatt

4/25/2006, 11:44 AM

Now if only we had a whole lotta people buying stocks on margin.

Replace stocks with real estate via interest-only mortgages....

OUDoc

4/25/2006, 11:47 AM

We had a Suburban until January. My wife got tired of not being able to put it in the garage and my step-kids are getting old enough that they don't go many places with us anymore. Problem is, a paid-off Suburban still doesn't use enough gas to off-set a new car payment (even though that's what we did). The new SUV's don't fall into this category, but it's exactly what I was thinking when we (my wife) decided to get rid of the old 'Burban.

sooneron

4/25/2006, 11:51 AM

I've always wondered why people are so concerned with other peoples car choices and the fuel efficiency of said vehicles... :texan:
I don't know either

These impacts are not without cause. On average, every new large SUV cruising the streets produces 60 percent more climate-threatening carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions than a new car.

http://www.greenercars.com/gctext.html

SoonerInKCMO

4/25/2006, 11:54 AM

Replace stocks with real estate via interest-only mortgages....

Good point. I wonder what percentage of home-'owners' have interest-only loans and how that compares to the percentage of traders that were buying on margin back in '29. Fortunately, real-estate, even though its value will probably drop sometime, won't become completely valueless as some stocks did then.

sooneron

4/25/2006, 11:57 AM

Good point. I wonder what percentage of home-'owners' have interest-only loans and how that compares to the percentage of traders that were buying on margin back in '29. Fortunately, real-estate, even though its value will probably drop sometime, won't become completely valueless as some stocks did then.
All you need are a couple of landslides or Love Canals

soonerbrat

4/25/2006, 11:58 AM

i spend more on gasoline than on my car payment.
that's a fact.

Boomer_Sooner_sax

4/25/2006, 12:00 PM

You can bet they're the ones bitching the loudest about gas prices.

It's just ridiculous that I have to pay almost $100 to fill up my tank.

No, it's ridiculous that you bought a vehicle that you really didn't need that gets 12 MPG and now you're complaining about fuel costs.

Amen to that! I hate people down here who have big trucks just to drive around town and wasting gas. I am so happy to have my Honda Civic (non-hybrid of course!) 40mpg on the highway and 30mpg in Houston rush hour traffic. Costs me $27 a week to drive it!

Harry Beanbag

4/25/2006, 12:06 PM

I don't know either

http://www.greenercars.com/gctext.html

Ever been to Mexico? I would bet my next tank of gas that the auto pollution from Mexico City alone is higher than the entire United States produces in one day.

SoonerInKCMO

4/25/2006, 12:07 PM

All you need are a couple of landslides or Love Canals

We'll just call you Mr. Glass Half-Empty. :eddie:

OhU1

4/25/2006, 12:08 PM

I drive an RV around towing an Escalate behind me just because I can!

Flagstaffsooner

4/25/2006, 12:17 PM

Time to break out the old "Wally Windbreaker".

OklahomaTuba

4/25/2006, 02:11 PM

Very reminiscent of the 20's if you ask me. If I were alive then...

The only way a depression will occur I think is if our energy supply is cut off, or we are attacked again.

Boarder

4/25/2006, 02:34 PM

You can bet they're the ones bitching the loudest about gas prices.

It's just ridiculous that I have to pay almost $100 to fill up my tank.

No, it's ridiculous that you bought a vehicle that you really didn't need that gets 12 MPG and now you're complaining about fuel costs.
Actually, the people I hear griping the most are mid range car owners. Cars that get in the 20s mpg.

I rarely, if ever, hear of SUV drivers complaining. They pretty much know what they're getting into when they buy them.

SUV drivers usually just get annoyed when they can only spend a set amount at the pump. :D

mdklatt

4/25/2006, 02:39 PM

Costs me $27 a week to drive it!

You're still wasting gas. You should move to a smaller town, like Norman. I spend about $27 a month on gas. ;)

Jimminy Crimson

4/25/2006, 02:39 PM

What :lwm: said.

BeetDigger

4/25/2006, 03:08 PM

Actually, the people I hear griping the most are mid range car owners. Cars that get in the 20s mpg.

I rarely, if ever, hear of SUV drivers complaining. They pretty much know what they're getting into when they buy them.

SUV drivers usually just get annoyed when they can only spend a set amount at the pump. :D

Which is my point. I was damn near run over by two or three of them. They were weaving in an out of traffic and making jack rabbit starts. Clearly they don't mind the price of gas.

Boarder

4/25/2006, 03:10 PM

mdklatt

4/25/2006, 03:22 PM

People who drive badly drive badly regardless of the cost of gas. Stupidity is not a derivative of gas consumption.

Those people would do the same thing in the most efficient vehicle in the world. They need a nice ticket or five for dirving like maniacs.

Most of these people--especially the women--would drive a lot more conservatively in a smaller vehicle. Drving an SUV gives a lot of people an invincibility complex, which is doubly dangerous because you need to be even more careful when driving one due to their larger size, higher CG, etc.

OUDoc

4/25/2006, 03:26 PM

Most of these people--especially the women--would drive a lot more conservatively in a smaller vehicle. Drving an SUV gives a lot of people an invincibility complex, which is doubly dangerous because you need to be even more careful when driving one due to their larger size, higher CG, etc.
Sounds like propaganda. Any reliable statistics to prove that?

mdklatt

4/25/2006, 03:34 PM

Sounds like propaganda. Any reliable statistics to prove that?

Just plenty of anecodotal evidence. I've seen SUV drivers do **** that I've never seen somebody in a car do. I've seen the same person behave a lot differently while driving a car than while driving an SUV.

Jimminy Crimson

4/25/2006, 03:40 PM

What about the people with jacked up trucks with monster wheels and stuff? Are those SUVs too?

mdklatt

4/25/2006, 03:46 PM

What about the people with jacked up trucks with monster wheels and stuff? Are those SUVs too?

I'm guessing that the drivers of those vehicles are already predisposed to agressive driving, while SUVs encourage more aggressive driving through a false sense of security.

Harry Beanbag

4/25/2006, 03:50 PM

I'm guessing that the drivers of those vehicles are already predisposed to agressive driving, while SUVs encourage more aggressive driving through a false sense of security.

How is it false? If I'm going to be in an accident, I'd rather be in a Suburban than a Prius.

Jimminy Crimson

4/25/2006, 03:50 PM

On the other side of your argument, are people in sedans predisposed to driving like old people? :eddie:

Boarder

4/25/2006, 03:54 PM

Well, you're pretty much completely wrong. I drive Hwy 9 for 14 miles every day. BY FAR the most ridiculous drivers are in mid size cars, like a Grand Prix/Accord size or a small SUV, like the time I posted the picture of the dude in the little white Toyota or whatever it was. In fact, I don't ever recall a Tahoe or equivelant cutting in and out of traffic.

The sense of security is there, though. You have a sense that when some moron cuts in front of you and you drive over thier vehicle, you won't be hurt too bad.

Of course, every SUV driver doesn't drive perfectly and every small car driver is not an idiot. But the majority of the idiot drivers are in small cars. I notice this because I watch for it. It bugs the crap out of me.

Jimminy Crimson

4/25/2006, 03:59 PM

Boarder 1. Small cars 0.

SoonerInKCMO

4/25/2006, 03:59 PM

How is it false? If I'm going to be in an accident, I'd rather be in a Suburban than a Prius.

If I want to try to avoid an accident, I'd rather be in a sports car than an SUV.

Harry Beanbag

4/25/2006, 04:02 PM

If I want to try to avoid an accident, I'd rather be in a sports car than an SUV.

A ton of prevention is worth three tons of cure I suppose. ;)

mdklatt

4/25/2006, 04:05 PM

How is it false? If I'm going to be in an accident, I'd rather be in a Suburban than a Prius.

It's false because you're more likely to get in an accident in the first place if you're driving more aggressively.

Nab'R

4/25/2006, 04:06 PM

Hereis the picture of the guy who passed me and another car in a no passing zone/turn lane. All to end up with me right beside him at the I-35 intersection. It's a small SUV.

http://img137.imageshack.us/img137/3305/baddriver3wo.jpg

Jimminy Crimson

4/25/2006, 04:08 PM

It's false because you're more likely to get in an accident in the first place if you're driving more aggressively.

...and agressive drivers are usually in mid sized sedans. :texan:

They think that just because they don't use as much gas as suv/truck owners that they drive more defensively. :rolleyes:

mdklatt

4/25/2006, 04:08 PM

Well, you're pretty much completely wrong. I drive Hwy 9 for 14 miles every day. BY FAR the most ridiculous drivers are in mid size cars

This is no less anecodatal than what I said.

Boarder

4/25/2006, 04:08 PM

It's false because you're more likely to get in an accident in the first place if you're driving more aggressively.
That doesn't seem to stop Joe Toyota driver from passing a much bigger vehicle in a no passing zone.

If people are going to be stupid drivers, why not protect yourself?

Boarder

4/25/2006, 04:10 PM

This is no less anecodatal than what I said.
I haven't written down statistics, but I make an effort to notice this each day. And, if a large SUV driver was driving stupidly, I would say it. I don't think anyone should drive that way regardless of what they drive.

Jimminy Crimson

4/25/2006, 04:12 PM

And, if a large SUV driver was driving stupidly, I would say it.

Maybe you don't see it, because you're looking through your SUV-tinted glasses! :cool:

Boarder

4/25/2006, 04:14 PM

Of course I can see it. I sit up so high I see everything! MUAAHAAAHAAHAA!

Harry Beanbag

4/25/2006, 04:14 PM

It's false because you're more likely to get in an accident in the first place if you're driving more aggressively.

Generalize much? I think you mean recklessly, not aggressively. There's nothing wrong with driving aggressively. The passive, overly cautious folks cause just as many accidents.

Jimminy Crimson

4/25/2006, 04:15 PM

The passive, overly cautious folks cause MORE accidents.

FO REALZ :eddie:

mdklatt

4/25/2006, 04:16 PM

I haven't written down statistics, but I make an effort to notice this each day. And, if a large SUV driver was driving stupidly, I would say it. I don't think anyone should drive that way regardless of what they drive.

We're getting way off track here. You (I think) said way back when that stupid drivers are going to be stupid drivers no matter what kind of car they're driving. All I'm saying is that the average driver will tend to be more aggressive if they're in a larger, more powerful vehicle. It's just human nature.

And of course none of this has anything to do with gas prices. :D

mdklatt

4/25/2006, 04:19 PM

Generalize much? I think you mean recklessly, not aggressively. There's nothing wrong with driving aggressively. The passive, overly cautious folks cause just as many accidents.

Riding somebody's bumper on I-35 even though they can't get in the right lane because they're passing a semi--aggressive or reckless?

Boarder

4/25/2006, 04:20 PM

We're getting way off track here. You (I think) said way back when that stupid drivers are going to be stupid drivers no matter what kind of car they're driving. All I'm saying is that the average driver will tend to be more aggressive if they're in a larger, more powerful vehicle. It's just human nature.

And of course none of this has anything to do with gas prices. :D
I think the average driver will have a more secure feeling, but not really be more aggressive in a big vehicle vs a small one. So I disagree a bit.

But not about the gas price thing.

My main thing is who cares what anyone else drives. Unless they drive a hippie Subaru mobile or something. Those people....pfft.

Boomer_Sooner_sax

4/25/2006, 04:25 PM

You're still wasting gas. You should move to a smaller town, like Norman. I spend about $27 a month on gas. ;)

I would move back to Norman in a heartbeat...but the better paying jobs are down here, so I am stuck recruiting the next batch of Sooners!

Harry Beanbag

4/25/2006, 04:29 PM

Riding somebody's bumper on I-35 even though they can't get in the right lane because they're passing a semi--aggressive or reckless?

Not enough info. Did you cut him off just so you wouldn't be inconvenienced and have to tap your brakes to wait for him to pass you before you moved over? How fast were you going, what was the speed limit?

If you're in the left lane to pass somebody you've just got to floor it and git 'r done. :texan:

mdklatt

4/25/2006, 04:32 PM

Not enough info. Did you cut him off just so you wouldn't be inconvenienced and have to tap your brakes to wait for him to pass you before you moved over? How fast were you going, what was the speed limit?

If you're in the left lane to pass somebody you've just got to floor it and git 'r done. :texan:

There is never an excuse to tailgate somebody at 80 MPH. That's just idiotic.

Harry Beanbag

4/25/2006, 04:38 PM

There is never an excuse to tailgate somebody at 80 MPH. That's just idiotic.

If somebody "recklessly" pulls over in front of me and impedes my travel just so they can pass somebody, I won't be very happy about it.

Oh, and Rubbin's Racin'. :texan:

mdklatt

4/25/2006, 04:43 PM

If somebody "recklessly" pulls over in front of me and impedes my travel just so they can pass somebody, I won't be very happy about it.

I guess the ten car pile-up that happens when they have to hit their brakes for some reason will teach them not to impede the progress of people going 20+ MPH over the speed limit.

Sooner_Bob

4/25/2006, 04:44 PM

If somebody "recklessly" pulls over in front of me and impedes my travel just so they can pass somebody, I won't be very happy about it.

Oh, and Rubbin's Racin'. :texan:

Exactly . . . and if "you" in fact pull out in front of somebody have the decency to freakin' get out of the way as quickly as possible. Which might mean you just might have to speed up a bit.

I do see both klatt's and Boarder's points . . . "soccer moms" have moved from the mini-van to the SUV and frankly some of them couldn't drive for crap in either type of vehicle so it really evens out in the end. Doesn't it?

Sooner_Bob

4/25/2006, 04:46 PM

I guess the ten car pile-up that happens when they have to hit their brakes for some reason will teach them not to impede the progress of people going 20+ MPH over the speed limit.

People in the left lane impeding traffic just because they're going the speed limit annoy the livin' daylights out of me. Especially when they refuse to move over so the rest of us "speed demons" can get around them. :O

Harry Beanbag

4/25/2006, 04:46 PM

I guess the ten car pile-up that happens when they have to hit their brakes for some reason will teach them not to impede the progress of people going 20+ MPH over the speed limit.

Now you're getting it. ;)

mdklatt

4/25/2006, 04:48 PM

Exactly . . . and if "you" in fact pull out in front of somebody have the decency to freakin' get out of the way as quickly as possible. Which might mean you just might have to speed up a bit.

So what everybody is saying is that it's okay to be inches from another car at 80 MPH as long as the other driver is being inconsiderate?

Harry Beanbag

4/25/2006, 04:49 PM

I do see both klatt's and Boarder's points . . . "soccer moms" have moved from the mini-van to the SUV and frankly some of them couldn't drive for crap in either type of vehicle so it really evens out in the end. Doesn't it?

You got that right. Usually soccer moms aren't aggressive or reckless, just absent minded cell phone drivers.

Sooner_Bob

4/25/2006, 04:51 PM

So what everybody is saying is that it's okay to be inches from another car at 80 MPH as long as the other driver is being inconsiderate?
Inches away no . . . several feet to a few yards yes.

Edit: Actually what I was saying is please get out of the way if you pull over in front of me when I'm going over the speed limit. Just because "you" don't want to slow down doesn't mean "you" should whip out in front of traffic in the left lane and cause a big slow down because "you" refuse to speed up and move back over.

Boarder

4/25/2006, 05:08 PM

So what everybody is saying is that it's okay to be inches from another car at 80 MPH as long as the other driver is being inconsiderate?
No, it's wrong no matter what you drive. If I tailgate some boobie head for cutting in front of me, I'm no better than they are. Two wrongs don't make a right.

That's hard for me to put into practice, fer sure. I have to work at it.

BigRedJed

4/25/2006, 06:19 PM

http://www.genuinescooters.com/product/silver-frontsm.jpg

90.

Miles.

Per.

Gallon.

Bitches.

sooneron

4/25/2006, 07:43 PM

Ever been to Mexico? I would bet my next tank of gas that the auto pollution from Mexico City alone is higher than the entire United States produces in one day.
Wrong! The US consumes about 1/4 of the world's oil/gas. Mexico's pop. is one third of the US's

Jimminy Crimson

4/25/2006, 07:50 PM

Wrong! The US consumes about 1/4 of the world's oil/gas. Mexico's pop. is one third of the US's

Do the illegals who are still Mexican nationals count toward our total or theirs? :confused: ;)

Harry Beanbag

4/25/2006, 08:15 PM

Wrong! The US consumes about 1/4 of the world's oil/gas. Mexico's pop. is one third of the US's

I'll take that as a no, you've never been to Mexico. I was talking about pollution, not oil consumption. We have pollution controls, they don't. I remember standing on street corners in Puerta Vallarta and Mazatlan and having great difficulty breathing.

sooneron

4/25/2006, 08:17 PM

I'll take that as a no, you've never been to Mexico. I was talking about pollution, not oil consumption.
They tend to go hand in hand. And I have been to Mexico (numerous times), not Mex City. I hear it's like LA and Houston combined. But that's only TWO of our cities.

Harry Beanbag

4/25/2006, 08:23 PM

They tend to go hand in hand. And I have been to Mexico (numerous times), not Mex City. I hear it's like LA and Houston combined. But that's only TWO of our cities.

Okay, apparently you were taking my comments a little too literally. ;) All I was trying to say was that the U.S. is way way ahead of nearly the entire planet when it comes to pollution control measures. We've even had declared dead rivers and lakes come back to life in the last couple of decades.

I'm just sick of people insisting the U.S. must handcuff itself even more than it already is on one hand, then complaining about manufacturing outsourcing on the other.

sooneron

4/25/2006, 08:34 PM

I'm for people getting off their fat asses and walking a quarter mile to the 7 eleven for their big gulp of HFCS.
I'm for single chicks and dudes with no families or hauling needs to trade in their 14 mpg suv or whatever shiney pick-up they have with the flawless bed to get something that get's MARGINALLY better gas mileage. (And by marginal, I mean double!) JUst cuz it's big, doesn't mean it's really safe, btw.
I'm for people to actually start thinking about what they do and what effect is has on this world as a whole. Not worrying about it when the arabs are out of oil- some imaginary day down the road!
That's what I'm for.