Drivers behave as if gas is cheap

Despite gas prices averaging over $4/gal in my area, last night I was at an In-N-Out burger and observed (as usual) that there were a ton of cars in the drive thru line. The line was more than a dozen cars deep. From my glance at the line, none of them were hybrids. I guess gas is still not expensive enough for them.

As usual today, I saw the usual insane # of monstrosity class SUVs running around (e.g. Surburbans, extended length Yukons/Tahoes, and 'slades), many of which looked like current gen ones.

 

But is a drive in line the best place to gauge intelligent choices?

 

In this case,, maybe yes!

Icarus

 

This is exactly right. It hasn't taken many years for people to stop even asking such questions as "when will we have $2 gas again?". Slow boil indeed, as evidenced by gas-guzzling vehicles.

Right now we are 92.5% of the 2008 peak and yet I hardly hear people even talk about it. I really do wonder how many people are even aware of how much money they spend on gas or so used to hating on hybrids that they just refuse to even consider one. Their loss, literally and substantially.

 

actually, it's pretty cheap, in the scheme of things.

 

the pump price is pretty cheap, some of the other expenses are pretty high.

 

I generally agree. If I had low paying job and long commute I wouldn't be so agreeable though.

A few years ago when gas hit it's previous high of apx $5/gallon for premium my wife and I had a long planned 3,000 mile road trip in our 28-30 mph premium burning car. $5/gallon seemed obscene until I looked at the numbers and saw gas cost was going to be a distant 3rd place compare to food and lodging, and gas cost was going to be far less than any acceptable form of public transportation to the places we wanted to go.

 

Yep, you right about that.

How many people can say the same for their monthly cell phone bill.

DBCassidy

 

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or their cable bill or bottled water. the poor always get hit the hardest. gas is one in a long line of necessary goods and products that our government keeps telling us is barely affected by inflation.

 

Certainly the price we are paying at the pumps is a lot less than it is actually costing us. One estimate I saw recently, was $28.10 per gallon.

 

Cite?

 

With gas averaging over $4.60/gal in my city per
San Jose Gas Prices - Find Cheap Gas Prices in California

and some stations selling premium for >$5/gal (saw one today), I today saw a monstrosity battering ram of death (Cadillac Escalade ESV aka an extended length one) behind me that decided to go around me and accelerate to a red light. As usual, it was carrying minimal cargo/passengers.

It was later followed by a solo-driven Ford Excursion (aka Ford Exxon Valdez aka uber-monstrosity BROD that weighs 6700+ lbs.)

I guess gas is still too cheap for them.

 

Gasoline expenses can easily be cut quite a bit by most people.
Carpool, proper vehicle maintenance, combining errands, etc.
Or god forbid, take into account fuel efficiency when purchasing a car. I know most everyone reading this already does, but a lot of people don't.

 

The easiest path is the carpool. A 25mpg vehicle becomes equivalent to 50mpg with just one passenger. A 15mpg SUV transforms into 60mpg with 3 passengers.

 

I pay .70/gal for CNG,pollute less, keep money in America, stimulate jobs, spend less per mile than a Prius and tow my Bass Boat.

 

Today I saw a brand new GM monstrosity class SUV (Yukon or Tahoe) being driven solo by woman going thru a drive thru fast food line. It was brand new (or new to the owner) since it had no plates yet and still had dgdg.com placards.

I guess $4.569/gal average gas prices in my city (per
San Jose Gas Prices - Find Cheap Gas Prices in California
) aren't enough to discourage them.