Rising Gas Prices

[AngelinaCat]

Today, when I went in to work, the station closest to my home--that I HAD to go to, or the car wouldn't get past it--had unleaded at $3.95, diesel at $4.85. In town, one Citgo, was at $3.99, unleaded--I don't remember the diesel price. The "cash only" independent had unleaded at $3.91. Every other station I saw hovered somewhere in that price range.

We had a major festival in our area over the weekend and we were both amazed at the amount of traffic that managed to come for it in spite of the gas prices........

[FLBK7]

Today, when I went in to work, the station closest to my home--that I HAD to go to, or the car wouldn't get past it--had unleaded at $3.95, diesel at $4.85. In town, one Citgo, was at $3.99, unleaded--I don't remember the diesel price. The "cash only" independent had unleaded at $3.91. Every other station I saw hovered somewhere in that price range.

It just keeps going up and I'm just in shock, although I really shouldn't be since I do keep up with the news.

I was below 1/4 tank today on the way home from work. Passed a Hess that was selling regular for $3.92 but the lines were SO long, and I was so tired after an insanely hectic day at the office following the long weekend, that I got out of Hess and kept on driving. I ended up at my local Mobil at $3.96.

On the way, though, I passed TWO Shell stations with regular at $4.06 and $4.10 respectively!!!! What's with Shell??!!

[Pizza]

You said it!

I am not an expert by any means but I do have a theory as to why gas prices are so high when all of the oil companies are recording record profits and placing none of the money into finding alternatives.....my theory...basic greed.

[Crainial Access]

A company in India has developed and produced a car selling there for about $2100.00 Remember all those people on bicycles? Same thing holds true in China one of the fastest growing economies in the world....and now after those earthquakes.......the Chineses say they are going to rebuild entire cities in different locations.....guess where oil prices are headed.....combined with the lower value of the dollar we are screwed. Our oil companies actually have to buy the majority of their oil from larger foreign government sponsored oil companies who just happen to be hostile to the United States. Exxon/Mobile is the 14th largest oil company in the world. Who is making the larger profit on the current prices the oil companies or our Local, State, and Federal Governments thru taxes? China in co-operation with Cuba is tapping into vast oil reserves off the Florida Keys...just off our territorial waters.............. If the President declared a national emergency and stated that we were going to drill for our own enormous reserves and develop shale oil and coal to petroleum technology the price of oil would drop like a rock!......thanks I feel better now...........

[CindyLou]

I paid 4.29 today for regular and that was one of the lowest we could find in the area The premium was up to 4.74!!!! Wow...I couldn't believe it!

[Pizza]

Correct me if I’m wrong, but aren’t the economies of China and India dependent upon the overall health of ours? How can the Chinese continue to build and sell us all that cheap stuff if our economy folds and we can’t afford anything? Remember how oil dropped to below $50.00 the beginning of last year? What is so different between then and now that prices have nearly tripled? I suspect foul play in the commodities markets.

I agree that we need to achieve energy independence, however, and QUICK!

[Cali]

We will be at 5$ soon. Summer always means higher gas.

[JRScott]

The days of cheap gas are probably behind us. The problem is our government and its unwillingness to stand up to special interest. It has been 35 years since we built a refinery, and in fact half as many refineries are in operation today as their were in 1985 in the United States. It has been over 30 years since we allowed exploration for oil in our own territory.

While I am all for alternatives and we should have long been working on them it makes no sense to take food and turn it into fuel. The United States provides more food aid to the world at large than any other nation, but recent policies have endangered that supply and may cause widespread famine and death in coming years in the world's poorest nations.

Even if we perfected the hydrogen fuel cell tomorrow, we don't have the necessary infrastructure for it to take the place of oil. It would take 30 to 50 years to replace the current infrastructure to the extent necessary for it to replace oil in every US household.

Short term we must drill in ANWAR and off the pacific and atlantic coasts, long term we must continue to look for alternatives such that in the next generation we can be energy independent and pull all our troops home.

[Pizza]

The days of cheap gas are probably behind us. The problem is our government and its unwillingness to stand up to special interest. It has been 35 years since we built a refinery, and in fact half as many refineries are in operation today as their were in 1985 in the United States. It has been over 30 years since we allowed exploration for oil in our own territory.

While I am all for alternatives and we should have long been working on them it makes no sense to take food and turn it into fuel. The United States provides more food aid to the world at large than any other nation, but recent policies have endangered that supply and may cause widespread famine and death in coming years in the world's poorest nations.

Even if we perfected the hydrogen fuel cell tomorrow, we don't have the necessary infrastructure for it to take the place of oil. It would take 30 to 50 years to replace the current infrastructure to the extent necessary for it to replace oil in every US household.

Short term we must drill in ANWAR and off the pacific and atlantic coasts, long term we must continue to look for alternatives such that in the next generation we can be energy independent and pull all our troops home.

I agree with 100% everything in this post!

[HRx]

Wow gas prices in California are obscene!! I hear Alaska and Hawaii are even worse! Gas prices can definately drop...if the politics driving them up ceases.

[woohoogirl]

On the way, though, I passed TWO Shell stations with regular at $4.06 and $4.10 respectively!!!! What's with Shell??!!

I wondered that myself. I pass a couple on the way to work and they are usually at least 10 cents higher.

[HRx]

Gas prices are highest in all of the HIN (High Income Nations) of the world, and the top oil executives admitted last week that global demand has dropped too, yet prices are still continue to rise because of "XYZ" issues.

[AMISLANDER]

Now with the price of regular here, in SRQ, at $4/gal....there's no way I'm driving to work for some time....Bus costs $30/month, gas for work would be $80....I will not do it....

Gas will be at $5 very shortly....

I saw pretty empty roads this whole past weekend. I'm sick of this....and just wait till it does hit the big 5....there'll be more bankruptcies than ever!

[Flamingo]

I drove out-of-state to visit family on Friday for a long holiday weekend. On the way I filled up at a convenience store chain in Maryland at $3.69 per gallon. Last night on the way back, I stopped at the same station to fill up - Gas was $3.81 per gallon. A twelve cent jump over a 4 day period. As I heard back in March on various talk shows on radio and TV, gas will reach $4.00 per gallon for regular everywhere by the first day of summer, which is just about 3 weeks away. State taxes are lower in the states in my area which is right now keeping regular below $4.00 per gallon.

[Cali]

I haven't seen much slow down in traffic around here.

Now with the price of regular here, in SRQ, at $4/gal....there's no way I'm driving to work for some time....Bus costs $30/month, gas for work would be $80....I will not do it....

Gas will be at $5 very shortly....

I saw pretty empty roads this whole past weekend. I'm sick of this....and just wait till it does hit the big 5....there'll be more bankruptcies than ever!