conversations and opinions on the rising cost of fuel - Page 4 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

WDBCB20 · #46 03-04-2011, 04:06 PM

When you look around driving down the highway 90% of the vehicles are single occupant and that's a conservative estimate.

Apparently the only way people will admit the absurdity of spending their lives in 10 lane traffic jams, daily converting 21 million BARRELS of hydrocarbons into climate changing emissions, is if it hits them in the wallet.

Rising fuel prices? Good. Bring 'em on. Double 'em, Triple 'em.

SD Blue · #47 03-04-2011, 06:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WDBCB20

When you look around driving down the highway 90% of the vehicles are single occupant and that's a conservative estimate.

Apparently the only way people will admit the absurdity of spending their lives in 10 lane traffic jams, daily converting 21 million BARRELS of hydrocarbons into climate changing emissions, is if it hits them in the wallet.

Rising fuel prices? Good. Bring 'em on. Double 'em, Triple 'em.

Hmmm............That's interesting. I drive a vehicle for business purposes and guess what......99.995% of the time it is single occupant....me!

If some of these cities would actually look at the absurdity of HOV lanes and either make it a commercial truck lane or open it to all drivers, we wouldn't have some of the ridiculous traffic jams. Can anyone tell me the sense of 20 cars with more than one person at 25mpg having a special lane vs. 20 tractor trailer rigs operating at 4mpg in stop-n-go traffic? Not to mention the millions of $'s it cost to install and operate the stupid idea.

I could care less what someone else drives and what kind of mileage it gets. Here is a simple fact, raising their taxes and prices has only one effect, an emptying of everyones' wallets. I have as yet to see someone claim they are getting ahead because someone else pays more. Of course the only exception in all of this is the biggest abyss of all....the government.

Needless to say, I don't believe in hot-air-hoaxes either. It is designed for the same reason, to vacuum money out the working public and given to someone that can't justify their business except to some elected crook making promises.

This country has HUGE oil reserves that can't be touched because of stupid politics. Instead, we import massive quantities from countries that hate us but want our dollars to control their own crooked regimes. Every time their countries go in to turmoil, we pay higher prices at the pump. If we would pump our own oil, our own supply and demand would control the price. Of course that means we would need some political upheaval.

pawoSD · #48 03-04-2011, 06:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Craig

I agree that many folks can currently justify the cost of operating a truck as their primary vehicle. That is an indication that fuel is still much too cheap. At some point the cost of fuel will correct that problem.

Exactly. You don't see too many people commuting in V8's in europe. They're driving 2 liter diesels that get 60+mpg.

The other side is that people feel "entitled" to be able to live wherever they want, including way out in the country/suburbs for no good reason, and then burn 10 gallons a day commuting to and from this location. What a waste of time and resources. I live 7 miles from my workplace, and would never accept a job more than 15-20 miles away absolute max. Fuel could be $10 a gallon and its not going to hurt those who live well within their means, and don't drive SUV's 150 miles a day to work. I currently only have to fuel my 300SD barely once a month. If it costs $50, 100, or $150 to do that.....isn't going to make a lot of difference because I am well within my means in all areas of how I live. Most people seem to struggle with this. And I am not exactly in a "high income" bracket either. Fox and friends republican world recently said $250k is "almost poverty in this country". Well, I make less than 1/5th that....and I seem to be doing just fine....

Moral of the story is, people will bend to the will of the fuel supply and prices unless a cheap good alternative appears. People will move closer to work, more will telecommute, SUV's and Pickups driven as mere transportation will disappear. The earth will be a cleaner nicer place as a result. And drilling endless holes in wildlife refuge areas to get more oil does not solve the issue, it merely extends it.

pawoSD · #49 03-04-2011, 06:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by compu_85

Yes, because the 617 gets such incredible fuel economy.

Even a 240D doesn't get that great of mileage.

-J

It gets perfectly fine fuel economy considering I only drive about 16 miles a day.

Also, people who go out and spend 25-35k on a new car that gets 40-50mpg....add up that insurance and monthly payment vs. my 0 payment and almost 0 insurance. I think I'm doing good driving my car for about $200 a month between fuel, repairs, and insurance.

#50 03-04-2011, 08:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pawoSD

It gets perfectly fine fuel economy considering I only drive about 16 miles a day.

Also, people who go out and spend 25-35k on a new car that gets 40-50mpg....add up that insurance and monthly payment vs. my 0 payment and almost 0 insurance. I think I'm doing good driving my car for about $200 a month between fuel, repairs, and insurance.

If you believe the GAO, it currently coats $0.50/mile to operate an "average" private vehicle, only about $0.15 of that cost is fuel for most people. The biggest expense is usually depreciation.

Kurt Smith · #51 03-04-2011, 08:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pawoSD

... Fox and friends republican world recently said $250k is "almost poverty in this country". Well, I make less than 1/5th that....and I seem to be doing just fine....

Are you a teacher? Fox also said teachers making over 50k are overpaid. I think they are overpaid myself.

Skid Row Joe · #52 03-04-2011, 08:40 PM

100% true and accurate.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SD Blue

Hmmm............That's interesting. I drive a vehicle for business purposes and guess what......99.995% of the time it is single occupant....me!

If some of these cities would actually look at the absurdity of HOV lanes and either make it a commercial truck lane or open it to all drivers, we wouldn't have some of the ridiculous traffic jams. Can anyone tell me the sense of 20 cars with more than one person at 25mpg having a special lane vs. 20 tractor trailer rigs operating at 4mpg in stop-n-go traffic? Not to mention the millions of $'s it cost to install and operate the stupid idea.

I could care less what someone else drives and what kind of mileage it gets. Here is a simple fact, raising their taxes and prices has only one effect, an emptying of everyones' wallets. I have as yet to see someone claim they are getting ahead because someone else pays more. Of course the only exception in all of this is the biggest abyss of all....the government.

Needless to say, I don't believe in hot-air-hoaxes either. It is designed for the same reason, to vacuum money out the working public and given to someone that can't justify their business except to some elected crook making promises.

This country has HUGE oil reserves that can't be touched because of stupid politics. Instead, we import massive quantities from countries that hate us but want our dollars to control their own crooked regimes. Every time their countries go in to turmoil, we pay higher prices at the pump. If we would pump our own oil, our own supply and demand would control the price. Of course that means we would need some political upheaval.

SD300 · #53 03-04-2011, 08:56 PM

little do ve know the Colonel Muammar Khadaffi will affect us so much!

Kind of screw us coming & going.
And the price is not going to stay at this level either, should more unrest in the Middle East.

WDBCB20 · #54 03-04-2011, 09:01 PM

100% true and accurate.

Quote:

Originally Posted by pawoSD

Exactly. You don't see too many people commuting in V8's in europe. They're driving 2 liter diesels that get 60+mpg.

The other side is that people feel "entitled" to be able to live wherever they want, including way out in the country/suburbs for no good reason, and then burn 10 gallons a day commuting to and from this location. What a waste of time and resources. I live 7 miles from my workplace, and would never accept a job more than 15-20 miles away absolute max. Fuel could be $10 a gallon and its not going to hurt those who live well within their means, and don't drive SUV's 150 miles a day to work. I currently only have to fuel my 300SD barely once a month. If it costs $50, 100, or $150 to do that.....isn't going to make a lot of difference because I am well within my means in all areas of how I live. Most people seem to struggle with this. And I am not exactly in a "high income" bracket either. Fox and friends republican world recently said $250k is "almost poverty in this country". Well, I make less than 1/5th that....and I seem to be doing just fine....

Moral of the story is, people will bend to the will of the fuel supply and prices unless a cheap good alternative appears. People will move closer to work, more will telecommute, SUV's and Pickups driven as mere transportation will disappear. The earth will be a cleaner nicer place as a result. And drilling endless holes in wildlife refuge areas to get more oil does not solve the issue, it merely extends it.

Skid Row Joe · #55 03-04-2011, 09:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SD300

little do ve know the Colonel Muammar Khadaffi will affect us so much!

Kind of screw us coming & going.
And the price is not going to stay at this level either, should more unrest in the Middle East.

Heh! Funny, but true......a few cents a gallon, and all h#ll breaks loose for some folks. Some are already leveraged so heavily, it must show up immediately. What's only a few bucks a tank, and who's counting!?

newtodiesel · #56 03-04-2011, 10:51 PM

Trying to survive on just the BARE essentials and then having fuel go up this much this fast is difficult to bear, then food prices are going thru the roof too. I think I am going to have to plant a garden this year and grow my own food, might have to get a few chickens too, bet my city neighbors will love that!

charmalu · #57 03-04-2011, 11:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by newtodiesel

Trying to survive on just the BARE essentials and then having fuel go up this much this fast is difficult to bear, then food prices are going thru the roof too. I think I am going to have to plant a garden this year and grow my own food, might have to get a few chickens too, bet my city neighbors will love that!

You will be down to your Bare essentials the way things are going.

bring the birds home and the Chicken Cops will be after you.

Charlie

newtodiesel · #58 03-05-2011, 12:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by charmalu

You will be down to your Bare essentials the way things are going.

bring the birds home and the Chicken Cops will be after you.

Charlie

I think the stray cats would get them before the chicken cops would!

Being in the south, I think we are allowed a few chickens in the city. I used to drive through an area that was a mix of industrial and residential, the chickens would run out in the street. I had never seen anything like it 'till I moved to florida!

Skid Row Joe · #59 03-05-2011, 12:46 AM

Things are tough out there for many of us - no doubt about it.

What most now consider necessities - many of us have always considered luxuries. I would have to agree that most would find it extremely difficult to live without their luxuries.

For better or worse, habits and choices we make when young, always have a way of catching up with one throughout their lifetime. I can get along on very, very little because of past choices of self-denial and sacrifice made when I was very young. Be prepared is my motto for self-reliance.

I have found that once one is in their 20's and older - you are who you are becoming for the mostpart the rest of your life. A couple old acquaintances 30+ years ago didn't want to accept that philosophy when posed with this dynamic fact of life. For them, change is difficult to make, and adapting to new realities is painful.