We should not be whining about gas prices.

[Cascadian]

People are complaining about the price gas in this country. Of course people were whining when it hit a dollar a gallon 25 years ago but when you look at other countries, America is still paying less.

Price in US Dollars per gallon.

Belgium: 3.36

France: 3.31

Germany: 3.49

Italy: 3.34

Netherlands: 3.87

United Kingdom: 4.16

http://www.pbs.org/now/politics/gasprices2.html


So what on earth are we to complain? This is great reason to emphasise conversion to renewable energy sources.

John

[NMDemDist2]

1. i'll bet people in europe dont' commute 90 miles round trip

i wish i could move closer to work but it's not in the stars this year barring the lottery

[veggiemama]

4. They do in Ireland--90 and more . . .

The situation's so bad here in Eire that we've just been busted by the EU for environmental violations. Ireland's become a car-mad island. The only saving grace is that the cars of tiny!

[Cascadian]

6. Don't they have an effective rail and intercity bus system there?

I could have sworn that they have a good mass transportation system there as in the rest of Europe. I never been there but I when I was in Holland 12 years ago and I was blown away by how easy efficient it was to get anywhere on the buses and trains.

John

[PfNJ]

8. that's the problem here.....

we've spent the past 50 years squandering our national wealth, building a nation of disconnected, ghastly housing pods, office "parks" and strip malls, in the foolish belief that the cheap oil age would last forever, and everybody would drive miles and miles in every direction to do everything we need to do (work, shop, take kids to school and play, etc...), while we've let our cities and towns rot and decay, or we've tried to blow them up and turn them into suburbs, as well (urban "renewal", or bulldozing downtowns and building malls, parking lots, and sports arenas).....
The asphalt contractors sure have made a killing, though.....

edit: Call it the "Levittown Syndrome"

[ikojo]

13. Suburban sprawl is not only due to the expectation of

sufficiently cheap gas, it is also due to racism and classism. Not wanting to live near "those people." It is also why public transit sucks in the US, especially in the St Louis area.

I pay $45 per month for my bus pass and do not own a car. It is NOT easy in St Louis but I do it. I don't miss car payments, insurance payments and I don't obsess about the price of gas. Normally I would be concerned because not everyone can afford $2 a gallon, however, when I see people (of ALL classes) continuing to buy HUGE cars and SUVs then that is when my pity for them is thrown out the window.

[PfNJ]

33. true.....

Notice how significantly the process sped up after the mid-60s urban riots.....
The class issue as well, with the middle class having left cities decades ago, the population of cities for the most part consists of the poor, and working class, or the super-rich who live in multi-million dollar penthouses downtown.....
What the nation needs desperately, is an efficient, affordable, high-speed rail system, connecting every area of the country.....
Public Transit in cities is woefully inadequate, for, in addition to sprawl, and the eventual migration of jobs from cities and towns into these vast suburban wastelands, they are underfunded (even the most efficient public transit systems are not fully self-sustaining), and a subway or elevated/monorail system is not feasable since, in most American cities, there is no discernable, concentrated downtown area (especially the sprawling sun-belt "cities"), so buses are pretty much the only way to go in most places, and they are held hostage to the price of gas, as well.....

[Kellanved]

11. They (we) do

Commuting 100 km single trip is by no way unusual.
But, for example, Germany pays back a part of the gas tax for commuting (based on distance, not consumption) - even if a bike and/or public transportation was used.

I can't find current statistics, but Frankfurt and Munich have about the same number of commuters using their cars , as they have permanent residents. A statistic from the mid 90s gives the average distance as being about 75km single trip.

And the Public Transportation System is simply better: lots of people using the TGV for commuting 300 km (again single trip) from Bourgogne to Paris - it takes about an hour. (The TGV looks like the DC Boston Acela Express, but the tracks are far more modern - and the tickets are cheaper).




PS 1 Mile is about 1.6 km ;-).

[RafterMan]

2. The prices you list

represent increased government revenues due to taxation. There's no such benefit to governmetn here.

That said, I agree with your conclusion. Maybe it's painful, but it's the only thing that will get us off the junk.

[theoceansnerves]

3. i agree to a certain extent

people that bought suv and other low mileage vehicles without a purposeful reason shouldn't be complaining. people that live in an area inadequately served by public transportation might have a reason to complain.

[Piperay]

5. The higher gas prices go

here the more it is going to hurt chimp in Nov.;) Higher, higher, higher. :evilgrin:

[neoteric lefty]

7. lower, lower, lower

though I agree with your conclusion, I cannot afford 3 dollars a gallon gas. Many people can't. Chimp should be ousted on his own merits, not by a worsening situation. BuchCo would have a worse chance if the economy tanked but I sure as hell do not want the economy to tank.

[Piperay]

10. Sorry...

I know 'where you are coming from' and I know it hurts people who can least afford it. Personally I'm not happy about having to pay so much out myself but guess I was looking for the 'silver lining', at least if it leads to chimp's exit we will get something in exchange for the high prices at the pumps.

[TexasProgresive]

19. That's *'s campaign strategy-

Get the price of gas so high that those poor liberal smucks can't get to the polls to vote. On retrospect-looking back at this administration's past strategies they are perfectly capable of cooking up something that stupid. An irony-what i thought was irony might be the simple truth!

[Deja Q]

23. According to the freepers, a car is a luxury...

:eyes:

Those who ride busses should note that with higher gas prices, their buss passes will cost more. It'll be interesting to see how that ultimately works out...

It's interesting to hear what they call a luxury, especially since our society encourages people to buy, buy, buy (or else the economy goes down the toilet - for our society requires consumption).

I'm not linking the site, but it's known as "CU". (they also have a habit of taking people out of context. Tsk tsk.)

[MI Cherie]

9. Some of those countries are ...

... smaller than some of our states! They have much better public transportation and do not have to drive as much or as far to work, shop, or visit family and friends, etc.

Also, don't they receive some "benefits" that we do not? I wouldn't complain as much if only our roads were in better condition!

That said, alternative and renewable energy sources will be the way to get away from the Greedy Oil People!

[Kellanved]

12. Well, the tax is to blame for that

And the current exchange rate makes is sound worse than it is.

Although at the moment Gas prices in Europe are rising even stronger, as the US oil companies are buying every drop of gas from the European market.

[Streetdoc270]

14. Thats why....

I'm glad I don't live in those countries :evilgrin:

[MichaelUK]

15. UK average commuting distance

Is something in the region of 50 miles. We've recently seen a lot of people using the trains but public transport isn't brilliant outside the London.

And it's mostly the large towns that are causing the problems. They've all go these industrail plants on their outskirts, which are great for the local economy, but cuase huge foul ups on the local transport system.

[Brian_Expat]

16. I live in the UK and am buying a little FIAT Punto

It gets 45 to 50 MPG with the 1.1 litre petrol engine. It's also a blast to drive.

A lot of the smaller cars here, like the Peugeot 206, FIAT Punto (or new Panda), Citroen C2, etc. get excellent mileage and it's possible to actually spend LESS money on fuel here than in the US because of it.

One thing is for sure -- the days of 15 MPG SUVs will come to a close in the USA sooner or later.

[Maeve]

28. We rented a Punto in Ireland

Averaged 50 mpg, roomier than I expected but small enough to manage those narrow roads.
Good car for the trip, but not sure how it would be for a family (it was just Hubby and I).

[keithyboy]

17. NO! We should be demonstrating against gasoline prices.

And, we should stop all unnecessary driving for the entire summer.

[Blayde Starrfyre]

18. Don't bitch about high gasoline prices . . .

Bitch about WHY they are so high. It's because the fucking Saudi dictators cut a deal with Bush to lower gas prices before election time, and they are recouping the money now. The question of course is, why would they do this? My answer would be, as payback for Bush shipping them out of the country before they could be investigated for potential links to 9/11.

[CJCRANE]

20. Depends what caused the high prices

If it's due to political and economic instability that could've been avoided then you've got every reason to complain.

[Deja Q]

26. Or greed, but you raise an excellent point:

If it was about economic instability, such as what we're going through now, prices would indeed be lower. Higher prices affect peoples' buying power, and that's going to hurt the economy, no matter how gradually they raise the prices over the summer due to "increased demand".

[izzie]

21. Yar, but Holland is 40 miles wide. Do not need much gas.

Just kidding and we are lucky and I am shocked it has not been higher for years.Can see it coming and I hate to bring up this fact. SA is not making the money.

[G_j]

22. SUV sales are down, the first time gas prices have effected

SUV sales, according to ABC news.
So IMO that is worth it.

[Deja Q]

24. * will do the same thing again and expect better results:

Tax incentives for those monstrosities.

And people will buy 'em again too. :eyes:

</cynical>

[Pepperbelly]

25. Bullshit! I'll "whine" as long as Bush ...

keeps filling the strategic reserves rather than releasing them and investigating the oil companies for gouging.

[Deja Q]

27. If I were prez, I'd keep the reserves for an emergency, but I sure as hell

would investigate the oil companies.

* used to run one and it failed. Everything to date shows he's helping them and not being impartial toward them.

[Pepperbelly]

30. all it would take ...

would be to stop filling them and release a million brls a day. Clinton did that and the price of gas went from a buck and a quarter to under a buck in less than a week.

[dbt]

31. Yo, Pepperbelly!

You're as rare around here as a ten-second steak!

:hi:
dbt

[Pepperbelly]

32. hey, homeskillet!

I'm here a bit more lately.

:hi: to you and family.

[BonjourUSA]

29. I'm going to be hard on you

the time is up, you have to engage a policy of energy saving like the other industrialized countries.

How long would you like to continue using up 2.4 more energy than the European every year and 1/3 of the world oil every day ?

You have made a little mistake :
In France,
1 liter = 1.09 euro = $1,29 (average)
1 gallon = $1.29 x 3,78 l = $4.87

The other European countries are very close to this price

[Cascadian]

34. You are not hard on me.

I was just showing the information I had found via Google but I do appreciate the extra information. Thank you.


Now if America would only bring itself to go Metric!


John

[cushla_machree]

35. i aint whining

serves the SUV driving americans right.

My next car is gonna be a hybrid.

The higher it goes, perhaps the more pressure there will be for alternative sources.

[amazona]

36. their cost of living much lower than ours

In Europe they have health care, child care, all sorts of benefits we can only dream of. So no wonder they have a few extra bucks for the gas.