Gas Prices

[#1]

We all have had this conversation with people in our daily lives, but I haven't seen a thread about it on here.  So, how about those gas prices? lol.

Normally, gas prices in my hometown aren't as bad as other places.  Living in a small town has its perks.  However, it looks like summer prices are arriving early.  Lanndan said yesterday he paid 3.6-something per gallon of regular.  During the Fall, gas prices were dropping.  When I was coming home for the weekend last semester, it was almost $3.00 even.  Seeing that was like a welcome home sign lol.  When I went to Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge last week, the prices were almost matched with the ones back home.  Last year, they were cheaper than home, which was beyond weird since it's a tourist place.

If the prices go to 4 or 5 bucks a gallon in the summer, I may not be gassing up my dirtbike as much as I would like.  My car comes first, but it gets great gas mileage.  I drive a 2001 Toyota Corolla.  It's used-squared lol.  My parents bought it used many moons ago, and when mom got the 2007 Camry, they passed the Corolla down to me as long as I kept my grades up and didn't get in trouble.  Thus, used-squared lol.  On one of the beach trips, we found out it got forty-some miles per gallon on the interstate, so I'm happy lol. 

Dad gets the best mileage of all because when it warms up he'll be on his motorcycle.  I'd say they'll increase in sales.

[#2]

@jxw200 & @grammarous - believe it or not I just saw a piece on the news showing a gas station near the city with a big sign marked $3.89 a gallon. Once you pulled in the sign at the pump said $3.89 if you use cash and.....are you sitting down?..... $4.89 A GALLON if you use a credit card!! Can you believe that? How can they get away with that? I mean an extra dollar per gallon? 20 Gallons of gas costs an extra $20.00. Something's wrong there. The report did say they are trying to do something about that, passing some sort of regulation that the highest price must be published closest to the street.

I know sometimes companies and businesses factor in an extra charge or higher price for credit card usage but can you imagine if you went and bought 4 pair of shoes and got to the register and the salesperson said, "oh, you're paying with a credit card? Then those shoes aren't $97.00 a pair,  they're $107.00 a pair." I can hear myself belting out a high pitched "WWHHHHAAATTTTT?"

It's madness. Has anyone else seen anything like this?

[#3]

---

kssweetheart wrote:

@jxw200 & @grammarous - believe it or not I just saw a piece on the news showing a gas station near the city with a big sign marked $3.89 a gallon. Once you pulled in the sign at the pump said $3.89 if you use cash and.....are you sitting down?..... $4.89 A GALLON if you use a credit card!! Can you believe that? How can they get away with that? I mean an extra dollar per gallon? 20 Gallons of gas costs an extra $20.00. Something's wrong there. The report did say they are trying to do something about that, passing some sort of regulation that the highest price must be published closest to the street.

I know sometimes companies and businesses factor in an extra charge or higher price for credit card usage but can you imagine if you went and bought 4 pair of shoes and got to the register and the salesperson said, "oh, you're paying with a credit card? Then those shoes aren't $97.00 a pair,  they're $107.00 a pair." I can hear myself belting out a high pitched "WWHHHHAAATTTTT?"

It's madness. Has anyone else seen anything like this?

---

Wow that is nuts! I've seen those signs but usually it is not more than a 10 cent difference.  I've gotten gas a few times and when I put in my credit card, it told me that there was a 0.35 charge (not per gallon).  It was the "cheap" station so I didn't really mind.

[#4]

Gas prices around here are around $3.75-3.79 a gallon. I've seen that cash/credit price thing also, I just don't shop where they do that, I get cash back on my credit card so I'm not going to give my money to the sleazy station. It is required here that they have to post cash/credit prices on their sign, it can't be a secret until you go to pay. In most cases the cost is about 3 cents a gallon more for credit. 

I drive a truck since I only have the one vehicle and it has to do for farm work as well as pleasure, so it really hurts to fill up. I can remember long ago when I was in high school that we would fill up the family station wagon for around $10. It's also peevish as Pennsylvania does produce oil as well as natural gas, so you'd think we'd get a price break on the stuff.

[#5]

@prettyinpa  The gas companies, of course, never think of those who have farms.  Since my papaw is letting my Uncle borrow my mamaw's Honda (his car blew up), he has to drive the truck even more.  Dodge Rams just love to drink that gas.  He'll either take the truck around the field or the tractor, depending on what he has to do.  Same applies to my dad and other Uncle. 

My dad has a Dodge Ram as well, but when gas is insane, he tends to drive his 1988 Toyota truck.  1988 model and still running strong.  He bought it in '88 new because it was too expensive to drive his hot rod he fixed up lol. 

[#6]

@kimmi1115 - excellent point about farmowners, it has to be hard enough earning a living, then add that to the mix, ouch!! My uncle had a farm, we loved it, none of his kids wanted to keep it going, you can't really blame them - my uncle was wonderful to us but apparently his relationship with his kids was not good My brothers and I tried to find it once or twice but had no luck, maybe that's a good thing though, it probably would've been really sad to see it abandoned and run down when all of our childhood memories of the farm were so alive and wonderful. I asked my mom about it this very week, she said she didn't even think my dad could find it at this point, I most definitely would never want my dad to see it like that, I think it would be even harder on him.

WOW! Anyhow, as I wipe tears away..... Your uncles car blew up?!?! I thought my eyes were gonna bug out of my head when I read that!! I'm guessing & hoping he's okay. What happened?

[#7]

@kssweetheart  Luckily, we don't have a huge farm and we don't raise tobacco anymore.  Tobacco isn't worth as much as it used to be when I was little, but some people around here still raise it.  We mainly have cattle.  When hay season rolls around, the Dodge Rams and one or both tractors will be out. 

@dianabt  lol no worries   They take diesel, which gets pretty expensive, too.  I can't remember how much it is at the moment.  I have a family friend who drives a diesel truck as her main vehicle.  I would hate to see her weekly cost for that because it can't get good mileage. 

[#8]

This post entirely puts into perspective WHY I don't need a gas guzzling car.. I tried to convince myself that "hey, you barely drive anyway so you won't spend SO much right?" but I guess not. No room for giant cars in San Francisco! I laugh at people with Hummers.. Seriously, WHERE are you going to park that thing? 

btw I love these cute new little cat face icons! Maybe we can add puppies too. So I still haven't filled up my car with gas and probably should get to that soon..  I did read a recent article that prices soared or people needed more gas lately due to an influx of something in a gasoline supply? I only scanned the title super quick so I may be WAY off!

[#9]

Hey dianabt - I'd like to see somebody try to parallel park a hummer!! Seriously, I'd like to see that for real. Funny. Stupid question, is there a lot of parallel parking in San Fran or more parking lots? I try to think of what I see in movies and on TV. Can you picture the hummer parking on  "the hill" in SF?

The cat icon's creeped me out at first but I'm getting used to them, would love it if they got dogs! I'm a 'scanner ' too sometimes bad habit, you're not alone.

[#10]

---

kssweetheart wrote:

Hey dianabt - I'd like to see somebody try to parallel park a hummer!! Seriously, I'd like to see that for real. Funny. Stupid question, is there a lot of parallel parking in San Fran or more parking lots? I try to think of what I see in movies and on TV. Can you picture the hummer parking on  "the hill" in SF?

The cat icon's creeped me out at first but I'm getting used to them, would love it if they got dogs! I'm a 'scanner ' too sometimes bad habit, you're not alone.

---

Oh I hate parallel parking! It depends where you are in the city, but a lot of areas are mostly parallel unless you are lucky enough to get the first or last place on the block. Downtown we have quite a few parking lots.  I live outside of the city where there is rarely a need for parallel parking Love the smiley kitty!

[#11]

I didn't have to parallel park for my driving test. If it had been required, I never would've got my license. I live in a small town so don't have to parallel park much. But the times I do I suck at it. I park too far from the curb. I even have a small car (a 2000 Ford Escort).

[#12]

Lucky girls not having to parallel park! haha well I didn't have to parallel park for my test but I did have to pull into the parking lot at the DMV which I entirely and completely FAILED, and I still can't park in those spots! I can parallel park like nobody's business but its those normal "pull in" spots that are no fun! 

[#13]

I've been lucky enough to be in big cities where there are plenty of options besides parallel parking.  If the parking looks too compact from car to car, I usually try to find a spot elsewhere. 

As for SF, the hills scare me so it would be no car unless it was stowed away out of town (coastal highway weekend retreats).  When traveling, I try not to rent a vehicle if I can help it.  Lots of hits and misses in the states but I am curious to see what it is like internationally.  Florida is one of my exceptions due to the unforgiving nasty weather.  Standing out in a lightning storm or in the extreme heat for a slow bus is the pits.  North of Ocala, forget it; car all the way. 

When my last car bit the dust, fuel economy and safety were on the top of the priority list.  I knew if I went too gas guzzling, prices would find their way up again.  The Prius was one choice but since there is snow and ice, the reviews, reports, and analysis kept harping about stability control issues.  Plus the rear-view and back of the vehicle had bad visibility.

We may see slight price increases in certain products due to the fuel costs to transport the items.  ): 

[#14]

Parallel parking is no fun! I learned to drive in Sacramento which has hardly ANY need for parallel parking, so I wasn't too good at it. When I got back to SF I forgot how my neighborhood has the EASY pull in spots with parking meters only and all the good non-paying spots are parallel park only! I live in a super busy residential area and parking is absolutely TERRIBLE so I'm happy to have a garage space now. There is a neighbor I see about 2 blocks away on one of our city's main streets, they have a GIANT Hummer that I see parked at parking meter spots all the time. How he fits the cars there..not sure! I have enough trouble with my little Chevy trying to scoot around into tiny spots! It could be worse, my friend across the street has a huge Cadillac that hardly fits anywhere but somehow he is always SO lucky to find the perfect spot. Just lucky I guess! SF Hills are no fun to park in though, I forget which way to turn my wheels everytime and am terrified I'll park and get out just to see my car roll down the hill.. LOL

[#15]

Hi dianabt - I would have the same exact fear of parking on the hills in San Fran. Parallel parking is so nerve-wracking.

[#16]

The hummer and parallel parking comments are cracking me up because I can't see someone doing that either lol.  I will admit: I have never parallel parked in my life.  I don't mind parking a little farther away and walking to the store entrance lol. 

Has anyone ever seen someone make a turn on the Can-Am Spider trikes?  The ones with two wheels in the front and one in the back?  I've seen them on the road, but I've not seen one make a good turn, and slight curves don't count.  One of my friends followed one for a few miles, but he never turned lol. 

[#17]

@kimmi1115 - glad I could make you Did you have to parallel park for your drivers license test?  I don't think I've ever seen a Can-Am Spider Trike...Now that you mentioned it I'm sure I'll start seeing them everywhere. Sounds like it would be hard to make a decent turn.

[#18]

@kssweetheart and katie1724  I didn't have to parallel park on my test or in my high school driver's ed class.  I only took that class for a slight insurance discount lol.  Here's a pic of the Can Am Spyder.  Apparently, it's spelled with a y.  My bad lol.

I've seen quite a few around here.  I'm not sure where a dealership for them is, though, unless Mountain Motorsports carries them since they have various brands.  Around here, dealers for motorcycles and ATVs are specific to brand.

[#19]

Oh I didn't have to parallel park either...thank goodness! I'm so bad at parallel parking.

I've never been on an ATV, but they look so fun!

[#20]

I hate parallel parking -- before I moved to SF, I hadn't done it since my driver's test, because my car was always garaged (both at home and at work). When I moved here, I had to refresh (read: re-learn) that skill very quickly. I no longer have my car here -- I miss the car itself, and I miss having it for weekend trips outside the city, but I don't miss the parking wars in my neighborhood.I finally realized that I was only driving it when I moved it for street cleaning -- I never wanted to leave because I hated giving up my (hard-earned) parking space! I was also really finicky about my car, and parking in SF is so limited that I would often come out to find someone parked ON my bumper, which was not cool.

@kimmi: TN doesn't make you parallel park for your driver's test? I guess you probably don't need it outside of city parking, but I thought it was just one of those things everyone had to do.

[#21]

@katie1724 -  parallel parking Finding out that the guy you know from work and are going out on your 2nd date with wants you to come pick him up because he doesn't want to lose his parking space, (this depicts my stages of emotion)Thank you! 

(That was a big red flag, I mean, I tried to be sympathetic but there was an entire lot behind his building and it was a gorgeous spring evening, and I met him at his apt for our 1st date and had him follow me home, dropped off my car, so he'd know where I lived for the 2nd date and he only lived about 2 miles away and finding my house was so easy - wimp) Needless to say, while  I was beyond nice about it but....he picked me up for our 2nd, and LAST, date. (it just went downhill from there)

[#22]

@Katie1724 I didn't have to parallel park on my driver's test either.  I didn't take the test in the city, but, with it being so close, I would think it should have been part of the test.