Boston Herald: Gas prices drive for record

[Park City Skins]

http://www.bostonherald.com/business...&position=also

Motorists who had their fill of high gas prices a few years ago won’t like what’s over the next rise in the road: potential record-high gas prices by Memorial Day.

The statewide average hit $3.60 per gallon yesterday after rising 4 cents from a week ago and 18 cents over the past month, according to a survey by AAA Southern New England. Tensions in the Middle East have driven oil prices higher, which in turn has pushed up prices at the pump and renewed worries about $4-a-gallon gas.

“What we’re seeing is pressure and fear from Iran. There’s really not much else to it,” said Patrick DeHaan, senior petroleum analyst at GasBuddy.com, a website that tracks gas prices for consumers.

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[Kosher Ham]

It's about $3.70 or so here already.

This is getting out of hand.
Certainly makes living in the suburbs for some consider moving closer to the city. I know if I was still in DC I would just make sure I lived within a few blocks of the METRO.

[DCsportsfan53]

It's about $3.70 or so here already.

This is getting out of hand.
Certainly makes living in the suburbs for some consider moving closer to the city. I know if I was still in DC I would just make sure I lived within a few blocks of the METRO.

From all the checking I did gas would have to get up to 7-8 per gallon before it actually made financial sense to take it instead of driving and, obviously, if gas were that high metro fairs would have risen significantly, too. And if you don't live within walking distance of a Metro station and have to park there forget about it, it will never make financial sense.

[Harwich Hog]

Not trying to turn this into a US-UK debate but it's about £1.30 a litre here. That's about £4.95 a gallon. $7.80. I appreciate population density tends to be greater here so alot of things are within easier reach for us etc. but thought you may be interested.

[Bang]

A couple of years ago when gas was creeping near $4.. on Memorial day weekend I happened to be watching Channel4 news.
So they did their usual "get out of town" stories, and they featured a gas station with lines around the block to sip at it's pumps for just 3.80 per gallon or so.. this was ne of the cheaper stations in town.
Then they went over to another reporter who was located on southbound 95 just south of the city where traffic was bumper to bumper of people trying to get on vacation.
The reporter walked between the cars asking people about their plans.
Everyone they showed basically said the same thing. They were hitting the road, having their vacation, and no gas price was going to slow them down. Back to you Jim.
Then they shifted over to a marina in SW DC where another report was given of an interview with the Marina's manager, who said he expected a brisk business with plenty of boaters enjoying the weather... and then the obligatory walk up and down the dock and each Captain asked said the same thing.. high prices won't stop their fun this weekend... and the marina manager went on to say they expected the average fill-up for the boaters they serve to be about 1200 bucks.


So right then I figured we'd better get used to it becoming the normal price, because we just showed all the oil companies that we can handle it. We will not change our habits. We will not curtail our consumption.
And so the price we pay is what the market we set will bear.


No bitchin' about it now.

~Bang

[heyholetsgogrant]

I'm hearing there is a chance that prices could hit $5....

[MartinC]

It's about $3.70 or so here already.

This is getting out of hand.
Certainly makes living in the suburbs for some consider moving closer to the city. I know if I was still in DC I would just make sure I lived within a few blocks of the METRO.

$3.70 a gallon? Its just over $10 per gallon now for diesel in the UK .......

[Park City Skins]

I live within 5 minutes of work,so it's not too horrible in that area. However,this kind of thing puts a real dent in any potential photography trips. Main concern are the other things in this still fragile economey can effect. I have read reports that this may not be a long term thing and that prices will go back down,but frankly this **** is getting old.

[Harwich Hog]

$3.70 a gallon? Its just over $10 per gallon now for diesel in the UK .......

What gallon conversion did you use? I think the US gallon is 3.8l compared to the 4.5 we use. I dunno.

[Kosher Ham]

Considering it was about a buck less about a year ago...$3.70 is a big jump.

[SnyderShrugged]

To know this is happening now, in winter, God help us when the warm months arrive. I don't think $5 is out of the question.

[MartinC]

What gallon conversion did you use? I think the US gallon is 3.8l compared to the 4.5 we use. I dunno.

I used 4.5 so if you use 3.8 you get $8.78. I would sell my first born to get diesel at $4 a gallon.

[Bang]

Just a question, and be honest,, no using the anynomity of the computer to pretend you're the perfect consumer.

How many still drive a big SUV?
How many of you are among the myriad i see every day driving a full size pickup to work, so you can park it and not use it til it's time to go home?
How many drive the same vehicle.. that F250, that Suburban, to the grocery store or anywhere else alone? I see plenty of them every time I go out. Every time I go to any store, there's tons of people tooling around the parking lot by themselves in gigantic trucks and SUVs. I'm sure you all see them too.

It's been nearly 7 years since Katrina sent prices in their first gigantic skyward blast, how many people have actually changed their habits to try to curtail the problem of price?

It sure doesn't look like many to me. Some, I suppose, and change does happen slowly.
I saw my first charging station the other day.. in front of a Walgreens. I looked at it like a little kid. The future was right in front of my face,, I've been hearing about electric cars since i was a kid, and there I was standing looking at a charging station marvelling like a 5 year old. I guess it was sort of like when my grandparents saw John Glenn go around the earth.. on a smaller scale.


My point is, I always hear complaining, but I don't see very many people actually making changes. (and I am not being specific to all of y'all here. just in general) Granted, I'm only going by what I see with my eyes, and it seems to me that when I'm out, the giant gas-hog vehicles are still runnng about 10-1 to every other kind of car on the road, and typically have one person inside them. (And I live out in the extended suburbs, you could say. It's not the sticks, but it's 15 miles to Wal Mart, for example. You have to do some driving to get around if you want to live and work here. And if I sit to make a left and watch the traffic pass in front of me around rush hour. it's just a parade of single occupant big vehicles.

~Bang

[renaissance]

It's varied a lot here, lately, but it's not been below 3.40/gallon in a while. It's been high ever since right before X-mas, actually. I think I paid around 3.65/gallon yesterday.

To answer Bang's question - I drive a small car - a Chevy Cobalt - but I currently drive from Annapolis to Rockville and back every day for work. I cannot wait until my lease is up so we can move up to Montgomery County because my gas expenses are getting ridiculous. This is the first time since graduating college in '06 that I've had to drive to work. I always used public transit before, but I don't really have much choice now.

[Popeman38]

I have a question: where is all the political outrage over gas prices? When gas was $4/gallon under GWB, people were getting hysterical in blaming the Reps for the high gas prices. Where is the hysterical posting now that $4/gallon is approaching under a Dem?