Balefont Posted April 12, 2011 Share Posted April 12, 2011 Well, eventually the discussion will devolve into how spread out a country we are in the US and this will be countered with grumbling about urban sprawl and then us whining that we have shit for public transportation options and then we are condemned for letting ourselves get so spread out in the first place and not planning better and the whole 'Merkin consumerism and largess mentalities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lany Freelove Cassandra Posted April 12, 2011 Share Posted April 12, 2011 Yeah, each time this topic comes up people talk about the relative cost of gasoline/liter in the US and Europe. Definitely the Europeans pay more per liters, but do numbers exist on how much folks spend (relatively) per month on gasoline?At my last job, I spent over $200 a month on gas. (50 mile commute each way, no public transit available, tha housing in that area WAY out of my budget)At today's prices, I'd have to pay over $250 a month.My car got an average of 33mpg in a combination of city/highway driving Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deaf Dick Posted April 12, 2011 Share Posted April 12, 2011 I'm fortunate in that I can take the bus 28 of the 30 miles in to work (in the city). My car only gets about 22mpg city and 26 mpg highway. We recently bought a 2001 Honda Civic which gets about 35 mpg average. This is to make up for the 2003 Tundra that only gets about 15. But we need the truck too often to warrant getting rid of it.The real problem is when these price increases find their way into the cost of pretty much everything else. We don't live in a climate that would support year round farming so we rely on super markets for at least 70% of our food. Most, if not all, supermarket food has to be transported significant distrances and the gas prices drive up food prices. And then there are the other 'essentials' that have to be shipped to local stores - cleaning supplies, clothing, etc.So this isn't so simple a matter as curbing one's driving habits.I'm fortunate that I'm getting comped for some of my mileage for work because I'm working off-site and it's further away than my home office. I traded in my Dakota on something more fuel efficient a few years ago when gas was about the price it is now (it also had many miles on it and I needed a new vehicle), but I really miss the open bed, the V8 power and lately the towing. I got a new ATV this year and I've got plans to do a lot of camping and riding roughly 200 miles away from my house. It's just going to be more expensive than I'd hoped. And you're exactly right about food transportation costs. The transporters just tack on a higher surcharge and the vendors raise prices in kind. Then theres the fact that a lot of food is packaged with some form of petroleum product to raise prices even more... :ohwell: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MinDonner Posted April 12, 2011 Share Posted April 12, 2011 My annual train fare is approx $6400. Fuel prices don't just affect car owners. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slick Mongoose Posted April 12, 2011 Share Posted April 12, 2011 Maricopa County, AZ - 9,224 sq mi (23,891 km²) Northern Ireland - 5,345 sq mi (13,843 km2)Wales - 8,022 sq mi (20,779 km2) I'm betting we drive just ever so slightly more than you do.Wales is hillier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord O' Bones Posted April 12, 2011 Share Posted April 12, 2011 I bought a hybrid. The cost of fuel doubling isn't quite as terrible if you only need to fill up every 600 miles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balefont Posted April 12, 2011 Share Posted April 12, 2011 My annual train fare is approx $6400. Fuel prices don't just affect car owners.o.O !Oh gods, I'm so sorry to hear that, Min. Not cool at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Raids Posted April 12, 2011 Share Posted April 12, 2011 That sucks Min. I actually walk almost everywhere, but I do pay a lot of rent for that ability. Husband's metro fare to the end of the orange line was about $2400/year, and I thought that was a lot! It was actually cheaper for him to pay for the gas when he had a car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hereward Posted April 12, 2011 Share Posted April 12, 2011 I'm betting we drive just ever so slightly more than you do.Agreed, but you're all spread out because petrol has always been cheap. So you're going to have to rethink that, right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sariel Posted April 12, 2011 Share Posted April 12, 2011 How much time do most americans spend driving to and from work every day? Here it's about 40 min each way on average I seem to remember. I mean, Tormund loves the whole US = huge, Europe = tiny argument, but is there much of an actuall difference when it comes to time spent commuting to and from work?Not to mention that one almost never need the amount of engine power found in most cars sold in the US. I remember looking at the amount of V8 engine cars in Chicago and chukling at the stupidity of it all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balefont Posted April 12, 2011 Share Posted April 12, 2011 See? Here we go.Face it, America, the bill has come due. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seli Posted April 12, 2011 Share Posted April 12, 2011 Well, eventually the discussion will devolve into how spread out a country we are in the US and this will be countered with grumbling about urban sprawl and then us whining that we have shit for public transportation options and then we are condemned for letting ourselves get so spread out in the first place and not planning better and the whole 'Merkin consumerism and largess mentalities.Thanks for making this argument for me :PWhat impact will this have come winter on heating prizes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waldo Frey Posted April 12, 2011 Author Share Posted April 12, 2011 We just went thru a terrible snow storm in Midwest. It is too far ahead in the future for my still numbing mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myiagros Posted April 12, 2011 Share Posted April 12, 2011 I did some conversions yesterday and where I am it is roughly $4.68 per gallon of regular octane, it jumps to well over $5 per gallon for premium. At the moment it doesn't effect me very much as I have a short drive, but later this year I'm moving out of the city and I'll be driving 120km per day round trip which will require at least a full tank each week, should equal out to $250/month. The only bonus about moving is that the nearby town has gas that is usually 4-8 cents cheaper per litre compared to in the city. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tormund Ukrainesbane Posted April 12, 2011 Share Posted April 12, 2011 Agreed, but you're all spread out because petrol has always been cheap. So you're going to have to rethink that, right? I work from home. My grocery store, bank, pub, and gym are all within 2 miles of me. I personally don't drive much at all, but when I do, it's usually 30 or 40 miles each way, if not 150. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balefont Posted April 12, 2011 Share Posted April 12, 2011 Thanks for making this argument for me :PI'm not thrilled about how poorly our country's transportation systems were planned (or not planned in many cases), overall. However, people need to realize how condemning our generation for prior generations' lack of foresight is not really fair. Many people are trying to go against the grain and make more sustainable decisions. It's just not that simple and it really is going against the grain.Take Lany's example: She couldn't afford to live closer to her place of work because it cost more money to live closer than it did to pay for the distant commute. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Raids Posted April 12, 2011 Share Posted April 12, 2011 It's hard to outlay that cash on rent, and especially in a mortgage, but when you get to the point where you don't need a car, or just have a beater you drive once in awhile, the savings can be substantial - more than the cost of the commute. And you get to the idea of what it means to have a neighborhood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balefont Posted April 12, 2011 Share Posted April 12, 2011 It's hard to outlay that cash on rent, and especially in a mortgage, but when you get to the point where you don't need a car, or just have a beater you drive once in awhile, the savings can be substantial - more than the cost of the commute. And you get to the idea of what it means to have a neighborhood.True. Then some people have other factors to consider such as children, day care, school systems, etc. Also, while high gas prices have been on the horizon since we started using gas and prices have been volatile to high for the past 6-7 years, it's still a relatively new concept when it comes to infrastructure, housing, job locations, etc. That's a lot of country to move and a lot of mentalities to change in only 6-7 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S John Posted April 12, 2011 Share Posted April 12, 2011 I plan to get a motorcycle soon. (But honestly its just because I want one. :smoking:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Raids Posted April 12, 2011 Share Posted April 12, 2011 True. Then some people have other factors to consider such as children, day care, school systems, etc. Also, while high gas prices have been on the horizon since we started using gas and prices have been volatile to high for the past 6-7 years, it's still a relatively new concept when it comes to infrastructure, housing, job locations, etc. That's a lot of country to move and a lot of mentalities to change in only 6-7 years.Hmmm...I don't know about that. Given your first comment, it seems like things have gotten worse over the last 20 years. I grew up in a small city of 35,000 people, pretty spread out, the quintessential suburb (only without a city...) and every school I ever went to was either a mile or less away or accessible by bus. I did have a co-op job my senior year and had to drive a car there. But in elementary school and junior high we just walked to school. I also walked to daycare - it was on the way home from school. True enough, before that when I was too young my Mom was home at first and then took me places, but she also walked there. Is this no longer the case? I thought work was the big problem - I didn't realize we'd gotten so stupid about our kids. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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