Hold on to your shorts, $5 a gallon gasoline coming soon

VoodooMojo

Joined Nov 28, 2009
505
again, to voice a political/environmental/emotional neutral view
on the topic, to not comment on the preceding utopian tripe does not
constitute an agreement.



edit:
changed the word "above" to the word "preceding".
 
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Audioguru

Joined Dec 20, 2007
11,248
Some people buy an e-bike. It creeps along very slowly, is a hazzard on the sidewalks and roads and its lights at night are dim.
EDIT:
It is not a problem with the motor or the battery. It is a problem that Obese people (an epidemic) ride them which overloads the e-bike so that they can delay driving a wheelchair.
 
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Wendy

Joined Mar 24, 2008
23,415
I'm obese, but I'd rather walk.

Work one way is 10 miles. That is too far.

The nearest grocery store is 3.7 miles, also too far.

As for public transportation, I could not keep my job given their reliability, and it would take one to two hours to get there to my car's 20 minutes.
 

loosewire

Joined Apr 25, 2008
1,686
I think in this area,except the beach,you don't have to walk more 2 and one haft

blocks to some kind of store. The people on the beach are the cheap,more of the

planning type,liking there misable life that money buys. They have two cars and most

rebating that second car,just for the the rebate. There are only two or three

place near the beach for fuel.They have to wait 15 minutes,do the math...how much

do they burn sitting in traffic,waiting for the draw- bridge. How much per minute do

you pay sitting in traffic with a/c on.
 

Audioguru

Joined Dec 20, 2007
11,248
I am slim and trim. My endurance for hard exercise is good. I am 66 but I feel the same as when I was 30.
I had a heart attack because I smoked when I was young and because of too much cholesterol I was eating that plugged the arteries of my heart, not a lack of exercise. Surgery fixed me (I am better than new), now I eat better and take a drug that reduces cholesterol.

My daughter's father in law recently had his 4th heart attack. He is younger than me, is obese and eats mostly fast "cholesterol" food.
 

maxpower097

Joined Feb 20, 2009
816
Some people buy an e-bike. It creeps along very slowly, is a hazzard on the sidewalks and roads and its lights at night are dim.
EDIT:
It is not a problem with the motor or the battery. It is a problem that Obese people (an epidemic) ride them which overloads the e-bike so that they can delay driving a wheelchair.
I'm not sure if its an e-bike but were seeing tons of conversion bikes that they slap a lil gas tank on and motor. But every day I'm seeing more and more of em. There just normal bikes with lil 25cc motors. Only go about 20mph though. If I didn't live in FL I'd get a scooter or motocycle but down here people drive crazy and on a motorcycle your life expectancy here drops to 6 months. Known a few people who died on em. One friends lil brother got hit by a semi on one and died. Family sued and collected 17m. After that they capped wrongful death suits at like 500k.
 

Thread Starter

spinnaker

Joined Oct 29, 2009
7,830
Here in Italy we are paying 9.70USD for a US gallon and rising continuosly till everybody will stop using the car and the automobile industry will be destroyed

Alberto.

Ciao Alberto,

Dove abiti in Italia?

I have bicycle toured there 3 times. Mainly in the north. Milano, Pavia, Lecco, Como, Mantova, Verona, Trento,Riva Del Garda, Mantova. Also have been to Genova, Lucca and a number of other smaller towns

My grandmother was born somewhere in Padova but the records are very old and we are not sure exactly where. I have no doubt I still have relatives there somewhere but there is no way to be sure.

I just love touring in Italy. Everyone is so friendly. Many times they will not tell you directions. They will take you there! :) I have so many good memories that I would not trade for anything.

Do you go home for pausa? That is one thing I thought bit strange with gasoline being so expensive. Everyone driving home at 13:00. A do know a number of people that walk or ride a bike home but the streets are still filled with traffic every day a little after noon.
 

Thread Starter

spinnaker

Joined Oct 29, 2009
7,830
We need to get smarter the way we live. I am not suggesting we all move in close together in a congested city I would hate that. But we can get smarter the way we live and work.

For example, my company is building a brand new sky scraper. It is very environmentally friendly. But I was thinking, why not build several buildings out in the suburbs instead? You would report to the building that is nearest you and communicate to your team members via phone, email and video chat.

Smaller stores nearer where you live would help to. I need to drive to the nearest supermarket (in the summer I ride my bike). The supermarket is gigantic. I think it would have been more environmentally friendly, if they opened several small stores closer to where everyone lives.

Communities need to be designed so you don't really need a car to live in the community.
 

maxpower097

Joined Feb 20, 2009
816
Were doing the exact opposite here Spinny. Research all the changes Gov Rick Voltimore Scott made since he bought his way in office. He opened development in the everglades, he made it the environmental groups resposibility to prove the skyscraper is doing damage to the environment, where as before the developers had to prove they wouldn't damage the environment. Now they build it, then the green people have to prove its damaging. Its just sickening what this guy has done for FL. Oh and drug tests for everyone since he owns a drug testing company and 35 pill mills. So when we were fighting for a drug database for DEA prescriptions he fought it tooth and nail against it till finally it was no use and he had to approve it. He refused federal funding for a high speed rail, hind sight being the dumbest move .
 

justtrying

Joined Mar 9, 2011
439
That sounds insane, first destroy, then what? The everglades are not going to reappear... Here in BC the pipeline mess "debate" is going to last a while. A lot of mudslinging from the government, but our only hope is that the native communities will not sell out like they sometimes do (not intended as a comment, just the way things work, but they have the most power since pipers have to make deals to go through the land that is still disputed). Apparently the gov't does not like foreign groups interfering into decision making process, with the exception of China, of course.

Still waiting for that Simpsons moment where all the people will come out and sing "they have the plant but we have the power..." don't think its going to happen though

Sorry, two rants in one day!?
 

THE_RB

Joined Feb 11, 2008
5,438
Everytime I watch US citizens in cars on TV, and I'm talking real people in documentaries etc not hollywood movies it looks like everyone drives a big guzzling SUV or pickup truck or large sedan, and almost always ONLY ONE person per car.

It's a bit hard to be sympathetic. If yo umust have a car buy a small car with a 1200cc 4 cyl engine and get DOUBLE the gas mileage. It still gets you to work and you just HALVED the cost of a gallon gas (comparitively).

Or sell the $40000 SUV and get a little $2000 motorcycle. It goes faster, uses LESS than half the gas, and you get $38000 worth of FREE GAS to use for the next 10 years!

People make really poor life decisions, then complain about how it's not working out real well for them...
 

maxpower097

Joined Feb 20, 2009
816
Anything on film like documentrys are gonna use SUVs so they can film in the car and out of the car with the large camera's and extra crew. Yes many people that are the bad ones drive big redneck trucks for no reason except they think they may need to haul a piece of wood one day. Then you have the Soccer moms who buy these huge SUV's and have the trunk full of toys and crap totally not needing the space. But the poor sometimes have no choice. Like myself when I was younger I had the following cars strictly based on price and quality. The truck I had I did need for actual work which I think is acceptable.
Dodge colt(Pretty much a go cart)
Pontiac Grand Am (Small 2 door sedan)
Camero Z28 iroc (350hp redneck race car)
Chevy Silverado 1500 (my work truck)
Honda Civic (My baby still have her)
Nissan Altima (Paid $1500 for a $4000 car) Loaded.
But not as near as many gas guzzlers as portrayed on TV. Many people drive small civics, taures's, Accords, lil Nissans. The rich usually drive the smaller Caddies, and smaller sporty sedans. To fix the problem I think anyone that drives a van,full size truck, or SUV should have to have a permit using it for work, or their real family is so big they need it.
 

justtrying

Joined Mar 9, 2011
439
The bigger problem was pointed out already - people are forced to drive to their places of work for I believe an average of 1-2 hours of commute per day. The monster stores where the hordes have to go. There are no small centralized nodes around which communities can be build.

As far as complaints, most do not want to do anything about it. I do not see too many people switching to more fuel efficient cars. At least some are attempting to organize into car pools as traffic congestion is expanding. In its infinite wisdom all governments are doing is expanding highways. It has been known since the beginning that it does not solve the problem.

I love life without car, you get to see so much more, especially when traveling. Apparently to other people all places look the same. Biking in Italy sounds fun though.

p.s. get a scooter, you will look funny, but it uses even less gas than a motorcycle... and will be less likely to engage in dangerous behavior :)
 

loosewire

Joined Apr 25, 2008
1,686
You are not around to hear people complain,they do it with purchase power.

Instead of 10 lottery tickets,they buy 5,they don't buy that extra $2.00 thing.

Fuel $15.00 to get to work and back,if they live far away from work and have to fill

up,they use the credit card.When did people start telling others they are short

pocket cash,the guy that sells you the gas when your card is rejected,he knows.

The credit card companies are not increasing your cash withdrawals. The only

credit card company giving increases is American express,you need more you get

it. You have to pay your bill at the end of the month,they will give you all you need.

They don't have a credit limit,they were the first and will be the last.That the way

our economy is supposed to work,have a balanced budget.
 

Alberto

Joined Nov 7, 2008
169
I believe that the fuel price is part of a project to make the world economy to restart.

When the price will reach its utmost level, then automobile industries will release the next generation car. A car that will consume 1/10 or less fuel per mile, so everybody will have to change the car.

Alberto
 

shortbus

Joined Sep 30, 2009
10,045
The car companies have to make what the people will buy. When was the last time you saw a car for sale that didn't have 'power' everything? One with no air conditioning? All those things take more gas to run.

Those from other places than North America don't have a rel concept of here (unless you've been here), we have state bigger than some European countries. :)
 

Audioguru

Joined Dec 20, 2007
11,248
I laugh when I see a tiny SMART car or a tiny FIAT that is sold by Chrysler now.
Chevrolet has some tiny cars now.
Ford re-introduced its tiny FIESTA car again.
There are tiny Yapanese cars now.

Electric or "HYBRID" cars are all over the place now.

But in North America there are very few smoking stinking diesel cars.
 

Thread Starter

spinnaker

Joined Oct 29, 2009
7,830
The car companies have to make what the people will buy. When was the last time you saw a car for sale that didn't have 'power' everything? One with no air conditioning? All those things take more gas to run.

:)

Only true to a point. An automobile is far more efficient at speed with the windows up. No AC would make that very uncomfortable.
 
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