Gas Price Talk Radio

[Brian_Holiday]

In my county (Oswego) all of the deputy sheriffs get their own personal patrol car to take home with them when they are off. To me this is a waste of the taxpayers money. The Republicans gave them this deal. In NY the Republicans are the worse offenders of tax and spend plus bigger government.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Everywhere I have lived they let the cops take their cars home, thats nothing new.

Unfortunately NY Republicans can't win if they don't spend. A little hint, no one who gets elected up there is a 'true' Republican, thats why so few Northern Republicans have been president. The liberal stance they have to take makes them unelectable in the south. Hell, most of us a ticked at Bush for the spending.

BH

Edited September 14, 2005 by Brian_Holiday

[bozodog]

Weeee! $2.74 here.

Blim, Granholm applauded the bill put forth and passed by the "conservatives" but said she would not use it now... I mean, why put a strain on entitlements while *only* the rich drive gas guzzlers? I'm still looking at 6% tax on $2.74 is 16 cents a gallon savings times a 24 gal. fillup? Better in my pocket then a drug addicted mother of four boyfriend's beer budget. I use my gas to get to my job and buy food. Wanna bet that "boyfriend" has a dynamite stereo, and fancy wheels on his ride?

Edited September 14, 2005 by bozodog

[Bubba Bob]

Terrorist, you hit on one of my pet peeves, with the vehicles idling. When our cops are watching for speeders (ahem, reading the newspaper--we live in a tiny town) their engines are always running. Now I know, they have to leap into action on a moment's notice, but the 2 seconds needed to start the car isn't going to delay their arrival to an emergency more than about.... 2 seconds!!! Not to mention the environmental aspects of that policy....

I odnt know what it's like up north, but If I sat in a car with the A/C off, id melt.

Also, how much gas does it really use? In most vehilces it's roughly 1/5th a tank for every 12 hours it's running.

So, if a Ford Crown Vic sits for an average of 4 hours a day it will waste a little over a gallon. So, say bout $3 a day in wasted idling gas? (or $6 for 8 hours, and so on...)

I say we worry more about the abuse of the donut budget, than idling police cars.

[TheTerrorist_75]

When you add up 12 city cop cars and 4 SUVs plus all of the city's trucks and equipment idling almost 24/7 that's a lot of fuel per week/month/year. Now figure the county mounties and their 30+ cars, large prisoner vans and SUVs idling or being driven back and forth to work and home. I can't count how many times I've seen county workers sitting in the diner for over an hour eating and their vehicles were outside running. Or my pet peeve watching about 5 laborers standing around leaning on their shovels watching equipment idling that is not doing any work. The only time up here that it is necessary is when the weather is below 0F.

[Bubba Bob]

You should take it up at your local City Council Meetings. I agree, leaving the trucks running makes no sence...

[Brian_Holiday]

You should take it up at your local City Council Meetings. I agree, leaving the trucks running makes no sence...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Semi drivers do that also, primarily because the AC in the bunk needs it. Luckily truck stops are starting to offer ac hookups to save fuel.

Like you guys, I can't see a reason to sit and idle in the summer. I have a good idea, why don't we give the drivers half of what they save in fuel costs!

BH

[bozodog]

Some transport companies pay a bonus to drivers that save fuel. I wonder what the differance would between turning off my delevery van 50 times a day, compared to letting it idle? Doesn't it take more gas to start an engine then idling for 2 minutes? And what about the costs of replacing a starter far more often? I sure wouldn't want to pay the fuel bill for 17 vans running about 200 miles a day in the city...

[Brian_Holiday]

Doesn't it take more gas to start an engine then idling for 2 minutes? And what about the costs of replacing a starter far more often? I sure wouldn't want to pay the fuel bill for 17 vans running about 200 miles a day in the city...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Any accountants here?...

BH

[blim]

Ha, ha, now my math skills will never render me an accountant, but about a year ago, I read in a "Car Talk Type Article" that if you're going to idle for more than 2 minutes, turn it off--the gas saved will be more money in your pocket than the cost of a starter--and that was BEFORE gas prices went through the roof--seems prices were between $1.30-$1.60 gallon back then.

BUT that was in reference to cars--I don't know about delivery vans--I imagine parts are more expensive for those big vehicles and guessing a lot run on diesel, which would be a whole different mathmatical problem.

Liz

Edited September 15, 2005 by blim

[Brian_Holiday]

I read in a "Car Talk Type Article"  that if you're going to idle for more than 2 minutes, turn it off--

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Great advice, I bet it has dropped to a minute 30 by now.

BH

[TheTerrorist_75]

The last time I had a starter refurbished for a diesel truck it cost me $125.00. That truck had been constantly shutdown and restarted for over 10 years before the starter messed up. Car starters I can get rebuilt for less than $75.00. There are very few starters that I cannot replace within 1/2 hour. My friend owns one of the local taxi companies and he has his drivers shut the cars off while waiting. These vehicles take some awful abuse. He has to put new engines and transmissions in before a starter goes bad. With the newer vehicles using fuel injection the consumption of gas is minimal on startup. In fact a well tuned car with carburetion shouldn't use much fuel when starting. If you were running something like my old street rods with Holley double pumpers and large camshafts then I could see an issue with consuming more gas on startup than idle.

[JDoors]

... Doesn't it take more gas to start an engine then idling for 2 minutes? ...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Every study I've read puts the trade-off point at around two minutes (average, depends on the number of cylinders, etc.). Some of the reluctance to turn off the engine is just inertia when it comes to changing habits (nobody was taught to do this or is in the habit of doing this), or having outdated ideas (cars were sometimes hard to start and were less reliable all around).

The habit will be taken care of for us through technology, there are already some cars that shut down the engine during stops and there are more to come. Once that technology becomes increasingly common those who doubt the reliability of shutting the engine down should be able to accept that there are no significant disadvantages. Eventually it will seem odd to have the engine running when the car's not moving.

[Brian_Holiday]

Eventually it will seem odd to have the engine running when the car's not moving.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You guys remember the 4-6-8 engine back in the 80's? It was a disaster then, but with todays technology they might be able to make it work. Think about it, take the parts for an aluminum small block and make them in a V twin configuration 2 cylinder pairs, then just stack them up to the required horsepower. Using modern fuel injection and good clutching you would be able to get a hybrid effect without the weight. Cyl pairs you didn't need just shut off, disengage, and freewheel to a stop.

BH

[Brian_Holiday]

2.59 in Maryland. Almost back to normal.

BH

[macmarauder]

Almost back to normal.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

don't say that!?? you'll jinks it.

BTW forget who wants to be a Millionaire and Jeopardy cause folks soon we'll be adding something new to Gas Price Talk Radio. a game show with the most coveted prize in town. forget trips to far of Wonderful Lands, a new Boat or Car, or that Huge Plasma TV you've been wanting. cause we've got gas. THAT'S RIGHT FOLKS! we've barrels and barrels of the stuff and we're just giving it away. tune in later for your chance to win! this you Radio Host macmacmarauder signing off for now. "Good Night and May The Car Force Be With You"

[bozodog]

Yep, back down to $2.64 here in Michigan.. Still would be nice to have that 6% sales tax knocked off for good. Maybe with the new governor.....

[JDoors]

... THAT'S RIGHT FOLKS! we've barrels and barrels of the stuff and we're just giving it away. tune in later for your chance to win!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

OK, if I win, where should I keep it? I'm guessin' I don't want to store a barrel of gas in the garage, next to the car (BOOM!). The backyard won't work, as soon as the neighbors know I have gasoline they'll be all like, "Hey, can we come over?" I'll never get rid of 'em. The basement? The attic? Where does one store a barrel of gasoline anyway?

[thesidekickcat]

Topped off the motorhome gas tank on the way home from having propane tank valve replaced today. Propane fill was $1.85 a gallon for the just over 11 gallons we needed (after they had bled/burned off the propane left in tank to work on it which really bothered me for the waste, besides being scary), and the price seemed quite reasonable compared to what we have paid other years elsewhere. Gasoline was still $2.77, down from high of $2.81 a couple of weeks ago. Needed almost 10 gallons, oh my!

Still would like to take a trip to the coast if my jury duty next Tues doesn't stretch out much longer than the one day. But will sure need to be careful of how far we go. No more sightseeing sidetrips with the gas hog (7mpg) motorhome. Just go to the campground and stay put. Oh well, may not even get to do that if jury thing fouls us up, or weather turns bad.

As for storing gasoline, use only approved safety cans not those el cheapo ones, and store away from house etc. I always cringe when I hear of people storing cans and cans of it in their garages, most don't think of heat causing gas expansion either. And I absolutely am scared of the campers and jeeps that have a gas can hanging off the back end of their rigs. In the 70's gas crunch days, people buried their gas in tanks in backyard. I doubt if the tanks were up to code either. And here in the rainy NW think of the moisture contamination problems, though something like Stabil would help with that.

I don't want to hoard gas or anything else, though gas lines and odd/even days to buy it in 70's made it a tempting idea.

Pat.

God bless everyone.

[Brian_Holiday]

Almost back to normal.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

don't say that!?? you'll jinks it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I knocked wood. Mind you, this is no small feat. I spend most of my day surrounded by formica...

BH

[bozodog]

oooh, man. That's not normal. "one year ago it was $1.69" So we's up a buck from last year....

[robroy]

dropped to $2.59 here today after being at $2.76 for a week

[Honda_Boy]

currently 2.77 out here

[Brian_Holiday]

oooh, man. That's not normal. "one year ago it was $1.69" So we's up a buck from last year....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It is funny how you can learn to accept something witin 12 months isn't it?

I don't know about all of you, but this hike has changed the way I drive. I have an extended cab truck that get 15 mpg, my wife has a compact at about 35. We used to run errands in my truck because of comfort, but no more. My wife has become the primary driver. My truck is now my commuter car, and nothing else, and as soon as I find a good deal on a Matrix it will be resigned to the driveway for Lowes trips. I am now going to make a serious effort to keep as much of my cash out of the hands of the oil companies and OPEC. Screw them, gouging people, funding terorists, hurting the little guy.

The news this morning says that we can expect it to go back up with the new storm.

BH

[bozodog]

I know we are trying to cut back on mileage. Have to get the Jimmy pup tuned for the winter. $2.59 here today.

[blim]

Finally, supposably the Feds are going to "investigate" gas prices.....we'll see if it works.

slinky

The "meat and potatoes" of this article:

"The letter cited a study by University of Wisconsin economist Don Nichols that found the hurricane was not entirely to blame for high gas prices.

Historically, Nichols said, the markup between the price of a gallon of crude and a gallon of gasoline is about 85 to 90 cents a gallon, including refining, distribution and taxes.

*The study estimated that for pump prices to reach $3 a gallon, the price of crude oil would have to be about $95 a barrel, but crude prices have been holding around $65 a barrel, and Katrina has not caused a surge in crude oil prices*"

Hmmmmm. Oh, by the way, today gas dropped to $2.55--who knows once Rita hits.

Liz