Will Tensions in Iran Send Oil Prices Through the Roof?

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by cfg83

Jammer -



Yes, but I think that is a false reality. I would argue the old cliche "the bigger they are, the harder they fall". The longer we have cheap gas, the bigger we crash in the future. Unfortunately for you and me, that crash is happening right now.

CarloSW2

False reality??

I seen it happen. Nothing false about it. People can not tell the future very well. I can not explain why oil prices are currently being traded at less than $70.00 right after we have learned that an oil producing terrorist nation is on the verge of making several Nukes! And despite all of the government spending today the dollar is gaining a lot of ground international. Man, some things just can not be predicted and I certainly do not believe it is fair to blame drivers of cars trucks with poor mileage when we have so many other factors at play here such as speculators on Wall Street and Opec to say the least. Some people actually need such cars and trucks due to large families and the need to tow and haul things. There choice yes, but when I live in a country that subsidies farmer's with cheap tax-free fuel and pays farmers with taxpayer's money to NOT farm tobacco (thus all of the large farms I see that are growing nothing here) then I see bigger fish to fry.

[Frank Lee]

Like I said, reality check time WILL come sooner or later.

First time gas prices spiked I noticed an uptick in bicyclers.

That lasted all of two weeks.

Next time the price spiked, no bicyclers.

Even now, after the spike, what do I see but new Silverados EVERYWHERE.

Dang it, they must have been giving them away and nobody told me?

[Frank Lee]

Originally Posted by Jammer

Man, some things just can not be predicted and I certainly do not believe it is fair to blame drivers of cars trucks with poor mileage when we have so many other factors at play here such as speculators on Wall Street and Opec to say the least. Some people actually need such cars and trucks due to large families and the need to tow and haul things.

Oh Man... count to 10... don't go there... easy now.... watch out... don't get me started...

[Jammer]

hahah- I gotcha.

(I relate)

[Frank Lee]

[cfg83]

Jammer -

I categorically want to buy American, but there are almost no choices left. That's *the* original reason I got a Saturn in 1997 and have been a "Saturn Booster" ad nauseum. I don't argue that the car is "class leading" by any account. I only argue that it is "good enough" and cheap to own.

If Americans were trading in their trucks 10 years ago for American made compacts, the profits would have been smaller, but recently bankrupt Chrysler and GM would have been forced to change of their own accord, and likely would have been in a better position to weather the storm.

Frank -

I would have been happy to live within 5 miles of my work, but that would have added hundreds of thousands of dollars to the cost of our house. Today our mortgage is almost 50% of our net income. The extra cost would have made it 70% of our net income.

Ironically, if I lived within 5 miles, I wouldn't even be here because I wouldn't be the problem. It's because I know I'm the "bad guy" that I joined up to at least mitigate the damage I am causing.

CarloSW2

[Frank Lee]

I know it is physically impossible for everybody to be close in enough to bicycle.

But 100+ miles away?!? COME ON.

[cfg83]

Frank -

Originally Posted by Frank Lee

I know it is physically impossible for everybody to be close in enough to bicycle.

But 100+ miles away?!? COME ON.

I'm not disagreeing with you, I'm just stating a common excuse. The arguably better choice on my part would have been to "just say no" and keep renting. I have co-workers with 70+ mile commutes (one-way), and they've been doing it for over 30 years. I remember one fellow who put maybe 300K miles on his classic beetle. He finally got a new car. A bottom-line Mazda compact.

Ha ha, if I was 100 miles away (and if that reality hadn't led me to kill myself), I would probably be driving a first gen Insight. Hmmmm, if I lose my job in this economy (entirely possible), then a 100 mile commute to save my house will suddenly become "reasonable" to me.

CarloSW2

[bgd73]

In the 90s my daily route was over 80miles. the fuel ended up around 5000 dollars for just 1 year, A v8 coupe.
Gas was around a dollar. I hated it back then...now is inspiring me to get on a bus from maine, to minnesota, with a battery in a back pack and drive this old sube home sinking in a minnesota field...




...and its the 1986 unique dual range version. In real world it is an exotic automobile...

anybody got 50 bucks?

[Frank Lee]

Originally Posted by cfg83

Hmmmm, if I lose my job in this economy (entirely possible), then a 100 mile commute to save my house will suddenly become "reasonable" to me.

That reminds me of flying over cities... mind you, I've had this thought for over 25 years now so it's nothing new... anyway, fly over a city especially at rush hour and you get a perfect bird's eye view of....

EVERYBODY on the North end heading South.

EVERYBODY on the South end heading North.

EVERYBODY on the East end heading West.

EVERYBODY on the West end heading East.

WTF???

It appears people actually go out of their way to live on the opposite end of town from where they work.

What if everybody traded houses or jobs end-for-end?