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Gas Hits Five Dollars a Gallon In California, The End Times Draw Ever More

jalopnik.com — Near. Although AAA of California is reporting some drivers are now paying $4 a gallon for regular unleaded gasoline, local Cali station KSBW found gas stations in Gorda, south of Big Sur, currently charging $5 per gallon for gas. While that's obviously an isolated occurrence, the average price is getting pretty high up the cost meter.

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  • thedigger1010, on 11/09/2007, -19/+3Wow i live in cali and this is effing stupid..... why cant we be like the rest of the country. huh huh.....
    • RuffRidr, on 11/09/2007, -2/+30Your state government requires a special blend of petroleum, thus making it more expensive. On top of that, they tax the hell out of it.
      • haydesigner, on 11/09/2007, -15/+1Yeah, that explain the huge cost discrepancy
        :::rolls eyes:::
        • PopcornDave, on 11/14/2007, -2/+11Well yes it does since there's about 40-50 cents in taxes between the feds and the state.
    • Amazetbm, on 11/11/2007, -3/+15It might be the California taxes and cost of living.
    • Chompy, on 11/11/2007, -2/+5Part of this is also the fact that the dollar is plummeting.
    • quaxon, on 11/10/2007, -1/+2I live in cali too and appreciate the high price of gas. It encourages more people to stop driving gas guzzlers or to stop driving at all and pick up a bike or walk for once. It also encourages people to look for better and cheaper alternatives to fossil fuels. I used to have a car but sold it 3 or 4 years ago and ride my bike, walk and take public transportation now and it is so much better. If you look at the rest of the world we are still getting gas for very cheap compared to them so stop complaining!
      • avihappy, on 11/10/2007, -1/+2In the 'burbs where work is 30 miles away, without any public transport?
        • laceration, on 11/10/2007, -2/+2You chose to live there.
          • heypetray, on 11/10/2007, -1/+2Because getting up and moving closer to your job is always just as easy done as said. Just like it's easy to quit your job and find something just as substantial in your neighborhood. Some people need to think more before they respond with such idiotic remarks.
    • heypetray, on 11/09/2007, -0/+1Don't forget where Big Sur is. Take into consideration where the Gas station is when you think about the cost. I know gas is way cheaper here in the valley than it is on the coastline. Also, Carmel/Big Sur have very strict policies on their resources.
  • tehbored, on 11/12/2007, -2/+54Ha! It's only $2.85 here in New Jersey. For once I have something good to say about my state!
    • john95127, on 11/12/2007, -14/+57I would rather pay $10 per gallon and live in Cali than get free gas and live in Jersey!
      • Duncster, on 11/10/2007, -14/+6Then you are a retard.
        • rspeed, on 11/09/2007, -2/+6I'm guessing you've never visited our most densely populated state.

          Honestly, though, southern NJ (as in South of Fort Dix) is pretty damn nice.
        • cawpin, on 11/09/2007, -2/+3Duncster, you are correct. California is a beautiful place to visit. In fact, I just went to San Diego for my 1 year anniversary the weekend the fires started. However, I could never live there as they don't seem to be concerned with taking rights away from their residents.
        • heypetray, on 11/09/2007, -0/+1Hmm, by your logic, You should probably get the hell out of the US and find a more impoverished nation to live in. It'd be Waaaay cheaper than Jersey.
          Here in the valley its around $3.00
          Cost of living reflects Quality of living. I'm never living outside of Cali. Those who grew up here know what they'd be missing if they left.
    • foofightrs777, on 11/09/2007, -4/+8I just filled up my compact car at 2.76 this morning. NJ and fuel efficiency FTW!
      • razrielle, on 11/10/2007, -6/+16sir, there is no pride in a geo
      • hellotyler, on 11/10/2007, -0/+1***** your gas reliance, i only use a car because I have to.. 2.76 isn't enough as far as i'm concerned.
    • t1m0j5, on 11/09/2007, -1/+4i love my dirty jerz
    • mywhitenoise, on 11/10/2007, -4/+4$2.85 is something to brag about? It wasn't even that expensive in CA 4 months ago. A year ago we were saying "$2.85!? ***** that!"
      At this rate we'll be paying $7 a gallon next year.
      • cdahlkvist, on 11/10/2007, -7/+6Here's an idea then....don't drive. Stop going to work and then we can see how much you will complain about the price of gas.

        Our gas prices are artificially low due to government subsidies. We all like to think that "those rich oil tycoons" are raping us but the fact is that gas is still cheaper here than most places in the world.

        I use about a gallon of gas to get to work and back. That's $3/day for me. On the other hand I make a few hundred dollars a day because of work. I think I can afford to pay $3/$5/$7/$10 a gallon.

        Like I said, don't want to pay for gas? Then don't. Quit your job and see how far that gets you.
        • mywhitenoise, on 11/10/2007, -3/+2I drive a Prius, and go to and from work by bus, I only pay about $30 - $40 a month on gas, but it's still a lot when I could be paying half that.
        • quaxon, on 11/10/2007, -4/+2or you could, umm, you know, ride a bike, walk or take public transportation? yea i know, using your legs is so middle-ages but atleast you wont be so fat.
          • killer63, on 11/10/2007, -0/+6You're right why don't I take that nonexistent transport system. I guess I could ride my bike or walk the twenty miles to my job.
    • Elranzer, on 11/10/2007, -8/+21"Only" $2.85 eh? I still remember the days of 89¢ per gallon during the Clinton era.
      • PopcornDave, on 11/12/2007, -6/+12And I remember the days when you could only buy gas every other day depending on whether your license plate ended in an odd or even number during the Carter administration, so what's your point?
      • twrife, on 11/12/2007, -2/+1There was a time where gas was
    • capiCrimm, on 11/09/2007, -0/+8that's only because the mob is mixing dead bodies into your gas.
      • doktorrocket, on 11/09/2007, -0/+6I was wondering what that "Contains up to 10% snitches" sticker was all about. Thanks.
      • CedEx, on 11/09/2007, -0/+0Soylent gas is made of people!
    • Drexus, on 11/09/2007, -1/+2About $3.80 / gallon in Canada, and that's the cheap stuff.
    • dragon76, on 11/09/2007, -0/+3Q: You know what the best part about new Jersey is? A: The view of Manhattan.
      • Patrickdnj, on 11/09/2007, -0/+2No, the best parts are the mountains(well kinda), beaches(Southern NJ) Six flags, the pine barrens, the lakes, LBI, and so much more........Worst part, vacationers from Long Island/Staten Island swarming the beaches
        • AlanLivingston, on 11/10/2007, -0/+1Perhaps Staten Island, but nobody from Long Island would go to New Jersey beaches. Ours are better.
    • Sapulator, on 11/09/2007, -0/+1yo Jersey's the spot. I currently live in NY but commute to NJ to work.....i think i wanna move here!! ppl are cool, weather is warmer, and the roads are horrible but you know what?? its awesome.
      • AlanLivingston, on 11/10/2007, -0/+1Yeah? What's the deal with the roads? Don't they teach people from New Jersey how to turn left? I'll pass four or five intersections looking for a left turn lane until I remember I'm in New Jersey and I have to turn right to turn left.
  • reikiman, on 11/10/2007, -4/+9Uh, in Silicon Valley the going price is $3.50ish. However the peak oil phenomenon says the price for gasoline is inexoribly going upwards (due to supply and demand). The minor fluctuations we're currently seeing are simply side effects of the overall trend.
    • organicpixels, on 11/09/2007, -1/+0There's always a demand for oil. How come they always use that. They are it like a business so they can make a profit and we are all getting shafted in return. This is probably one of the only areas that I would want the government to step in and regulate.
    • badjoke, on 11/09/2007, -0/+1Yeah, I pay $3.20-$3.40 for premium. Pretty sucky.
      • organicpixels, on 11/22/2007, -0/+13.28 for regular. 3.48 for premium
  • pizzler, on 11/12/2007, -2/+9I just paid $3.19....
    • Jadix, on 11/09/2007, -0/+1I lived near big sur, and those gas stations have always been ridiculously expensive. Its because when you're on highway 1, you have no choice but those gas stations, especially when you're south of big sur where theres almost nothing around. I remember them being like 3.50 - 4 like 5 years ago.
      • adrianmonk, on 11/09/2007, -0/+0No kidding. I may have stopped at that very gas station that this article is describing. At least, I remember stopping somewhere in the mid-90's, when gas was about $1.30 or $1.40, and paying $2 a gallon. And the guy who worked there had a really surly attitude too, like it was some kind of privilege for me to buy gas from him. $5/gallon doesn't sound surprising at all. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if they charged $10/gallon. It's not like there's anywhere else to get gas. During that section, Highway 1 connects to a whole lot of nothing. It's ocean to the west, hills with no through roads on the right, and more Highway 1 to the north and south.
  • johnburk, on 11/12/2007, -7/+64I pay $8.50 a gallon here in Europe. So $5 a gallon... I wish!!!
    • chocobomog, on 11/12/2007, -1/+32"Imperial (UK) gallon is legally defined as 4.54609 litres (~277.42 cu in), which is about 1.2 U.S. liquid gallons."

      5 x 1.2 = $6 for a UK gallon of gas. UK still pays much higher prices than the US does.
      • Elranzer, on 11/09/2007, -3/+5UK also uses much less petrol per person than the USA does.
        • Otto, on 11/09/2007, -1/+3The UK, and Europe in general, is also much more population dense than the USA. The USA has about 31 people per square kilometer, virtually every country in Europe is way higher than that. When you have more people in a smaller space, they generally don't have to travel as far.

          http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_ ...
    • jcastillo81, on 11/12/2007, -0/+42This is not a snarky question, I'm really curious... what percentage of that $8.50 is taxes?
      • whyufail, on 11/09/2007, -1/+10Exactly what I was thinking.
      • Ramble, on 11/10/2007, -2/+16It's rather a lot (I've heard 2/3rds quoted before).
      • Otto, on 11/10/2007, -0/+18Most of it is, Europeans pay massive amounts of taxes on virtually everything.

        The actual figure on gas taxes in Europe varies a lot, but it goes as high as 75% of the cost being tax, in some countries. The minimum is still around 50%.
      • digghasnoethics, on 11/12/2007, -3/+466%

        Its a good thing, as the US is about to find out. Even if the price of crude doubles again to $200 - in the UK we're only paying ~£1.40 a litre. People could deal with that. Europe and the UK can weather high crude prices better because the populous have got used to higher prices over decades.

        For the US, its going to be a shock.
        • Mortikhi, on 11/13/2007, -2/+6So what you're saying is that since Europeans have been getting ***** in the ass for so long, their assholes are now gapped enough to where getting ***** in the ass is more enjoyable?
      • BarneyF, on 11/12/2007, -0/+5Look at this picture:
        http://www.fin.gc.ca/images/tax_bulletin/gas_tax_3 ...
    • brstilson, on 11/09/2007, -13/+17That extra money you're paying isn't for the gas, its taxes to fund your health care and all the other social programs you enjoy that American's don't. I think a lot of Americans would love to pay more for gas if it meant free health care/college/etc.
      • RuffRidr, on 11/10/2007, -7/+15Its not "free" if you are paying for it, via taxes or otherwise. Personally, I'd rather not pay higher taxes and have the freedom of choice to pay for health care/college/etc. if I so desire it.
        • Ninnux, on 11/10/2007, -4/+9Consumption tax is one thing that actually makes sense.
      • Ramble, on 11/10/2007, -7/+1No it isn't. That tax goes towards keeping roads nice and other things relating to cars.
        • jftitan, on 11/10/2007, -3/+7except for bridges that are falling apart, and the terrible road conditions that many states face because of inadequate funding.... somehow I feel the gas taxes aren't making it to the road infrastructure as we all would hope.
      • Otto, on 11/10/2007, -1/+8brstilson: No, that's stupid. If you're paying for it via taxes, then it's not *free*. I'd much rather pay less for gas and then pay for my own health care/college/etc. It's not like the payments are any lower, you're just sticking them on something else and spreading them out. And since more people will use them, they will actually be higher, per capita. By saying you want taxes to pay for this sort of thing, you're saying you want to pay MORE for those things, and spread them out over a longer time period. That don't seem real damn smart, to me.
        • racketboy, on 11/09/2007, -1/+3Why would people who drive more have to pay for health care?
        • brstilson, on 11/10/2007, -0/+1Have you SEEN hospital bills? It costs over $18,000 A DAY to stay in the average American Hospital, and that's just for the stay, the treatments cost even more! There is NO WAY the average person is able to pay that. That kind of exhorbitant pricing is why insurance companies even screw around with their subscribers and deny them the health care they need. College is the same way, tens of thousands of dollars a year to attend.
    • IEatHamburgers, on 11/09/2007, -6/+1That's partly inflated by the ***** exchange rate, though. How much would the price of European gas be in year 2000 dollars?
      • kitwaites, on 11/09/2007, -0/+3Actually, it's a good exchange rate for Europe. Oil is priced in dollars - with a weak dollar, one pound/euro can buy more oil. It's why although oil price rises have affected prices here, it's not gone up nearly as much as in the US.

        If it wasn't for the exchange rate oil would be costing about 1/3 more here, although because about 2/3 of the price of petrol in the UK is tax this wouldn't make so much difference.
        • etnu, on 11/09/2007, -3/+1The price of oil wouldn't be so high if it wasn't for dollar devaluation.

          If not for that devaluation, oil would only be $50-60 a barrel, not $90+

          In Euros, oil costs about the same today as it did in 2000.
          • cyberdork, on 11/09/2007, -0/+1In 2000 one bbl of oil was around 30 Euro, today it's at 65 Euro.
            For us oil doubled in price, for you it tripled.
  • Error601, on 11/10/2007, -12/+17Simple equation. Vote for people that say they will tax stuff = get a lot of taxes on stuff.
    • FredFredrickson, on 11/10/2007, -4/+5And the alternative is to vote for people who are in bed with the oil peddlers... so you see, we are in a bit of a tough spot in the US.
      • adrianmonk, on 11/09/2007, -0/+0That doesn't make a lot of sense to me. We are talking about the government making money off the taxes on oil, not the oil companies making money off the sale of it. If you lower or raise the taxes, it doesn't have a whole lot of effect on the profit the oil companies make.
    • EdgarVerona, on 11/10/2007, -1/+6This doesn't have anything to do with taxes. Tell me when the last time was that the oil or gas tax was increased.

      It has to do with quite a few factors, none of which have to do with what you're talking about. What it really concerns is the fact that we have passed by the peak oil production, global unrest in oil producing nations is causing further scarcity of supplies, and oil companies have realized that they can charge pretty much whatever they want for it and we Americans will still pay for it. The major oil companies have been setting record revenue numbers every quarter for the past three years... it's no coincidence.
    • badlogik, on 11/10/2007, -0/+1Thank you EdgarVerona for replying for me.
  • anarchytv, on 11/09/2007, -20/+11Damn that Jimmy Carter... oh.. wait... the highest price oil got to during the Carter administration was $39.50 (according to wikipedia, its all time highest real price until early 2006). If I recall then, people were ready to mutiny. And Carter had nothing to do with precipitating that. This is 100% on the doorstep of Bush's little grudge war. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1979_energy_crisis
    • Error601, on 11/09/2007, -6/+19You must be really young and don't remember rationing and huge lines down the street at the only gas station in the area that had any. Supply shock is far different than demand shock. You retarded Bush bash attempt is also nonsense.
      • alittleroy101, on 11/09/2007, -5/+2you retarded bush bash! yay!
      • PopcornDave, on 11/09/2007, -0/+2And don't forget gas station attendants that thought they had the power of TSA agents to determine if you "needed" to fill up or not. I do remember a couple of times that the gas flunkie looked at my gauge and decided he wasn't going to *let* me fill my tank because it was at about half full.
    • JohnReb, on 11/09/2007, -3/+5And how does the current price of gas compare when you factor in the inflation from Carter's presidency to now?
      • Smiths, on 11/09/2007, -2/+5Slightly under. According to a NY Times article i read this morning, adjusted for inflation, oil prices peaked at $101 and some change in today's dollars in 1980. We're very close.
        • mrFREEZE, on 11/09/2007, -1/+1Yes, but they *peaked* at $101. We haven't even entered winter yet, so it looks like our peak is going to be even higher this year.
      • licoricewhip, on 11/09/2007, -0/+1Peak oil was mentioned in that era as well.
    • alittleroy101, on 11/09/2007, -6/+1Also, your first line. "you must be really young and don't remember rationing and huge lines...etc" From his post...."If I recall then, people were ready to mutiny." Try reading for once. You retarded bush bash.

      Damnit wrong reply button.
  • Royalsarko, on 11/09/2007, -28/+1Holy crap, I'm going to the US in December and this scares me!!!!!!
    • kevinmotel, on 11/10/2007, -0/+25If you are coming from europe, the exchange rate, plus what you are used to paying, it shouldn't.
    • boberto, on 11/09/2007, -1/+9However, if you are coming from South America, I suggest you smuggle in a bunch of gasoline and sell it for massive profits.
    • Amazetbm, on 11/09/2007, -1/+6If you're coming from Europe, you shouldn't
    • boiboi, on 11/09/2007, -1/+5don't worry come over and spend your euros. it'll be another 5 years before the dollar recovers.
    • leontrotsky, on 11/09/2007, -2/+4You should be more scared about the cavity search at the airport...
  • ScornForSega, on 11/10/2007, -8/+49It's funny how the same people who drive big SUVs and bitch about how much they're paying for gas happily buy a 20 oz bottle of water for $1 with their fill up. At that rate, water is $6.40/gal but you don't hear anyone complaining about that.
    • mywhitenoise, on 11/10/2007, -6/+14That's one of the worst stereotypes I've ever heard. I stereotype would be an SUV driver picking up some McDonalds and sodas on the way home, not a bottle of water.
      • alittleroy101, on 11/10/2007, -5/+8I fail to see the difference. Except, of course, that water is available nearly free in every home in America, which makes his point valid. McDonalds provides cheap hamburgers, which last I checked, didn't come out of every sink in my house. So the bottled water point is a good one. Your point sucks.
        • PopcornDave, on 11/10/2007, -0/+7Oh but if cheap hamburgers did come out of your sink, you'd have the most valuable home on the block.
          /sarcasm
          • Phyltre, on 11/10/2007, -0/+4Yes, you would, because it would be the cheapest food a person could get at, assuming you were paying equivalent water costs for it. You could open up a McDonalds and make insane profit margins.
        • alittleroy101, on 11/09/2007, -0/+1I agree.
        • alittleroy101, on 11/09/2007, -0/+1A man can dream.
        • alittleroy101, on 11/09/2007, -0/+1A man can dream.
        • licoricewhip, on 11/10/2007, -0/+4A man does dream.
      • alittleroy101, on 11/10/2007, -2/+9I can't believe everyone is digging a comment that has this sentence in it...
        " I stereotype would be an SUV driver...etc". Wee todd edd.
        • mywhitenoise, on 11/09/2007, -2/+1you've never made a typo before?
        • alittleroy101, on 11/09/2007, -1/+1A E I O U
          They get an "AN' before them.
        • adrianmonk, on 11/10/2007, -0/+1Bit of a tangent here, but the actual rule is that the pronunciation determines whether it gets "a" or "an". That's why "SUV" gets "an": it's pronounced "ess yoo vee" (at least around here), and that pronunciation has an initial vowel sound. Maybe where you live it's pronounced "suhv", in which case "a SUV" would be the right way to write it. I personally haven't heard the "suhv" pronunciation except as a joke, but that doesn't mean it's not used somewhere else.

          The pronunciation rule is also why some people (correctly) write "a historic event" while other people (also correctly) write "an historic event". Depending on what region you're from, you pronounce "historic" differently. Some people put a fairly hard "h" sound on the beginning, and those people use "a historic"; for others, the initial "h" sound fades away into virtual non-existence (probably because the accent is not on the first syllable -- "iss TOR ick"), and they write "an historic". Note that basically nobody writes "an hippy", because the accent is on the first syllable, and the "h" sound doesn't get lost in that case.
    • Ramble, on 11/09/2007, -0/+16probably because people don't consume 70L of water in a week.
      • CedEx, on 11/10/2007, -2/+5Not directly consume... but if you add up all the flushed toilets and showers you might be getting close.
        • adrianmonk, on 11/10/2007, -0/+0I rarely flush my toilet or shower with bottled water.
    • Error601, on 11/09/2007, -3/+7Thanks...we needed that cliche posted yet more time.
    • ucg1, on 11/10/2007, -1/+7I'm pretty sure those big SUVs consume gas at a much higher rate than humans consume water.

      You might have a point for those of us who have more fuel efficient vehicles who don't drive very far, though. My car gets about 30 mpg. My daily commute totals only 16 miles. So I consume a little over half a gallon of gas a day. The recommended amount of water to drink a day is half a gallon. So I consume the same amount of water as I do gas a day. Of course I rarely buy water in such small quantities, and much of the water I drink throughout the day is free.
    • Jtheletter, on 11/09/2007, -1/+4How does this add anything to the conversation? What about those of us who don't drive SUVs and don't buy bottled water? What then do you have to say? Your snarky comment is useless and represents at best a minority of the population. Also your stupid argument is a false analogy. I don't need to buy bottled water to drive to work, do I?
      • alittleroy101, on 11/09/2007, -5/+2Ride the bus
        • chalkboy, on 11/09/2007, -0/+7Buses do not exist everywhere. People that use the most gas do not even have a bus option. Not every one lives in a city.
    • goodfellaNW, on 11/10/2007, -0/+9Yeah, you're so right. And these same SUV drivers also have gold rings on, and that is approx $800/oz! I mean, compare that to a 20oz bottle of water, and wooh.. water is a steal.

      Whatever.
    • incredibilistic, on 11/09/2007, -1/+4Maybe I'm just stupid (wouldn't be the first instance of that) but I don't really understand the analogy. But I guess enough people shot it down already so I guess not understanding it isn't a big deal.
  • ryan1345, on 11/09/2007, -2/+23They've been charging $5 for gas in this area for a long time. There's no where else to get gas, and its a tourist trap.
    • FortyCaliber, on 11/09/2007, -0/+4Like in "The Hills have Eyes?" That kind of trap?
    • hyprmdrn, on 11/09/2007, -0/+5Yeah if you all knew where exactly Gorda, CA was then $5 wouldn't be so alarming. It's like saying that gas is expensive in Avalon, CA.
  • bushisterrorist, on 11/09/2007, -24/+4We will also be needing war money:

    The cost of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan could total $2.4 trillion through the next decade, or nearly $8,000 per man, woman and child in the country, according to a Congressional Budget Office estimate scheduled for release Wednesday.

    United States Government are terrorists, war criminals, and horrific liars.

    9-11 was an inside job! What happened to building 7?

    Depleted uranium is a weapon of mass destruction!
    • Error601, on 11/09/2007, -3/+9Does the word "subject" mean anything to you, dumbass.
      • bushisterrorist, on 11/09/2007, -12/+1Does the word "oil" mean anything to you, dummy?
  • CraigJ, on 11/10/2007, -1/+31Newsflash. Gas stations located in remote locations away from major interstate highways charge a lot more for gas. http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&tim ...
    • Phyltre, on 11/09/2007, -0/+2Funny, I find that some gas stations away from interstates/highways are forced to charge less to attract business to them. Guess it's a bit of a sliding scale.
      • adrianmonk, on 11/10/2007, -0/+2This particular gas station is 50+ miles out of the way from anything. Even if they made the gas $1/gallon, that wouldn't attract people.
  • djSyndrome, on 11/10/2007, -2/+5Makes me wish I would have held onto my Honda Civic VX. I routinely got close to 50 mpg from plain ol' regular unleaded.
    http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/noframes/8719.shtml
  • codehkr77, on 11/09/2007, -11/+7But you don't mind paying close to $6 for a ***** venti latte right?
    • FortyCaliber, on 11/09/2007, -1/+10What the ***** coffee place do you frequent? At that price I better be getting a venti HJ with it.
    • dotlizard, on 11/09/2007, -1/+3but i don't need a ***** $6 venti latte to get me to work 26 miles away, which is 3 hours by bus and no possible way to ride a bike. i need to fill up my kia, if i want to be a productive member of society here in the public transportation wasteland that is Southern California.
      • StaticThunder, on 11/10/2007, -1/+0So southern california is the only place in the whole world you can get a job?
        • dotlizard, on 11/10/2007, -0/+1yeah i'm gonna move from my cool apartment a block from the beach to find better public transporation. sure, sounds good!
          douche.
          • adrianmonk, on 11/11/2007, -1/+0Ah, well then you're making a conscious choice to live somewhere where gas is expensive and you have a long commute. Nothing wrong with this choice as long as you recognize it as a choice.
    • mstoneburner, on 11/09/2007, -2/+2Maybe you should move closer to work, move to a state that has cheaper gas and lower gas taxes, or shut the ***** up and stop whining. I'm just sayin'.
    • EdgarVerona, on 11/09/2007, -0/+3I do mind. In fact, I wouldn't buy a 6$ "venti latte". I wouldn't even buy a 2$ one.

      So yeah, I do mind. And I would mind if gas was 5$/gallon too. Fancy that.
  • mywhitenoise, on 11/10/2007, -1/+6$3.50 in Sacramento. It keeps going up by a dime every few days.
    • djSyndrome, on 11/09/2007, -0/+2Yup - I paid almost $3.70 a gallon for Premium this morning at the Chevron in Folsom. Regular was $3.48.
      • FredFredrickson, on 11/09/2007, -1/+1If you get your gas at an Arco or Valero, it's usually about 10-20 cents cheaper.
    • willwork4ammo, on 11/09/2007, -2/+2Umm...why Chevron and not Costco? 3.50 for premium yesterday.
      • djSyndrome, on 11/09/2007, -0/+3Because I don't have a Costco membership, and my picky car hates the Sam's Club gas.
  • londubh, on 11/09/2007, -1/+7It'll take shortages and long lines before people actually do anything.
    • adrianmonk, on 11/10/2007, -0/+1The reason we don't have shortages and long lines is the prices are high. High prices reduce demand to the point where there aren't shortages. This has been proven out with gas prices. If you are old enough (like me) to remember lines at gas stations during the "energy crisis" in 1979, you'd know first hand how that works.

      Or to put it another way, the only way we're going to get shortages and long lines, normally, is for the government to put in place a price cap. But if that happens, there is no need to do anything about gas prices because they've already been capped. So your solution to gas prices only works if someone has already solved the problem (and created another bigger problem in the process).
  • nappymonster, on 11/10/2007, -3/+7I wish it was $5 a gallon in the UK :(

    Unleaded at my local station is £1.02, equivalent to $2.04.

    $2.04 times by 4 (about 4 gallons in a litre) is $8.16

    So basically i pay $3 more than you for every gallon.

    And diesel is £1.06!
    • codehkr77, on 11/09/2007, -6/+2You pay $8.16 because your government doesn't invade countries for oil.
      • IISpacemonkeyII, on 11/09/2007, -2/+3Yeah we did. Mr Blair nicely followed Mr Bush into Iraq, so where's our cheap fuel?
        • yohan, on 11/09/2007, -2/+4We got shafted by a man who puts slinkies down stairs. "Laura.. LAURA!! LAURA!!!"
          • razrielle, on 11/09/2007, -0/+2hey man, bring what ever person you want into this but DO NOT bring the lovable slinky
    • jimmypoops, on 11/09/2007, -3/+2Just over 4.5 gallons in a litre - so that makes $9.44!

      Don't know what you Californians are complaining about...
      • alittleroy101, on 11/09/2007, -3/+1wtf
      • alittleroy101, on 11/09/2007, -2/+1how many gallons go into a liter?
      • adrianmonk, on 11/09/2007, -0/+0If by "just over 4.5" you mean 3.78, then yeah.

        We are talking about American gas prices, so we are talking about US gallons here. A US gallon is four quarts, and a quart is slightly smaller than a liter. Thus a US gallon is less than 4 liters.
    • FortyCaliber, on 11/09/2007, -1/+4@ Nappy AND Jimmy...
      Both of you screwed it up... it's never been 4.5 gallons per liter. It's 3.8 liters per gallon.
      • spigg, on 11/09/2007, -0/+0Check your facts..
        Gallon USA = 3,7854118 Litre
        Gallon UK = 4,54609 Litre
    • Jtheletter, on 11/09/2007, -0/+1Europeans have always paid more for gas, but how much of a percentage increase have you seen in price lately?
      The point is not that gas is more expensive, its the rate of increase which is an issue. If you know that gas costs you $X per gallon then that affects your decision of where to live and work and is factored into your budget. If within a few years gas goes to 2X then it's a major issue for some people. Gas prices are increasing at an increasing rate in the US, that is the problem.
    • goodfellaNW, on 11/10/2007, -1/+4Yeah, we get ***** for services in the U.S. compared to the U.K, and our driving distances are a lot more... oh, and did I mention our mass transit sucks? Give me urban living (already have it.. but most dont), give me GOOD mass transit, and more social services, and I will gladly pay $9.44 a gallon. Digg me down.
      • adrianmonk, on 11/09/2007, -0/+0The problem is that nobody is going to give you good mass transit. It's enormously expensive to build the stuff. It makes sense in a place with high population density, but it's less economically viable in a place with lower population density. I don't know the exact numbers, but I believe the population density of the continental US is something like 1/8th of the population density of Europe.
        • goodfellaNW, on 11/09/2007, -0/+0Good point. However, there is a different between nearly NO good transit and options GREAT transit options. The East coast has some, but it could be a lot better. Big cities in the west are terrible.

          Where to start first? Make mass transit FREE to all, then charge tolls on urban freeways...
    • jimmypoops, on 11/09/2007, -0/+2Partially screwed up, I'm talking UK Imperial Gallons, I guess this article is written for US gallons though so I take your point.
    • digghasnoethics, on 11/09/2007, -1/+1Cough.
      $2 = £1 was last month
      its $2.10 = £1 now

      Anyone want to take bets on when its $3 = £1 ?
  • Tyrghast, on 11/09/2007, -0/+10The end times draw ever more what? cmon subject line you left me hangin!
    • Phyltre, on 11/09/2007, -0/+2Nah, it means there's more and more end times. Like, they're lining up somewhere...waiting on us.
  • john95127, on 11/09/2007, -7/+4But you don't mind paying $1 for 12oz of water!
    • goodfellaNW, on 11/09/2007, -0/+3I also don't mind paying $60 for a rimjob, but what does that have to do with it?
  • weside, on 11/09/2007, -0/+2Can anyone supply a photo of this $5/gallon station? The links I followed in the article only showed a $3.75 one, which is still high, but where's the $5 snapshot?
  • gubin09, on 11/09/2007, -1/+8Why wouldn't they take a picture of the sign? Pics or it didn't happen.
  • TheZorch, on 11/10/2007, -12/+9Why the "End Times" reference which we all know is fictional. Religion is like a disease.

    Anyway, you can thank Emperor Bush for this price hike in gas.
    • foolishpuck, on 11/09/2007, -4/+2"Religion is like a disease."

      And cars are like cockroaches.
    • ucg1, on 11/09/2007, -1/+7Yeah, there is something seriously wrong with someone who links the rising gas prices with "End Times"

      What, did Nostradamus predict rising gas prices or something?
      • Phyltre, on 11/09/2007, -0/+3When I hear the phrase "end times" I think of the inevitable (from a historical perspective) collapse of America. We might have thousands of years of prosperity, we might get wiped off the map tomorrow, China might call in our debts and sink us next week. The alarmists among us see every blip in the radar as a sure sign that the camel's back is breaking, although so far they've been wrong every time concerning America (seeing as we're still here.)
      • ucg1, on 11/11/2007, -0/+1Calling the collapse of America the "end times" is just being a bit too dramatic. Granted, a collapse of the U.S. will have global consequences, but its not going to spell the end of the world.
  • damonic, on 11/09/2007, -3/+4And its all profit. The oil thats being imported at ~$100/barrel will not be refined into gas for months or even years. Even worse is that here in the Seattle area, we get our oil from Alaska and refine it locally! Its not as expensive as the oil from the middle east yet we have to pay for it at the pump!
    • RajAtWork, on 11/09/2007, -0/+3Seattle has the highest local gas taxes in the nation. It would have been like $2.50 otherwise.
    • adrianmonk, on 11/09/2007, -0/+0Oil is a commodity. It doesn't matter where you get it. If other sources are more expensive, then the price will go up. That's because the oil that's available locally can be sold far away. It's competing with other oil.
  • buddahead9, on 11/09/2007, -1/+0$3.29-ish in Huntington Beach, CA... but like $4.50 for a gallon of milk!!!
    • kitwaites, on 11/09/2007, -0/+2Yep, but oil companies don't have to feed and look after a cow to get a few gallons of oil a day.
  • cmiller1, on 11/10/2007, -2/+17Still lovin' my bicycle :D
    • IADTatami, on 11/10/2007, -2/+11I've heard good things about them. I'm thinking of trading in my heterocycle for one.
      • pkonink, on 11/10/2007, -0/+2Does that mean you're bicycle/curious?
  • mugwamp, on 11/09/2007, -2/+2..and us production is at a lull. What is it with the oil companies? Aren't making billions fast enough?
    • licoricewhip, on 11/09/2007, -0/+3Are they allowed to produce? Think EPA red tape.
  • yohan, on 11/10/2007, -5/+10We pay $7.50 per gallon in the UK so cry some more.
    • djSyndrome, on 11/10/2007, -4/+6You also have a decent public transportation system, a currency that is actually worth something on the world market, more fuel efficient cars and semi-socialized healthcare. I'd say you have the better end of the deal.
    • syukton, on 11/10/2007, -0/+2Your gallon is also larger than ours, $7.50 per UK gallon = $6.25 per US gallon.
      http://www.google.com/search?q=7.50+U.S.+dollars+p ...
      Still, you are paying more.
      How long is your daily commute?
    • adrianmonk, on 11/10/2007, -0/+0I really am not fond of the "we voted in a government that made taxes really high and now we're going to call OTHER people whiners" attitude.
  • bigteebo, on 11/09/2007, -1/+6I really hope this strikes into the popularity of huge, gas guzzling SUVs. I really do. The first thing you notice when you go into Europe is the popularity of small cars.
    • mstoneburner, on 11/09/2007, -3/+2The first thing I noticed was the stench of cheese.
    • ryan850, on 11/10/2007, -0/+2SUV sales went down when the gas first went close to $3 but gas went down to 2.20 so sales sky rocketed back up.. now all those people that bought the SUVs when gas was "cheap" are having to pay $4... i will come clean though i bought a very efficient car (34-39mpg) but i also drive 2 times over the average American.. So i'm not judging SUV owners i just wish they'd realize if gas goes down it will go back up even higher eventually.
  • alpha94, on 11/09/2007, -1/+1I just came back from Austria and Hungary this summer and I noticed the gas prices but I also noticed that they use 95 octane as their lowest available fuel. No kidding it's going to cost more.
    • mike93704, on 11/09/2007, -0/+3The Octane ratings in Europe are different from the U.S. ratings. Therefore the 95 Octane rating is closer to a 89 in the U.S. and the 98 in Europe is closer to the 93 in the U.S. The 91/92 in Europe will be close in anti-knock ratings to the 87 in the U.S. Plus, I don't think it costs the companies that much more to mix the "premium" fuels that that they have to charge that additional 20 U.S. cents per gallon. They charge that much extra because people are willing to pay that much more for "premium."
    • licoricewhip, on 11/12/2007, -0/+4Octane rating isn't a signal of fuel quality, it is a measure of "burn stability."
  • 2TallTxn, on 11/09/2007, -1/+2Wow, I'm paying $2.92 in Texas.
  • robalesi, on 11/09/2007, -0/+3$2.65 in North Jersey. And we don't have to pump it ourselves. HA!
  • altjeringa, on 11/09/2007, -2/+3I don't think I've every been to that gas station when the price has been under $4. This is a LAME post.
  • foolishpuck, on 11/09/2007, -9/+5I have no idea what gas prices are here in DC, and I really don't much care - one of the benefits of living in a halfway civilized place (you know, the kind where you can walk/bike most anywhere you NEED to go, and take mass transit everywhere else). ***** cars and the idiots who drive them.
    • objectcode, on 11/09/2007, -1/+4tell everyone how nice it is there for not having to drive a car, and then call everyone an idiot for driving one like they can just take a bus where they live.
    • WarPirate, on 11/09/2007, -0/+1Your moniker suits you.
    • chalkboy, on 11/09/2007, -0/+4I would like to see him pick up his organic apples with out some one driving a gas guzzling truck. Farming can not be done with out using lots of fuel. Every one that works on a farm has to drive a car. There are no buses that will pick you up in rural America. Have fun growing apples in your apartment.
  • noizeuk, on 11/09/2007, -2/+3Lol yea, here in the UK we pay extortionate rates. Although its expensive in comparison, we compensate this by having a healthy economy that doesnt really favour the rich. Luvly jubly makes u proud to be british. hah, stick that up yer jacksie.

    wow think out better off we would be if we have fuel that cheap. hell, we could even start buying big SUV's and pollute some more.
  • pmspsm101, on 11/09/2007, -2/+1$2.75 in sa and i thought that was rediculous. amen to everyone with a prius except i want to go faster... :(
    • kitwaites, on 11/09/2007, -2/+3Pruises are environmental *****. Buy a turbo diesel - more efficient than a Pruis, a lot less environmentally damaging to make (no need to manufacture two engines and use loads of lead and mercury to make batteries), plus you won't look like an arrogant ***** while driving.
  • Oogler, on 11/12/2007, -1/+5Americans have been paying far lower prices for gasoline compared to the rest of the world. Welcome to the party guys.
  • firechill, on 11/10/2007, -1/+6Pretty soon i'm going to have to siphon it out of my neighbors' cars.
  • pulyx, on 11/09/2007, -4/+6Seriously dudes.
    Stop whinning. You americans live in FLAT land and you still complain about 1,24 dolar per litre ?
    The gallon of gas here in brazil is twice as expensive.

    Ride a bike. In flat land like the US a bicycle can get you far without much effort.
    • Hetman, on 11/09/2007, -0/+3That is practical for most cities. I live in chicago and I bike everywhere or use public transporation. However america stil has a lot of open spaces and small towns and it is just not possible for people to bike around. My dad lives in indiana and he has to drive 45 mintues to get to work which would be impossible to bike there everyday.
      • Bdog2g2, on 11/09/2007, -1/+3But he would be in shape.
      • ryan850, on 11/09/2007, -0/+2I'm in the exact same boat as your dad... towns are 20 minutes apart in my part of Indiana.... I could kayak to work but coming back home upstream is a bitch.
    • chartno3, on 11/09/2007, -1/+5Not all Americans live in FLAT land. San Francisco is full of extreme hills.
    • CodeCobalt, on 11/09/2007, -1/+6flatland? FLATLAND? Ummm, lets see, Allegheny Mountains, Black Hills, Rocky Mountains, Sierra Nevada, Mountain ranges of the Sonoran Desert, Appalachian Mountains, The Berkshires, Black Hills, Blue Mountains (Oregon), Blue Ridge Mountains, Cumberland Mountains, Great Smoky Mountains, Guadalupe Mountains, Notre Dame Mountains, The Ozarks, Taconic Mountains, Rolling Palouse. hell theres very little flatland... Try riding a bike around San Francisco for a day. You'll kill yourself.
      • WarPirate, on 11/09/2007, -1/+2you forgot Missouri
        • earlycj5, on 11/09/2007, -0/+2He said the Ozarks. You forgot geography.
      • firechill, on 11/09/2007, -0/+1I'd say most of the plains states are about as flat as you can get..
        • adrianmonk, on 11/10/2007, -0/+1That could almost be related to why they're called "the PLAINS states". :-)
    • Palfo, on 11/09/2007, -1/+6would also solve their obesity problem...
    • mstoneburner, on 11/09/2007, -0/+6Yes, a country that spans a continent has the exact same topography everywhere you go. That makes a lot of sense.
    • huskerdude, on 11/09/2007, -1/+2San Francisco also has a subway and trains and buses that can get you anywhere in the area.
  • lcarsdeveloper, on 11/09/2007, -1/+1It's about US$4.50 here in Australia at the moment, it's dropped back quite a bit in the last few months, it used to be above US$5.20 per gallon. Assuming my calculations are correct that is...1 US gallon is 3.79 litres. It's AU$1.31 per litre, so that's AU$4.96 per US Gallon, which is US$4.50 per US gallon...this hurts my head.
  • goodfellaNW, on 11/09/2007, -0/+0$3.39 regular in Seattle
  • SirZRX, on 11/09/2007, -1/+4I pay 26.46 Mexican pesos for one gallon(3.75 litters) and thats something like 2.44 USD. For the first time im glad to live in Mexico.
    • BlacklabelSAR, on 11/09/2007, -0/+1Tell your friends and relatives.
  • boacons, on 11/09/2007, -0/+0How about how the title says $5 a gallon and the description states $4 NICE JOB!!!

    $3.04 in Waterbury,CT
  • swizzcheez, on 11/09/2007, -0/+1Running about $3.20 in Cinci. A bit less at CostCo of course (about $3 IIRC).
  • dserfaty, on 11/09/2007, -0/+2I know the gas station south of Big Sur they've always been overcharging people - It's always been crazy prices - I guess that's because they're the only one around. Gas price in the bay area is still less than it was a few months ago.
    • hmhoek, on 11/09/2007, -0/+0Thank you for this. I too know the station and I remember paying $3.75/gal there for 91 octane in July 2003. Though I feel like every time I drive down Big Sur and pass by Gorda I'm looking into a wnidow on the future.
  • stephbangm, on 11/09/2007, -3/+1And people thought the war in Iraq would drop the price of oil—U.S. occupation provides for artificial scarcity!
    • TBagwell, on 11/09/2007, -0/+3who was stupid enough to believe THAT?
  • sadatoni, on 11/09/2007, -2/+3Gasoline prices have gone up over 300% in 8 years. We are being ripped off!
  • don1one, on 11/09/2007, -0/+2Ever been to Gorda? It's so far from anywhere they can charge anything they want.
  • sirloin, on 11/10/2007, -1/+2gas buddy getting as common for me as the digg
    http://www.gasbuddy.com/
    • Andyschism, on 11/10/2007, -0/+1I have no clue why you are getting buried. Digging you.
  • coyote1284, on 11/09/2007, -1/+2In Nebraska, the E10 midgrade gas is always 10cents cheaper than the normal regular gas, yet the E10 premium is still same price as the normal premium gas... WTF? Shouldn't the E10 premium be the same price as the normal regular if normal premium is 10cents more than normal midgrade?

    Ethanol fuel sucks anyway and a non-solution, just the principal of the matter.
  • CodeCobalt, on 11/09/2007, -0/+3Gas is likely to go up in prices again once the minimum wage goes up, as this will cause inflation to rise... so yay.. don't expect it to go down anytime soon.
    • StaticThunder, on 11/09/2007, -0/+0Maybe the minimum wage goes up because gas prices have risen. Ever think of that?

      I thought that when the minimum wage went up, it just put poor nonessential people out of work as businesses cut their labor force. Nobody ever said it drove inflation. On the other hand, increased cost of resources, THAT ALWAYS drives inflation.
      • syukton, on 11/09/2007, -0/+1Increased cost of resources doesn't cause inflation, it's caused *by* inflation.
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