Much Ado About Gas Prices

markmcb writes "It seems that a week cannot pass without finding big news about gas prices. They're up, they're down ... but why do we care so much? OmniNerd posted an article that aims to put gas prices in perspective. The author takes a look at other commodities and their price variances and applies some simple math in order to make the claim that best-gas-price-hunting is an effort that could be better used on other products. From the article, 'Why the disproportionate emphasis on gas prices in our culture, then? Although some cite a failure of politicians or media populists to account for inflation and purchasing power changes, I think it is simply because gas prices are in your face.'" IMO, the other side to the price of gas is that, especially in developed countries, it has a pervasive effect throughout all layers of the economy — food prices (because of the trucking), schools (busing), etc., etc.

Comments

Re:To really put things in perspective..

[GigsVT]

Would you pay $6/gallon for gas to support the taxes required for all those socialist services?

Re:To really put things in perspective..

[Don853]

I would gladly pay $6/gallon if it would get all the jackasses driving Yukons with one passenger off the road. The public transit would be nice, but it would require everyone to not live on 3/4 acre in a development 35 miles from the center of the city for it to be even plausable.

Re:mod parent up

[LaughingCoder]

It's election season, dumbasses, they're lowering prices to help out their buddies in Washington.

Nice theory, but what happened in 2004? Remember all those rumors that Bush had a secret arrangement with the Saudis and they were going to lower gas prices around the election to make Bush look good. Well, it never happened. http://www.eia.doe.gov/oil_gas/petroleum/data_publ ications/wrgp/mogas_home_page.html In fact, gas prices peaked in November of 2004, having risen over 20% from March to November of that year.

Re:To really put things in perspective..

[egburr]

I've tried taking the bus. It turns my 25 minute drive into a 70 minute bus ride. I still have to drive 2 miles to reach the bus stop, mainly because I have to cross a 6-lane road that has no pedestrian conveniences such as a crosswalk at the nearest intersections (walking to the nearest crosswalk would make the trip a 4 mmile walk). I have two choies of bus routes, and both are about equivalent in inconvenience, only a few minutes difference in travel time.

I hate driving in traffic. I would love to take the bus. However, I just can't do it with the current options. One major reason is that I have to pick up one of my children from after school care by 6:00pm. To do that, I would have to take the 4:25 bus from work, which is a little difficult when I get off at 5:00. Of course, I could start work earlier, which means I would have to catch the first bus of the day at 6:00, which is a little difficult since my son's school bus doesn't arrive until 7:25 and the school won't allow children to be dropped off until 8:00. I could enroll him in the before school care, too, but that doesn't start until 7:00, which still is insufficient for catching the 6:00 bus.

So, as much as I hate driving during rush hour (if you can call creeping at 15 mph driving), I still prefer it over riding the bus with the options I currently have.

The city here puts a lot of effort into showing how much effort they are putting into public transportation. They don't seem to put much effort into making it at all convenient for people to use.