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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.
Yikes, another American who hasn't been overseas.
There is no store within 40 minutes of me (in the UK) and I drive over an hour each way to work - it would take me over three hours each way and cost me somewhere near 10-12 times as much on a train. If I tried getting a bus there and back I wouldn't actually be able to do it in a day.
Here in Europe diesel cars are very common. They cost more, aren't as powerful as fuel engines, are in fact thermodynamically less efficient, they don't develope power over a certain rpm regime like good ol' gasoline cars do so nicely, they combust on high(er) pressure resulting in more vibrations and noise, but they consume less, so on the long run they're cheaper. I don't like them.
Appended to the end of comments you post. 120 chars.
To claim that your geography is typical is even sillier. On my way to work (if I still worked from my old location) I would drive past exactly *zero* gas stations, on my wifes way to work she drives past exactly *one*. I know multiple people in the same situation.