Gas Prices?

[CG]

It seems to me the US has plenty of its own resources but when you turn off the spigot you have no choice but to play the games of the world. And yes Im fully aware its not totally a D and R thing, that's just one cog.

[DeadheadNM]

Originally Posted by special-K

Really. Anybody who believes the nonsense that says pricing is set by any other than the oil companies is getting fake news.

Its supply and demand. Thats why our strategic petroleum reserve will be drained of another 10 million barrels next month. More market supply to manipulate a lower cost. The SPR has already been recently drained of more oil than that seen under all preceding administrations combined some of which was exported abroad.

[69Tom]

Originally Posted by 68bowtie

This is not a D or R thing. This is big gov’t / big corp collusion thing that hurts all of us. We need to stick together.

Couldn't agree more.

[LONGHAIR]

I did the whole stick in the tank and manual reading the rolling gauge things after every shift too. This was in the late 70's when we still had "full-service" pumps. There were 12 pumps total, 9 full-serv and 3 were self-serv, when I started. They were later converted to the reverse, 9 self and 3 full. When I left that job (1981) they still had those 3 full-service pumps.
The price was not nearly as volatile, maybe not changing all week? Changes were only 2-3 cents at a time too.

These days, gasoline is sold as a commodity, so the selling price has absolutely nothing to do with the price paid for it. It is calculated, based on the estimated cost to replenish the tanks. So, technically you are not buying gasoline today, you are financing their ability to get more for tomorrow. If they think it is going to cost more tomorrow, you get to pay that extra today.

IMHO, gasoline should be regulated as a utility. That is how our society uses it, why not? The electric company (or gas company) cannot just raise the price when the feel like it. They have to ask permission and show why they need to.
I'm certainly not a fan of more government, but I am very tired of being ripped off. There are so many hands in this pot, that it will never happen, but it should.

[yuccales]

Originally Posted by Stocker

You guys realize we are sounding like a bunch of old farts..... right?

I worked in a gas station when I was in high school in the mid-Sixties. Same routine, pump gas, clean windshields, check the tires & under the hood, and a bunch of other stuff.
Staked the tanks too.... we had some kind of paste to smear on the bottom of the long stick, and it turned purple if it contacted water. We never found any water.

Darn shame jobs like that don't exist anymore. Kids today miss out on a great learning experience, including learning responsibility and how to deal with people face-to-face.

"Stuck" these tanks more times then I want to remember. The paste was Kolor Kut btw. I agree 100% with what you say about kids and these type of jobs. The ability to deal with the public is not being taught to these youngsters anymore. I am sounding like an old fart!

[LONGHAIR]

The one where I worked was a Shell station too, except that it was a car wash station, not auto service.
This was back in the days of manually "rolling" credit cards and manually "resetting" the pumps for self-service users too.
I was hit by a car twice, going between islands, trying to keep up.

[special-K]

You could take the signs down and still know those were Shell Stations. In the '60s I lived on a farm across the road from what the locals called Brown's Corner, which was a fork in the road. You could see it had once been a service station there. Gulf came along and erected one of their metal panel stations and I got to watch it go up.

In HS I worked at a Sunoco station a while. This was before self-service. That was the job to have. That place was the hot spot and we got paid to be in on the action. Just picture the movie Dazed & Confused or Fast Times At Ridgemont High type of thing. I never thought pumping gas and changing tires could be so much fun

Oh and the price! I remember $.33.9 a gallon for 260

[CG]

I worked at a similar Shell station except the bays and the customer area were flipped. I had to stock the candy, pop, and cigarette machines after I closed. I also had to put the tow truck inside every night. The very first night I did it I didnt have the doors open high enough and I hit it with the truck booms. Luckily it only put a couple small (ish) dents in the garage door. Also had to count out the till, drop the money in the safe, and put the next days fresh till under the seat of the tow truck. Geeze thinking about it closing was the most labor intensive part of the job. Clean the bay floors, sweep/clean the pump areas. We were right across from the drive in movie theater and sometimes when I was working on the weekend my buddies would come by and we would shoot the S while watching the movie from across the street. Simpler times being a kid.

I also worked at a self service only station, much more laid back. Just fill the machines and do general sweep around the area. The bays weren't used at all except for the owners junk. Cant count the amount of times someone would come in and try and trade stuff for gas, do you like these shirts? Yes but sorry I cant do any trades.

[3757chevy]

Originally Posted by special-K

You could take the signs down and still know those were Shell Stations. In the '60s I lived on a farm across the road from what the locals called Brown's Corner, which was a fork in the road. You could see it had once been a service station there. Gulf came along and erected one of their metal panel stations and I got to watch it go up.

In HS I worked at a Sunoco station a while. This was before self-service. That was the job to have. That place was the hot spot and we got paid to be in on the action. Just picture the movie Dazed & Confused or Fast Times At Ridgemont High type of thing. I never thought pumping gas and changing tires could be so much fun

Oh and the price! I remember $.33.9 a gallon for 260

I worked in my Stepdad and Brother in Law's Conoco pumping gas at that price , washing windows, checking oil, air pressure in the tires and that was at the pumps . In the shop I changed tires (manually) and helped with oil changes , musta been 1972 'cause I was riding a stingray to school and then to work after that. I got to move cars on the lot but didn't have my license til spring of '73. Lot of guys hanging round with my Brother in Law with cool cars. and my older Stepbrother had a 68 Nova SS.

[68bowtie]

Not to get too personal here but I wanted to share this.

The blue line is my GROSS salary for the past 5 years. I’ve been blessed with some big promotions in recent years.

The red line is my NET income. Taxes and retirement costs (not a subject for this thread)…

The green line is my NET adjusted for INFLATION since 2017.

I’m fortunate to still be able to live comfortably, other than being frustrated that it doesn’t feel like hard work is “paying off”. I know most people aren’t so fortunate. I don’t know how people are cutting it these days with gas (and other) prices skyrocketing the way they are. Anyone getting modest (or no) raises would have a declining green line.

[Steeveedee]

Originally Posted by 68bowtie

Not to get too personal here but I wanted to share this.

The blue line is my GROSS salary for the past 5 years. I’ve been blessed with some big promotions in recent years.

The red line is my NET income. Taxes and retirement costs (not a subject for this thread)…

The green line is my NET adjusted for INFLATION since 2017.

I’m fortunate to still be able to live comfortably, other than being frustrated that it doesn’t feel like hard work is “paying off”. I know most people aren’t so fortunate. I don’t know how people are cutting it these days with gas (and other) prices skyrocketing the way they are. Anyone getting modest (or no) raises would have a declining green line.

Attachment 2223251

Ain't braggin' if'n you don't tell us the numbers! I worked for my last company for 25 years and was promoted only two times. Human Resources calls it "Economic Harrassment". I got the last laugh, though, because I worked my tail off and invested whatever I could. I had been up for a promotion two years before I retired, and all I heard were excuses. If I had been promoted, I would be eligible for 25% more money, and it takes about 4 years to get to that level. They drag you up instead of just giving you the bump right off the bat. If I had been promoted on time, I would have retired at 65 instead of 62. But realistically, I'd probably be dead by now if I had. I was already so stressed and tired from doing so many people's work that I was literally bouncing off the walls from fatigue. They have three people doing what I used to do, and those people complain. Slackers. The company doesn't care, because they get to charge the gov for three people.

[dieseldawg142]

Originally Posted by 68bowtie

I’m fortunate to still be able to live comfortably, other than being frustrated that it doesn’t feel like hard work is “paying off”. I know most people aren’t so fortunate. I don’t know how people are cutting it these days with gas (and other) prices skyrocketing the way they are.
Attachment 2223251

just thought i'd throw this out there too. my son ('bout 4 weeks from his 18 birthday) landed a job at a major chain tire/auto repair shop 2 weeks ago.
pay is 20 bucks an hr with all the OT he wants. he wanted (NO bs!) to start paying rent. then i showed him the rental rates, around $1500-$2000 per month on top of 8 buck a gal gas and all of a sudden his "big" paycheck ain't so big anymore, let alone utilities or food...like you, i too don't know how young people are cutting it. my son works hard so i told him to put aside at least a third or more of every check for a few yrs and he can live rent free with us until he has managed to save a down payment for a house.
without some help, just don't see how young'uns are supposed to make a living now a days...
i think the thing that makes my son happiest is he can now use my Fast Orange hand cleaner. he used to use it like a bar of soap till i gave him hay, now that he's a working stiff he's allowed to use it...lol
hard day at the j.o.b.
can see where his gloves ended and where his watch was...

[dieseldawg142]

fuel here dropped from $8.43 a gal to a more wallet friendly $8.31....

[richard2717]

just got 600 gallons of fuel oil that I HOPE will last me all season $3300.84 including tax. Time to put a wood stove in.

[72c20customcamper]

Originally Posted by richard2717

just got 600 gallons of fuel oil that I HOPE will last me all season $3300.84 including tax. Time to put a wood stove in.

They tax your heating fuel? NY doesn’t even when you buy wood pellets at Home Depot there is no tax
Seems a little high . Diesel is 4.89 here same stuff there is a station in town the sells off road for 4.40 a gallon ,my rental is oil and the bill even says off road diesel . The tenant pays but I get copies every fill just to make sure they don’t run out .

I’ve burned wood since the 70s

[72c20customcamper]

Gas went down cheapest is 3.43

[richard2717]

Originally Posted by 72c20customcamper

They tax your heating fuel? NY doesn’t even when you buy wood pellets at Home Depot there is no tax
Seems a little high . Diesel is 4.89 here same stuff there is a station in town the sells off road for 4.40 a gallon ,my rental is oil and the bill even says off road diesel . The tenant pays but I get copies every fill just to make sure they don’t run out .

I’ve burned wood since the 70s

Only business fuel oil is taxed. Residential is not. It was $5.19 a gallon today and is even higher if you get the 100 gallon minimum. My house had a wood stove as well when I moved in but the previous owner did not take care of it and it would have been 100% replacement so I opted to just remove it at the time.

[dieseldawg142]

woo-hoo!
gas went down to $7.18 a gal.
makes ya wonder when just a couple days ago we were paying $8.30.....over a buck more.....

[Grumpy old man]

$3.26 in Knoxville today . Last months electric bill was $109.00 , Weather today will be sunny and 79 degrees . Most likely the last warm day this year probably going to cut the grass for the last time .

[Boog]

These buggars can't make up their minds where they want the price to land for more than two days! Most are fluctuating 10 to 30 cents up or down at a time now.

[72c20customcamper]

Gas is steady diesel has gone up 40 cents in three days .

[Stocker]

By some miracle, ours tumbled 33 cents a couple days ago. Now *only* $6.319.

[Boog]

I wonder if someday guys will be discussing the varying charging rates around town for EVs..

[Steeveedee]

Originally Posted by Boog

I wonder if someday guys will be discussing the varying charging rates around town for EVs..

It's gonna be sky-high all the time!

[DeadheadNM]

Down the road I wonder if, after a lengthy wait in the queue to charge an EV while on a road trip, a consumer will have option the of selecting electricity based on coal, natural gas, wind, solar generation of said power.

Gas here today.