Confession on $1.50 fuel post

[AnchorageGuy]

OK, It is time for me to confess. The reason I made the now much discussed $1.50 fuel price post had nothing to to do with a boycott of fuel companies. The wife and I were discussing how much we need to change our cruising budget this time around to account for the increase in fuel prices. During that discussion we got around to the reason we were in this fix and how easily people accept the current situation. I stated that our society today is populated by lazy, apathetic people that are no longer interested in making an effort to improve there own plight. She in turn argued that I was too pessimistic and should have more faith in my fellow man. So the plan was to put out a simple action that may or may not help but was relatively easy to execute. She insisted that the response would be a positive one and many would think it to be a good idea. I felt the response would be, it can't be done, it won't work, it won't make any difference, and you don't know what you are talking about. Well, I guess I was right again since that was pretty much the response from just about everybody. So many thanks to all for helping out in our little experiment and I hope you won't think less of me but it did develop into quite a discussion.


Now here are a few more thoughts I would like to put out there to see what you think. If everyone in the US or any other country took a "day off", and I mean stay home , drink beer, watch the game on TV, play with the kids, just anything but get in your car. Don't drive or buy gas or go to the store, just take the day off and stay home. On that single day what affect would that have on the fuel reserves and how would that affect the price. Next we need to get rid of the gas guzzlers. So the license and yearly renewal fees on SUVs, Hummers, full size pick-ups that are not registered to a company, would be equal to the current value of the vehicle. Take that money as collected and reduce the taxes on gas and diesel. The vehicles that get 35 MPH or better would be free for yearly registration or perhaps $1.00. Most of the gas guzzlers would go away quickly and we would reduce consumption which would reduce prices. OK, what do you think about those suggestions?

[Chief Engineer]

Anyone who is foolish enough to beLIEve that "we, the sheeple" can do anything about fuel prices is sadly deranged.

Fuel prices are set not by Arabs, Venezuelans, Americans or Canadians......the producers

They are set by speculators....gamblers.....

The same people that gamble on Orange Juice, Pork Bellies, and all commodities.

Any time an Arab Farts or a Venezuelan has a hemmorhoid, or some Nigerian attempts to steal petrol from a pipeline and blows his village up....the speculators make money.

I for one don't care how high the price of fuel goes.....I will adjust......

I am looking to live more locally now than I used to.

[Alan Wheeler]

You guy's do have a day where much of the US comes to a stand still. It is called Thanks Giving. It doesn't bring the market to it's knees. Another day that affects a great deal of the world is Christmas Day. But it doesn't bring the world to it's knees either. And at the present time, some refinery in Scotland or Ireland is on strike. Like how the hell does that affect the supply elsewhere in the world. Yet those speculators upped the bidding this morning because of it. And then we have the stories of the oil fields running dry and the world only has so many years left of oil. Yet there are several large fields that have just come on line that one alone is capable of supplying the US for the next 50yrs. And many more fields are being identified as potential biggies. Yet the price per barrel has not dropped.

[Starbuck]

You want us to buy the idea that the original post was an experiment? And that although you knew it wouldn't work, and you anticipated the chastising response, you went ahead and posted it anyway?

So it was all about seeing what we would do. You were pulling our collective leg all along. You'd never actually believe such naive "grass roots protesting" could have a perceptible effect on a global commodity.

That's just stretching our credulity too much. Instead of all the effort at damage control, Chuck, just admit you screwed the pooch on this one, lick your wounds and come back to play again another day.

Sheesh.

Posts of yours in both threads display a willingness to believe in conspiracy theories and language that suggests you see yourself as a victim of some sort of government/corporate collusion, stripped of power for independent action. You're almost as bad as Sully.

I'm slightly embarrassed for you that you would come back for more.

[Alan Wheeler]

Well at least he is not as bad as one guy I know. He believes in all sorts of conspiracy theories and he flawed me completely last week, when he tried telling us that the Vapour trails from Jets are really chemicals that the Government is spraying over us all for mind control. I was about to laugh my arse off when I suddenly realised he was dead serious.

[Steve Pope]

Come on Alan, Didn't you know that wanting to laugh your ass off is one of the first signs of vapour trail anoxia. thank your lucky stars you didn't, If Helen found out she would probably would have had you Mallarded!!!!

[Sandero]

I haven't followed the original post. But I can report that I drive about 1/2 as much as I used to.

I can also report that the "cruising" traffic on the highway... the dominqueros is was down. Shiva was stored out in Greenport a 100 mile drive from my home. I decided to store there and not closer (10 miles) because I was doing little projects and the time moving the boat, not to mention the cost of of the car or the bus and the opportunity to store for 50% was enough to store out east. But when I go out there and the past 3 weekends I have made the trek to get her ready, I have never seen as little auto traffic in 20+ years on the LIE and North Fork. My theory is people are not driving.

A few fellas complained that it now costs hundreds and hundreds of dollars in fuel to motor this power boats to Block Island and many boats are up for sail or will be in slips and not on the waterways.

The cost of fuel will really begin to ripple through this nation.

[shadow]

I do fully believe that in those markets, it is purely a fun game for the true top players and we are all just along for the ride. That is why when I finally do get my yacht, I want to be able to have as much control over my little slice of life as possible. Meaning, I hope that by the time I do buy, the electric engines will be a near exact science to where they are extremely reliable with minimal maintainence. I will also have solar panels as well as a wind generator powering that engine as well as everything else on my boat including my water maker.

I want to be as self sufficient as possible without partaking in "their" game.. I wish that most people would stick together so we as a whole can change policies.. But, there are waaaay to many people that are way to complacent to care or do anything.
Just my .000000000002 cents...

[ssullivan]

Originally Posted by CaptainJeff

You're almost as bad as Sully.

I'm slightly embarrassed for you that you would come back for more.

Trying to make a little bit of sense out of that. A joke, or are you saying I believe in conspiracy theories?

I firmly don't believe in any conspiracy theories, if that's what you're saying...

That was a pretty fierce reply to Chuck, too. It's uncharacteristic... are you in a bad mood today? I'm not quite following this.

ALSO:

For the posters who are calling the speculators evil (and I think they are too), you might be one of them! Where is your 401K, managed fund, etc... money actually invested? Do you know? Think about it.

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by Chuck Baier

OK, what do you think about those suggestions?

And your other hobby is herding cats?








PS. don't anyone tell Sully about the Conspiracy

[ssullivan]

Originally Posted by David_Old_Jersey

PS. don't anyone tell Sully about the Conspiracy

You're all against me!!! ha ha ha

[Chief Engineer]

Oil IS a renewable resource....it is constantly being created deep within the earth...the Russians have been the first to prove this......

It was flawed/junk science of the past that led to the "theory" that plant and animal decay created oil.....

[ssullivan]

Originally Posted by Chief Engineer

Oil IS a renewable resource....it is constantly being created deep within the earth...the Russians have been the first to prove this......

It was flawed/junk science of the past that led to the "theory" that plant and animal decay created oil.....

REALLY?? I missed this discovery entirely. How is oil created? (not being sarcastic, I really didn't hear this theory)

[David M]

The whole world oil supply and demand situation is greater than the United States. It is pretty arrogant to think the US alone, and even smaller, the USA's consumers can affect world oil supply and demand and therefore the prices.

The United States consumes 25% of the worlds oil. The United States is also the worlds third largest producer of oil behind Saudi Arabia, (first place), and Russia, (second place).

Only 20% of the United States total energy demand goes towards private transportation anyways.

Us consumers and their consumption used by their cars are simply not that big. To think that world oil prices are being controlled solely by the US is very naive and rather arrogant. It is a word market and the US is but one element of that market.

US consumers doing whatever for a day would have virtually no effect on consumption.

[stevensc]

If we let a small portion of our people block the use of Nuclear energy, the drilling for oil wherever it is, maximizing hydrolelctric production, producing fuel from shale, coal, and tar sands etc. what more can we expect. I wonder what OPEC thinks when we ask them to increase production when our production potential right here is so high.
Honestly I am surprised there have not been more problems, people just seem to be accepting these prices, I guess the credit cards are not maxed out, yet.
Steve