Gasoline.

[bobabode]

Originally Posted by mpholland

They're gonna fix that problem by extra taxes and fees on electric cars, hybrids, and bicycles that use the roads and don't pay their respective share because they don't buy enough gas.

I can get behind that surprisingly. Those dang Segue Ways, too.

[Tom Joad]

Originally Posted by mpholland

They're gonna fix that problem by extra taxes and fees on electric cars, hybrids, and bicycles that use the roads and don't pay their respective share because they don't buy enough gas.

As long as it's proportional to the negative impacts created by the vehicles in question.

For example the negative impact of one redneck in a V-8 4X4 pick-up is equivalent to the negative impact of 22,752 tree huggers on bikes so for every dollar that a tree hugger on a bike pays, a redneck in a V-8 4X4 should pay $22,752.

[Tom Joad]

Originally Posted by bobabode

Those dang Segue Ways, too.

I hear they're real chick magnets.

[donquixote99]

They got those Segue-mobiles for people that weigh 500 lbs?

We'll need them, by and by, if we all give up walking.....

[Tom Joad]

It's now down to $2.80 here and I still have almost half a tank.

I usually get gas when it gets to 1/4.

By then it will probably be back up to 3.49.

[donquixote99]

So is that 1/4 tank habit encoded in your genes or something? You might want to see about adjusting your behavior to these possibly-fleeting circumstances.

Save a sawbuck, buy some more cigars!

[merrylander]

We gassed up both cars yesterday at $!.649 courtesy of Giant and Shell.

[piece-itpete]

Those evil corps Rob?

Originally Posted by Tom Joad

That's more like it.

I was a bit skeptical over your sudden concern for the poor.

Sorry I slipped. I'll do better next time

Pete

[Tom Joad]

Originally Posted by donquixote99

So is that 1/4 tank habit encoded in your genes or something?

It's a standard I've developed over time. In my young and stupid days I used to push it to the "E" and beyond, but after a number of long walks for gas in the hot Florida sun I got cured of that. And since I never carried a gas can in my car you would also have to beg one from the gas station. They might loan you one if you leave a deposit of maybe 10 times what the can was worth. But nowadays with all the gas stations being at convenience stores I suppose you would just have to buy one, if they had any for sale. Plus the habit of running near empty a lot tends to cause condensation and eventually rust to build up in your tank. You haven't lived until you've driven a vehicle that is subject to sputtering and conking out without notice due to shit in your gas tank.

So that's where I got the "Fill up when it hits 1/4" standard.

As for topping it off before that, well that's a waste. Every time you stop for gas takes time, and time is money. Add to that I always pay with a credit card at the pump and every time you use plastic you run the risk of some kind of identity theft. So I try to keep gas stops to a minimum. The only time I'll top it off when it's above 1/4 is if there is a Hurricane a few days out and there's a decent chance of not being able to get gas for a while after it hits.

As for saving a sawbuck, my car has an 18.5 gallon tank. Generally my fill-ups are around 14 gallons. That means it takes a 7 cent price differential to save about one buck. To save a sawbuck I'd need a 70 cent price differential.

I don't ever go out of my way to fill up. I know people that will drive halfway across town to save a nickel a gallon. That's a cost of 10 bucks in time and money to save one buck. That's fucken crazy. I want the station to be on my side of the road, and I want it to have easy in, easy out access and no waiting. I know people that will cross to the opposite side of a busy six lane highway to save 2 cents a gallon. That's 28 cents for me. That's also fucken crazy.

Americans are fucking weird about gas prices. A three cent a gallon differential is a big fucken deal to most people. That about 1% of the price of gas. On most other purchases people won't even bat an eye at a 1% price differential.

[donquixote99]

Well, it all depends on the facts on the ground, Tom. A large enough and fleeting enough savings might warrant a one-off change in policy. But I often just go with doing what i always do. It's easier than thinking about it.