Ike

[Smittie61984]

Originally Posted by TIGGER

Ok.....so you think that gas prices should go up to $10 a gallon so people will use less thus eventually bringing the price down?

I was making a scenerio. I believe the prices should be whatever the free market determines it to be or whatever the gas station wants it to be.

But here in Georgia where we are a bagillion miles away from Hurricane Ike and despite we get most of our oil from the Alaska Pipeline and the Port of Savannah (Which Ike isn't at) people where going to gas stations and filling up everything they had. I remember after Katrina watching a guy fill up his F-250 and 4 ATVs on the back and 2 of those Nascar Style gas cans along with some regular 5 gallon cans. He probably got 100+ gallons worth of fuel.

What raising it to $10 a gallon would have done is cause people to think smarter about what they want to use their fuel for. Instead of driving 100miles to the Georgia Aquarium to stare at fish they'd probably say "I'm going to throw in 4 gallons worth of gas so I can get back and forth to work". Instead of hoarding all the fuel. Gas stations don't assume everyone and their brother is going to fill up everything they own in one day causing a shortage. Raising prices causes people to think.

Then once the hurricane goes through and everything settles down and it is found out there is no shortage. Demand will be the same but supply will still be there so prices will stay roughly where they were. Now we have the same amount of Demand and no Supply since everyone took all the fuel.

[Mrs. Colleen]

Originally Posted by TIGGER

They ran out because of the mad rush and hype that was drummed up. I guess all the grocery stores along the coast should have doubled their prices when they heard the storm was coming. Besides, using your logic,the price of a motorcycle should go up as the dealership runs out.

The way I understand it is this; the commodities market sets the price for a barrel of oil. If you place an order for a million barrels,you will get them at that price. You refine it,you distribute it and sell it for X amount of dollars. What is happening now is that gas stations are setting prices based not on what they paid for the gas in their tanks but by what they think they are going to pay in the future. BTW those prices are being set by the distributors who penalize gas stations who don't fall in line. Last I heard that is called price fixing which is illegal (buy largely overlooked). I've never had a problem with capitalism,I have a problem with the excuses for the price hikes.

I fully understand how the principles of business work thank you. I realize that companies can charge whatever they want for their product and it is up to us as consumers to regulate them by not using their products until their prices come down. This system works quite well in a free market,too bad this particular market isn't free...

Some dealerships (with cars anyway) do charge $5-10k even $20k more than the MSRP when they only get one or two of a brand new desirable car.

And I remember hearing about Home Depot (or where ever) charging a butt load of $$$ for ply wood and the such when hurricanes are coming.

Maybe I don't know enough about how gasoline pricing works but it seems to work the same.........

There are 2 Cheverons in Goleta/Santa Barbara. One is priced at $3.79 and the other at $4.39 for REGULAR! People love to complain about the prices yet the one that is $.60 more always has at least 2 or 3 cars filling up!

BTW - as of today gas prices here have not changed...still about $3.80.

[Cutty72]

Originally Posted by azoomm

Yeah, hurricanes are tough - for the day.

But, nothing... and I do mean NOTHING was ever meant to survive in -26degrees F.

in 2002 I moved to Texas from Minnesota. I have a plethora of family scattered from Chicago, through WI, MN, North and South Dakota.

Ah, -26 ain't bad. It's the windchill that sucks! Anyway, it keeps all (ok most) of the wimps and whiners out. less ruckus and trouble that way.

I look at it this way. If it's cold, I put on another layer and turn up the heat. If it snows, I shovel it.

With a hurricane... well, you can't stop the wind and rain
And the heat of the south... well, you can only take off soo many cloths.

Originally Posted by DLIT

You sure it's not because you're stuck there, being in the Army and all?

Positive. I'm in the National Guard. If I want to move, I move, and either come back to my current unit for weekend drills, or transfer to a unit close to where I move to. It's actually a pretty simple deal.

[Amber Lamps]

Originally Posted by Mrs. Colleen

Some dealerships (with cars anyway) do charge $5-10k even $20k more than the MSRP when they only get one or two of a brand new desirable car.

And I remember hearing about Home Depot (or where ever) charging a butt load of $$$ for ply wood and the such when hurricanes are coming.

Maybe I don't know enough about how gasoline pricing works but it seems to work the same.........

There are 2 Cheverons in Goleta/Santa Barbara. One is priced at $3.79 and the other at $4.39 for REGULAR! People love to complain about the prices yet the one that is $.60 more always has at least 2 or 3 cars filling up!

BTW - as of today gas prices here have not changed...still about $3.80.

sounds the same to me...price gouging! Like I said, you can pay whatever price they want to charge without complaint if you want but I don't appreciate it personally. I guess I'm for "ethical capitalism".

You both like "scenarios" so here's one; there's a flu epidemic and your children,siblings or other young loved ones are sick. Obviously,the drug stores who bought the medicine from the drug company 6 months ago deserve to make a profit but how would it be if they started charging $1000 a dose for meds that cost $20 a month ago. Would you happily pay that without a complaint as well?

[Smittie61984]

No one is saying they enjoy paying more for gas. Hell I wish gas was a penny a gallon if not less. That way I could make it to Cali and back on a $1 (Suck that 1800 Collect).

But I didn't pay smart scientist like people to find out where the oil is. I didn't pay a constructin company to build a giant oil platform. I don't pay the workers who tough it out at sea there. I didn't build the pipeline nor did I refine the gas. I didn't build the station or the pumps. I literally invested Zero dollars and Zero cents into making crude oil into gasoline suited for my truck/motorcycle. So I have no right to tell them what to do with it. All I can really do is vote with my dollar.

Same for the drug companies. I didn't invest any time into making the drug so I have no right to it. If they charge more because a big flu epedimec explodes then demand is up and they have every right to charge more. Even if it costs me my life I am not stealing from someone. I'll try to barter and see if they can work out a payment plan if it comes down to it. Or I'll sell my motorcycle, car, TV, whatever to keep me and my family alive. People aren't selling their Iphones even though they claim to "Need" gas.

I work for a Sub-contractor for AT&T. We literally do all the grunt work. If my boss came to me and said "Due to tough times we are going to have to cut your pay". I'd bitch and moan but take it. It's not my job the job belongs to the employer. All I own is a skill they find suitable for the job. But if the Government came in and said "Well people need the internet to buy medicine, for schooling, and to keep in touch with friends. So we are going to cut your pay so others can enjoy what we feel is a necessity". I'd be bitching and moaning and throwing a fit and telling them to suck it because they have no right to tell my company what to make.

[Captain Morgan]

Fuck Ike. He screwed up MotoGP weekend.