I mean, I'm not surprised or anything but still...

Pretty much every day there is some stupid poll on the front page of CNN...every day recently it has taken a form similar to this:

What worries you most/is the biggest issue/is the most important thing right now?

A.) Oil prices
B.) Something that's actually important
C.) Something else that's actually important

And every day like 70% of the vote goes to oil prices, and this is just a poll of people who both A.) know how to use the internet and B.) care enough about news to read CNN so I'd say the general population as a whole is even more stupid than this.

Anyway, my point is not necessarily that people shouldn't be "worried" about oil prices because for some this is a significant part of their budget, is adversely affecting their lives whatever. What gets me is that all these people ever do is whine about how someone should do something to lower the prices which without increasing supply or decreasing demand would have to be an artificial measure like reducing taxes or something stupid that would only create problems in different areas and would only temporarily "fix" the "problem".

I hate to be the guy who's like hey we don't have it so bad look what they pay in Europe! because well, we don't live in Europe so the circumstances are definitely different, but....it's not so bad if people would be responsible for themselves and not act so entitled to cheap gas.

but we are, we are americans.

entitled to cheap gas I mean

We've had cheap gas as long as we've had cars for the most part. We don't knwo anything else. But yeah, I was listening to a late night radio talk show whose host I really like and he is going off on how the government has to "step in and fix the problem". WTF are they supposed to do? Any reasonable fix such as drilling for more oil or better yet, increasing subsidies for reasearch into alternative energy sources is going to take years to have any effect "at the pump".

There is one thing people can do to pay less for gas: USE FUCKING LESS OF IT. Walk, ride a bike, carpool, take the bus etc. There are options, people just don't like them as much as driving. Sure, driving your own car by yourself is great cause you have privacy and no one bugs you and you can listen to whatever you want. That is a luxury and just like any other luxury you have to pay for it.

I've been able to reduce my weekly commuting from 800 miles per month to 125 miles per month. In January I bought a car that gets 35 miles to the gallon. When I do drive I stopped ever going over 70 MPH. Whenever a group of us go into Boston we take the T (metro for those outside the area). Most people can probably reduce their consumption of gasoline by 25% without too much difficulty if they really put their mind to it. Yet I still see SUV's passing me on the highway doing at least 80. No one every car pools, that amazes me. Try asking a co-worker to carpool with you and watch their reaction. It's such a foriegn concept it's like they don't know what you're talking about. They can't fathom ever doing that.

The only way prices will ever stop ballooning is if we reduce demand. Once people driving sedans start paying $100 to fill a tank, we will see some changes. I doubt much before then.

Drilling may not take years to affect pump price.

Once there is a perception that supply will increase, prices will drop.

This will have much more affect then us trying to reduce demand. IT is a world market and oil goes for more than gas for american cars. And there are a load of vehicles out there that will not come off the road anytime soon.

I work in a plant that employees 800 people. There are 775 trucks and 25 Harley's in the parking lot everyday. This is the same number that was there when gas was $3 a gal. No one car pools. But I am starting to see a difference in town. A lot more motorcycles. I can't wait until our streets look like some of those Japan movies with little cars and scooters all over the place.

I have a question for everyone to ponder.

Everyone says we need more oil to produce more gasoline. We need to use less gasoline yada yada.

Has anyone gone to a pump and not been able to fill up? We are producing more gasoline then we produced 5 years ago. Where is the shortage?

There is no shortage! what changed in 3 years? There is a shortage now but there wasn't one 3 years ago.

The wackos are saying but if we don't teach you now someday there will really be a shortage and then what are you going to do?

I guess we evolved as far as they are going to let us. Now we are going to make the circle and go back to riding horses.