Paid $530 for gas last month. This month's bill is 480.

[Zeke]

That's just me, my wife spends a bunch on gas too. No wonder the economy sucks. I used to have car payments less than that. In fact, I've only had ONE car payment in my life that was more than 530.

Just got the old truck out of the shop today because it ate a rear brake shoe. I really didn't want to deal with it after looking the whole mess over. Never seen anything like that.

I can't afford to work anymore if I have to go anywhere. Maybe I'll get a donkey cart and fill it with my tools. No.......wait, I'd have to feed the damn donkey.

[dd74]

Interesting. A lot of people are saying just what you're saying, Milt. "I can't afford to go to work." Or "I can't afford to work."

I really don't know what's going to happen. Bicycles? Small cars? No, it doesn't help when you're in construction.

I've seen many contractors driving those new diesel Dodge vans (Mercedes makes/made them, I think). Supposedly twice as better mileage than a similar-sized Chevy or Ford panel van. Problem with the Dodges, I've heard is:

1) Expensive
2) Never in stock.

I hope things get better for you.

[rammstein]

I have a theory that the price of gas will cause urbanization. I live downtown and work downtown, so I can even walk to work if I want to. Its saving me a lot of money. Saving money is good, and people like money. So therefore, with that as my understanding of economics, I reason that other people will pay a little more now to move downtown as opposed to staying 20 miles away, commuting 200 miles a week.

200 miles, 20 MPG, gas $3.50/gallon = $35/week.

$140/month on gas. Conservatively, I think.

$140/month leveraged into real estate at 6% interest on a 30 year mortgage = an extra $23,350 of purchase price to get a place you can walk to work from.

Lets get a bit more pessimistic:

200 miles, 16 MPG, gas $4.50/gallon = $56.25week.

$225/month on gas.

$225 leveraged into real estate at 6% on a 30 year mortgage = $37,528 into real estate.

Throw in the hassle of driving, the wear and tear on the car, the additional insurance premium from living more that 10 miles from your job, and I think people will be moving into cities. That, or pushing for high-speed trains. Which will never happen.

Just my rambling thoughts for the day.

[dd74]

Originally Posted by rammstein

I have a theory that the price of gas will cause urbanization.

You're correct. CNN aired a special exactly about that. Now's the time to invest in downtown real estate. You should see what's happening around L.A. Lots and lots of building.

[Zeke]

rammstein, all well and good, but I use tools in my work. I'm a contractor, specifically a finish carpenter with a broad set of skills. Hence, I carry lots of tools. I should have made that more clear.

Now, I have seen some guys in golf carts who basically do handywork in a local neighborhood. I even saw a gardener set up like that. Must be nice.

[rammstein]

Hey- how about that! I came up with a theory that smart people came up with!!!

But seriously, I have a new job that I never bothered to mention on here. I am working as an analyst for a 'vulture fund'. I love it, I am no longer in the business of trying to sell real estate, which I never felt good about. Peeing on someone's leg and telling them it is raining gets old.

Anyhow, I believe that the downtown condo markets, while certainly downtrodden for the moment, are going to surge back. Not tomorrow, but maybe in 5 years instead of 10.

[rammstein]

Originally Posted by milt

rammstein, all well and good, but I use tools in my work. I'm a contractor, specifically a finish carpenter with a broad set of skills. Hence, I carry lots of tools. I should have made that more clear.

Now, I have seen some guys in golf carts who basically do handywork in a local neighborhood. I even saw a gardener set up like that. Must be nice.

Yeah, my response was more my way of piggybacking onto your thread to dispense my own brainwaves. It doesn't help you, who has to use his vehicle for his job, at all.

Definitely sucks to have your bottom line get hit this hard. Could you get a Rabbit Diesel truck and convert it to vegetable oil and go the free fuel route? If you have a garage, maybe you could pull it off. There's guys on here who do that. Might be worth it now that you're hitting $500/month on fuel.

You are in a warm climate too- perfect! Go for the vegetable oil- you can drive for free on fryer oil.

[Jims5543]

Same as Milt, I HAVE to drive a truck every day about 100 miles a day for work.

I spend 700-1000 a month on gas alone.

I keep putting of building this electric truck because the $8000 investment rattles me but I will be doing it soon. Then my monthly usage cost will drop to $100-$150.

I live 1.5 miles from my office, I can ride my bike every day if it would not thinderstorm every afternoon. So I drive back and forth putting 3 miles a day commuting.

Outside of work I barely drive everything I need is within 2 miles of my house and I mormally do not go anywhere after work or on weekends.

My wife trucks the kids around for private school so she racks up about 150 miles a week. Hence our loosing the FJ Cruiser and getting the E46 and hopefully a city of car of some sort (or maybe a E30 EV conversion) in the next year.

[Scott R]

My best friend is an electrician and he can't drive his Dodge Ram pickup anymore, just to costly. He does commercial electrical and has a ton of tools, so we went to the Subaru dealer last weekend to look at wagons. We found that this wagon he purchased (don't remember the name) had the same cargo capacity and got close to 30 mpg.

I have not spoken to him since Saturday, however he was going to all of his job sites in it this week. Some of the stuff we loaded in were large tube benders, electric says, pipe cutting and threading equipment. It was heavy, bulky stuff, however he figured he could gain a little edge over his competitors this way.

[dd74]

FWIW, I've seen a Prius swallow a whole chest of drawers. I was shocked.

[Hugh R]

I use about 1-1/3 gallons of gas a day to and from work (44 miles r/t). 08 Camry Hybrid.

My office mate can put his surfboard inside his Prius and close the deck lid.

[dd74]

One of the more known car magazines had a photo of the newly redesigned Prius. It looks very nice.

I also need to get out of the 13 mpg AWD V8 rut. I'm thinking of cycling to work.

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by Scott R

My best friend is an electrician and he can't drive his Dodge Ram pickup anymore, just to costly. He does commercial electrical and has a ton of tools, so we went to the Subaru dealer last weekend to look at wagons. We found that this wagon he purchased (don't remember the name) had the same cargo capacity and got close to 30 mpg.

I have not spoken to him since Saturday, however he was going to all of his job sites in it this week. Some of the stuff we loaded in were large tube benders, electric says, pipe cutting and threading equipment. It was heavy, bulky stuff, however he figured he could gain a little edge over his competitors this way.

Must be this thing, it's the biggest one they have.

[Scott R]

Originally Posted by milt

Must be this thing, it's the biggest one they have.

Thats the one, yes. Not my cup of tea, but he liked it.

[pwd72s]

It's a sad day when Gasoline selling for just under $4 per gallon is considered good news...

[Dave L]

Originally Posted by Scott R

My best friend is an electrician and he can't drive his Dodge Ram pickup anymore, just to costly. He does commercial electrical and has a ton of tools, so we went to the Subaru dealer last weekend to look at wagons. We found that this wagon he purchased (don't remember the name) had the same cargo capacity and got close to 30 mpg.

Im in sales and I drive about 600 miles per week, so I am also concerned about gas. Although I typically only carry a laptop around I have carried 18 tires and rims INSIDE my Protege5.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Thank the short-sighted doofuses who planned our brilliant fossil-fuel dependent infrastructure by killing any sort of viable mass-transit initiative in this town for the last 50 years.

We had the red cars (trolleys) - politicians (backed by GM) killed it.

We had a proposal for a monorail system in the mid-1960s - politicians (backed by a consortium of oil companies and automakers) killed it (actually a lot of the councilmembers switched their votes LITERALLY overnight - google it).

We had a great plan for a light rail system - the politicians and NIMBYs relegated it to the ghetto.

We had plans to extend light rail to LAX - the politicians killed it (because they didn't want to offend the cab drivers)

We've had literally decades to plan and build a mass transit system that people would actually use - now it's little more than a curiosity used to shuttle around ghetto trash and gangbangas from one crime scene to the next.

This entire region is so ripe with corruption and stupidity it actually makes Chicago look like a model of visionary genius and clean/fair government appropriations by comparison.

We made our bed. Now we get to lie in it. Our transportation infrastructure is virtually 100% dependent on foreign oil. Get used to bending over and taking the big OPEC pole up the ass.

[vash]

i sold my truck. my new "rig" for "heavy" duty is my wife's subaru forester. you learn how to tie knots quickly. my own car is a mazdaspeed3. maybe not the best purchase (i have some buyer's remorse) because it is such a One hit wonder.

i kinda wonder what the US would be like if the government had taxed gas to $4 per gallon 10 years ago. our infrastructure would be better, and i think cars would have had the "headstart" to being more efficient. the hummer would have never had 3 versions. i agree, in the bay area, folks are leaning towards homes near public transportation, like BART. i think it will bring back the centralized downtown areas.

[Scuba Steve]

I thought about doing an electric conversion, but I average 42.5 mpg right now and the break even point is way too far out there. Still, I'd rather drive a car I can plug in every night than something I have to fill up. Or take a train. It makes so much more sense in the long run to invest in other technologies and ways to get to and from work, IMO.

[creaturecat]

Technicians, etc ,in Vancouver (who require trucks), are buying imported small diesel trucks for "in city" work. Right hand drive for the most part. Appear to be highly functional vehicles.
I support higher gas prices, the impetus for positive changes w/r to both energy usage, and technological advancement.
The price increase should be on the tax side, offset by tax credits which promote moving away from being dependent on middle east oil.
Short term pain, for sure. Bring it on.