SFist: Pass the Gas: Reaching $4 a Gallon?

overeduc8ed

Fri, 09 Nov 2007 05:59:49 -0800

Damn, do I have to bring out the tired "everywhere else in the world" argument, again? Fine. I used to live in SF. Now I live in France. Gas here is 1.30€ per liter. That's more than $7 per gallon, bitches! And yet: A 12-pack of my favorite condoms: 3€ A huge awesome baguette: 0.80€ Mousse au chocolat: 2€ Monthly transit pass (including a real subway system): 40€ MacBook Pro: 1899€ (the difference is mostly the 20% sales tax, because all prices by law must include tax in the EU) fresh veggies, milk, cheese, etc.: roughly same price for much better quality (usually locally/independently grown) Public bikesharing system: 1€ per week or 10€ per year! Planes fly. UPS, FedEx, and DHL manage quite well. Ping pong balls ping and pong everyday at my workplace. No collection needs to be taken up to pay for them. And gas in the UK is even more expensive, maybe closer to $9/gal. And, people there still have plenty of safe(r) sex and have access to shipping services. Okay, so most of their food sucks, but they have damn good Indian food. So there. For reference, today, a euro is worth $1.465! (Holy shit! It was only $1.30 when I moved here six months ago... damn you, George W.)

murphstahoe

Thu, 08 Nov 2007 16:34:20 -0800

Your economic analysis is not complete maricon. The margin on chocolate gold mousse pies is pretty high. The margin will go down if fuel costs increase, and certainly the baker will try to pass those costs onto their customers. However, MOST of their customers will be strapped for cash because they are paying out the ass to drive their gas guzzlers all over town looking for parking spots. Their discretionary budgets now strained, demand for CGM Pies goes way down. The baker has to suck it up and deal with a lower gross margin for his product by lowering his price. Since I don't have a gasoline budget - I can gorge away as usual. Now, the margin on Organic Tomatoes is much lower of course, if fuel costs go too high, prices will have to be raised because if prices are lowered the producer cannot make a profit. However, economics still works - land currently being planned for production of Exurban McMansions becomes less compelling for that use because nobody wants to buy in Tracy what with the high gas prices. But Tomato prices have gone up marginally so the developer decides to plant veggies instead of 3400 Sq Foot houses. The Catch-22 is this. If people drove less to the supermarket down the street and to work and to whatever, fuel would cost less, and therefore goods that are transfered by fuel would cost less, plane tickets would be cheaper, condoms would be cheaper, whatever. However, people are lazy and would rather drive all over hell and back than have less expensive goods. They don't get the connection - the tragedy of the commons is that they would love it if EVERYONE ELSE stopped driving so they could pay less for gas and not have to deal with traffic.

mariconsoy

Thu, 08 Nov 2007 16:15:35 -0800

murphstahoe- EVERYTHING, including chocolate gold mousse pies, will cost much more. Condoms $10.00 each. Ping-pong balls through the roof. 75 % of the world's goods are made of plastic including the keyboard you use to blog. Planes will stop flying, UPS and USPS will go out of business and humans will revert back to ape-like creatures.

jwb

Thu, 08 Nov 2007 16:04:23 -0800

In the UK, the gas *tax*, by itself, is more than four US dollars.

aj

Thu, 08 Nov 2007 15:54:54 -0800

Wake me when Costco hits $4. Just because some station in SF that always overcharges hits $4, that doesn't mean much at all. Actually with oil at $100, we really should expect this to have already happened. Why isn't gasoline more expensive?

PRBurkley

Thu, 08 Nov 2007 15:54:46 -0800

I'm feeling the pinch. Don't gloat to much murphstahoe. The higher the price of gas goes, the more your groceries and your imported-from-China-adult-plastic-novelty-toys will cost too.

lazthedog

Thu, 08 Nov 2007 15:53:15 -0800

i believe the internet argot for this entry is "troll post." going "hey! looks like gas prices are pretty high!" sounds as dorky as when John Kerry said it in 2004. (yes, i voted for him anyway.) the story is so not news. geopolitical instability + consistently high demand + recalcitrance = $100-plus oil.

murphstahoe

Thu, 08 Nov 2007 15:42:42 -0800

ha ha ha i don't care. I don't drive. Let it go to $10, $20. If you HAVE to drive for your job, maybe you need a new job. If you HAVE to drive because transit doesn't serve your area, move! If you HAVE to drive your kids to school - well then your kids are going to be fat slobs - WALK WITH THEM TO SCHOOL. If you HAVE to drive to the gym, maybe you should give up that gym membership and ride a bike. If you can't do these things - then guess what, you HAVE to pay a lot for gas! Nah nah nah nah nah.

innersunsetfog

Thu, 08 Nov 2007 15:20:28 -0800

not driving in order to benefit the environment is much more admirable than not driving because there is no place to park. don't get it twisted.