The Brazil prices probably reflect ethanol, not gasoline....most of the vehicles in that country run on ethanol. However, that price has to be weighed against ethnol's much lower mileage and efficiency than gasoline....so you have to buy almost twice as much to get the same driving range.

Most of the Middle Eastern countries ( excapt war-torn Iraq) have cheap oil for obvious reasons that need no explanation, and the dirt-cheap price in Venezuela reflects the Chavez Socialist government and its massive subsidies....which of course come out of taxes, so you really aren't saving that much in the long run. You pay in taxes what you save at the pump.

Now the Lagos, Nigeria price of $0.38....that one is a puzzler. Nigeria, to my knowledge, is not swimming in oil like the Middle East countries (and to a lesser extent Venezuela). I can't figure that one out, unless it is a Chavez-like system where the government steals from everybody to subsize the price and keep it that low.

 

I thought they (Nigeria) did have oil reserves.

 

You might be right. I certainly am no expert on the country. If they DO have reserves, it certainly is not well-publicized like in other, more well-known places.

 

Just paid 3.21 for 89....yes I know...didn't wanna pay 3.31 for 91 =( full tank...59 bucks...

 

the funny thing is no matter how much gas is here in so cal, people dont stop driving, they just complain more.

 

Actually, the higher gas prices go, the better deal premium becomes, if 10 cents over 89 is still the difference.

when gas was 1.50 a gallon for 89, premium was 1.60. Now, gas is $3.30 for 89, and if premium is 3.40, the % difference is lower now...

 

I hate it when people keep saying that Americans complain too much about gas prices when it's 2X the price in Europe or Asia.

The reason is, Europe has the density and infrastructure in place, where commerce and public transportation are very well connected. Right or wrong, the US is driving centric. Our way of life, for the most part, depends on driving, as we like suburbs, big yards, Walmarts and Home Depots. In Europe, driving is a luxury, because so much is available in terms of walking, bus, and train. In the US, driving is a necessity. Thus, when our gas doubles, it hurts our standards of life much more...

For example... frankly, if they raised the price of gas in Manhattan to $10 a gallon, it almost wouldn't matter (except to cab drivers), because most people consider driving in Manhattan a luxury, considering the walking and public transportation options available. The people that drive in Manhattan can probably afford $10/gallon gas anyway. However, $10/gallon in Los Angeles would cripple the city because of the way the infrastructure there is set up. Major cities in Europe and Asia are much more like Manhattan than Southern CA.

 

Ask Ken Saro-Wiwa, an activist against Royal Dutch (Shell) in Nigeria who was executed under trumped up "murder" charges.

Shell generates ~80% of Nigeria's government revenues. But at what cost?

Just a FYI to all...

 

Want some cheese with that whine?

So if you bought 15 gallons, that extra 10c per gallon you saved by putting in 89 amounted to $1.50.

Was that really such a hardship?

Do you put synthetic oil in your car? An almost certain waste of money if you're not racing your car.

What else might you spend $1.50 a week on?

 

You guys do use the internet to find the lowest prices, right? I just paid $2.38 but I could've paid $.20 - $.30 more if I didn't look around:

http://www.illinoisgasprices.com/ind...a&tme_limit=24

http://www.gasbuddy.com/

 

My feelings follow sirkfc...certain areas are served better with public transportation and access to necessities. In the rural and suburb areas, it can be a stretch to obtain food and getting to one's workplace. The whole LA/OC basin area is based on outside commuter traffic to support the population centers where many are employed. That's the way it was planned here, with minimal impact on the fuel needed to deliver the bodies. (So it seems)

Luckily most my driving is recreational but even at that, the funds for fuel will have an annual impact....but minimal like $300. (I spend that on recreational reading. Stop buying the VIP rags and that's it. )

 

I always get a kick when I drive by a gas station, and see a LINE UP of cars buffering on the main street. These people will probably wait 5 cars (avg 20 mins lets say) to save $5 bucks? What about all that time idling? Potential for accidents?

 

what drives me nuts are people who whine and ***** about driving, yet when its time to go home during rush hour traffic everyone is driving by themselves. If my job didnt require me to drive all day for work and i had public trasnportation i would take it. Only fools pay more for gas when they dont have to. All the gas prices are out there in big signs.

 

You guys here have all made some good points.

The important thing to remember is that whining won't get the price down...only conservation and a drop in demand. However, we will have to accept the fact that, even here in America, there is only so much we can do to drop demand. What happens in Asia is beyond our control.....and much of the world's increase in demand is coming from China and India. And, to an extent, I have no problem with that.....it is only fair, IMO, to allow Asians to enjoy driving their own cars. They are only getting, for the first time, something that we Americans have enjoyed for many decades...but the horrendous motor vehicle death rate in China shows that many of these new drivers simply don't know how to drive...they are not used to automobiles.

Hopefully world demand for oil will also start dropping if and when good alternate fuel sources are developed, which many companies are working on.

 

MMarshal, do you have any figures on the death rate? I'm curious now.