By making price predictions, it can become a self-fulfilling prophecy. I don't want to be a part of the problem. |
Consumers are numb to these high prices. Some of this is what the market will bear. Part of the problem with higher prices is we set a new benchmark in our mind and $3 is the new record. |
Crude oil is more expensive than it was after Hurricane Katrina. And we haven't had a natural disaster that is causing these high prices. |
Drivers are now paying an average price that is 27 cents higher than a year ago. And last year was no picnic. |
Drivers don't seem to be as concerned with current prices as they would have been in the past. Perhaps it's human nature. Once you've been through root canal without anesthetic, getting a filling doesn't seem nearly as scary as it used to be. |
Even though the hurricane was a long way away from us, it's still having an impact. |
Fuel consumption rises two percent every year in California; yet we haven't built a refinery in years and a number of them have even closed. But no one wants a refinery in their backyard. |
I certainly see nothing on the horizon to say that we'll see a significant decrease in prices anytime soon, short of a quick and tidy resolution to the Iran nuclear confrontation or a global recession. |
I would not be surprised to see continued price increases at least in the short term. September could be an unpleasant month when it comes to fuel prices. |
I've heard some alarmist predictions, but the industry is still taking stock of the damage caused by the storm and how long it will take to repair the infrastructure. |
If somebody is an experienced car thief and they want to steal your car, they're probably going to get it. The key is to make your car more difficult to steal than someone else's. |
If you put a meter on your dashboard that showed you how much it was costing you per mile, I think most people would be shocked. |
If you work in San Jose and live in Modesto, it might not be such a good deal (compared with) five years ago. |
If you're on the wrong end of a disagreement of road rage, it can be frightening. It's about swallowing your pride. Often, if you don't engage an aggressive driver, the situation will diffuse. |
In the short term, the best bet is to conserve gas where you can. I don't mean sell your car and buy a bike. But maybe take public transit once a week, or carpool once in a while. Modest steps. If everybody did a little bit to save gas, it would have a big impact. |