The Reckoning

[Shuckins]

As some of you may remember, I retired from teaching in the public school system last year and took a job working with juvenile delinquents.

What with my retirement check and new job income my take home pay took a dramatic (for me) upswing.  Upgrades in my home environment and materialistic symbols of masculinity now lay within my grasp.

Specifically, it seemed that in the near future, when the Blazer was paid off, I would be able to purchase my first full-sized pickup in nearly two decades.  Nothing fancy, mind, for I'm not given to extravagant displays of wealth. Just a base Chevy Silverado, regular cab, with 2-wheel drive, Vortec 4300 v-6 engine, Air-conditioning, CD player, cruise control, tilt-wheel, automatic, OnStar, power-door locks, power windows, leather seats, foglamps, Deep-tinted Solar-Ray glass, chrome wheels, with dark blue metallic paint job.

With gas at a comfortable $1.59 a gallon...I could live with that level of vehicular simplicity.






Then the price of crude went to $55 a barrel...........and I found myself being forced to ratchet my dream down a notch.


A Chevrolet Colorado was a perfectly sensible alternative.  Yeah...I could live with that.


$65 dollars a barrel..........and the dream was cut back a bit further........a truck was out of the question......something with better fuel economy was demanded..................... ..think "Toyota Corolla."



$70 a barrel.......aw crap....I might have to buy a Toyota Echo.




I'll never forgive you for this Exxon.   A day of reckoning is coming.  Never stop looking over your shoulder......it might take years.......but I got lots of patience.

[indy007]

Originally posted by Shuckins
$70 a barrel.......aw crap....I might have to buy a Toyota Echo.

iirc the Echo is discontinued. The platform lives on however in the Scion brand (xA & xB models). New, "trendy" skin, same 1.5 liters of fury.

[Jackal1]

Originally posted by Shuckins

I'll never forgive you for this Exxon.   A day of reckoning is coming.  Never stop looking over your shoulder......it might take years.......but I got lots of patience.

ROFL

[Sandman]

Hell... Get a Toyota. It'll last decades.

[Gunslinger]

$6.00 a gallon for 87 in atlanta GA.

My parents live in West Point a few hours away.  I'm sure they're feeling the pinch as well.  My dad just got a new job at Lowes 45 minutes away.  

The sad part is unleashing the strategic reserves really isn't a cure.  We don't need more oil we need more refining and distribution.

[sling322]

True...but releasing some of the crude reserves to the refiners will at least keep them running since their crude supply is now stopped.  I dont know what the answer is for the distribution part.  Maybe we should load a couple of tankers up in Iraq since thats what we are there for anyway....according to some on this board.  

[Lazerus]

I think the waiver on the refineries' multiple fuel mixtures that they are required to make, allowing them to concentrate on one formula, will have a larger impact on getting gas out to the pumps than anything else. The lack of refinery capacity hurts us worse than anything else from what I've gathered.
A couple dozen million barrels a day of crude coming from ANWAR wouldn't hurt either.

[Mickey1992]

Originally posted by Lazerus
I think the waiver on the refineries' multiple fuel mixtures that they are required to make, allowing them to concentrate on one formula, will have a larger impact on getting gas out to the pumps than anything else.

I heard that on the news last night too.  I think it is the smartest thing the feds have done all week.

[Siaf__csf]

The gas costs about $6.8/gallon down here. Yet I can comfortably drive my 3.2 liter Mercedes a steady 600 miles a week.

Hasn't taken me bankrupt and will not bankrupt you.

Get the gas guzzler. It's worth it.

Edit: Oops forgot to do €uro/dollar conversion. Correct price above.

[Ripsnort]

Originally posted by Shuckins
As some of you may remember, I retired from teaching in the public school system last year and took a job working with juvenile delinquents.

What with my retirement check and new job income my take home pay took a dramatic (for me) upswing.  Upgrades in my home environment and materialistic symbols of masculinity now lay within my grasp.

Specifically, it seemed that in the near future, when the Blazer was paid off, I would be able to purchase my first full-sized pickup in nearly two decades.  Nothing fancy, mind, for I'm not given to extravagant displays of wealth. Just a base Chevy Silverado, regular cab, with 2-wheel drive, Vortec 4300 v-6 engine, Air-conditioning, CD player, cruise control, tilt-wheel, automatic, OnStar, power-door locks, power windows, leather seats, foglamps, Deep-tinted Solar-Ray glass, chrome wheels, with dark blue metallic paint job.

With gas at a comfortable $1.59 a gallon...I could live with that level of vehicular simplicity.






Then the price of crude went to $55 a barrel...........and I found myself being forced to ratchet my dream down a notch.


A Chevrolet Colorado was a perfectly sensible alternative.  Yeah...I could live with that.


$65 dollars a barrel..........and the dream was cut back a bit further........a truck was out of the question......something with better fuel economy was demanded..................... ..think "Toyota Corolla."



$70 a barrel.......aw crap....I might have to buy a Toyota Echo.




I'll never forgive you for this Exxon.   A day of reckoning is coming.  Never stop looking over your shoulder......it might take years.......but I got lots of patience.

Go the "Two-vehicle" route. Primary "commuter" should be 25-30 mpg car. Secondary vehicle your "Dream Truck". Its working for me! I put 12,000 a year on the primary, and 2,000 on the "Global Warmer" secondary vehicle.