Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Leeping Lizards, gas prices has risen 8 cents in a week!

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Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 02-28-2003, 02:47 PM:

I paid $198.9 for a gallon of premium unleaded gas about a week ago and today, the price is $2.06.9. Just about a Eight cents increase. The price for this same gas was only $1.85.9 only a few months ago and today, it's cost has increased twent one cents per gallon and the war with Iraq has not even started yet. I would not be surprised if the price is more than $3.00 by the time the war with Iraq is settled. I do know that Film Tech members outside of the USA pay much more than we do here in America but I am sure gas prices is also increasing at the very same level as the United States. Thank God, I am now using our public transportation system for many of my long trips to the city of Honolulu several times a week as I had mentioned on another thread. If I only drove and not catch a bus, I would need to top my 13 gallon tank at least once a week. Right now a full tank lasts me almost two weeks.

-Claude

Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 02-28-2003, 03:25 PM:

Around $2.05/gal for premium here in Eugene

Posted by Bill Gabel (Member # 1105) on 02-28-2003, 03:27 PM:

I have sent Premium Unleaded going for $2.13, here in Manhattan.
I use the subway to get anywhere here in town. Subway is $1.50
as of now, but may go up to $2.00. If MTA get the OK. I'm glad
I did have a car in this city. I would be paying $275-$350 a
month for parking my SUV. The parking garages around here
charge an extra fee, if you have a SUV/Truck/Expensive Sports
car. That extra fee can be [Eek!]

$50.00 to $100.00 over the regular monthly rate. I live in mid-town, two blocks away from work.

Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 02-28-2003, 04:05 PM:

Bill,

Here in Honolulu, a monthly bus pass cost $27.00 and is unlimited. Honolulu's national award winning transit system services the entire island of Oahu with very reliable service and if you like, it is possible to take around the island trips every day for the price of the pass. In a year and a half at age 65, I will be eligiable for a senior citizen pass for $30.00 and good for two years. I have estimated that if I drove into the city, the cost of gas and wear and tear of my car will be roughly close to $10.00 per trip. The only time I drive into the city is when I have a photographic assingment or have to transport large items. The usual gear I take with me in my backpack when I take a bus is reading materials including magazines and technical manuals, a Gameboy Advance with some puzzle games like Tetris, a Sony Sports MD and a CD player with discs, a Bose noise cancelling headset and snacks. I love the bus because it beats driving through hectic afternoon traffic.

-Claude

[ 03-01-2003, 02:02 PM: Message edited by: Claude S. Ayakawa ]

Posted by Bill Gabel (Member # 1105) on 02-28-2003, 04:19 PM:

Claude

We have a monthly pass also. I think it's like $32-36 a month,
it's good on the subway and the bus. There is a week pass for
$14.00 which is unlimited use, and a day pass for $4.00 which
is good for unlimited use till 2am. I don't know the rates on
the Path trains to Jersey. They can't be that much higher
than NYC.

Bill

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 02-28-2003, 05:10 PM:

I've just done a quick sum at today's exchange rate: $5.97 for an imperial gallon of unleaded at my petrol station. It's gone up about 6-7p (11-13 cents) in the last month or so, I'd guess.

Public transport, however, is a lot worse. A return from York to Newcastle (round trip of 164 miles) works out as follows: my car, 18p per mile; standard class train, 31p per mile; first class train 52p per mile. There are cheaper trains available if you either book in advance and/or don't travel at peak commuter time, but this differential, IMHO, is a key reason why hardly anyone (who is paying for it themselves) goes anywhere near public transport for long-distance travel. Also, bear in mind that those comparisons are only really valid in the case of one person travelling alone. If a group or family is travelling, the cost of going by car stays the same, whilst the cost of going by public transport doubles, triples or quadruples.

That is something the politicians need to do something about if they're going to convince people to leave their cars at home. Personally I'd like to see the fuel taxes spent on R & D on cars that use renewable energy sources rather than being poured down the drain of a fundamentally obsolete form of transport technology such as the railways.

Posted by Daryl C. W. O'Shea (Member # 1303) on 02-28-2003, 09:22 PM:

I haven't paid less than $2.24.6 USD / gallon for premium gas in over three years. Currently it's about $2.34.9.

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 02-28-2003, 10:00 PM:

$5.97 per gallon? Ouch! [Roll Eyes]

Remind me never to drive anywhere in the UK (they drive on the wrong side of the road there, anyway). [Smile]

How much of that $5.97 is the actual cost of the product, as opposed to taxes on the purchase of the product? Part of the difficulty in comparing gas prices in the US is that the taxes vary widely from state to state.

Posted by Kenny Thies (Member # 1551) on 03-01-2003, 12:15 AM:

Claude -

Visited Oahu this past summer. Very beautiful and exciting place to *visit*. I like the open flat fields of Illinois myself. Driving for more than an hour for me is a pleasure.

I remember being there and being stuck in traffic jams on the interstates (I couldn't figure out why Oahu had 3 "interstates" or so they called them) at 10 in the morning or 2 in the afternoon for no apparent reason. Do you know the legend of the "haunted" H-2 interstate?

After awhile, I got the hang of how the roads were laid out, and after 10 days driving around, could find many places myself. I stayed on one of the army bases by Pearl City (it was in a crater). Very nice vacation and saw alot of memorable sites. Would love to go back.

Posted by Sam Hunter (Member # 1119) on 03-01-2003, 12:26 AM:

I have always wanted to visit Hawaii.
I would love to tour the island and see the lava flows and stuff. Maybe even get a ticket by Five-O [Smile]

I might even meet up with Claude and get him to teach me to surf. Cowabunga dude!
As far as gas prices ours dropped from a high of $1.59 to $1.54 for regular unleaded today.

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 03-01-2003, 04:29 AM:

Scott: about 80% of what we pay for petrol goes straight to the government. Of that 80%, about three quarters is specifically the fuel duty, with the other quarter being value added tax (VAT), a 17.5% purchase tax which is levied on all goods and services except food, books and a few other things.

I would guess that the actual cost of the petrol - i.e. what the oil company gets - is roughly the same in the UK and the US.

Posted by Pete Wolla (Member # 1581) on 03-01-2003, 08:04 AM:

an imperial gallon is 5 quarts.
the US oil industry is reaping the benifits of war now.without investing in new production.they are keeping existing production up.they remember after the last gulf war prices dropped to depression prices and they had to pay off new investments at dramatically depressed prices.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 03-01-2003, 12:33 PM:

Geez, I was a little peeved that gas had gone from $1.499 to $1.699 in the past 2 weeks, now after reading this thread I'm feeling kind of lucky to live here!

Posted by Gracia L. Babbidge (Member # 582) on 03-01-2003, 01:50 PM:

Blah ... and I thought that I was getting hosed paying $1.599 / gallon! [Razz]

Of course, having a lengthy commute to work - most of which is highway driving - I'm spending about $40 / week between fuel and tolls, just to transport myself! [Eek!]

Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 03-01-2003, 02:26 PM:

Kenny,

I was very pleased to hear about your trip to Hawaii and how much you had enjoyed yourself. Yes, once you get acclimated to the roads and highways of Oahu, getting around the island is not that difficult. As to the H-2 being haunted, I have not heard anything about that but I did hear about some supernatural happenings on the H-3 between central Oahu and the windward side of the island. There are two types of reports. One having to do with ancient Hawaiian apparitions haunting various parts of the freeway protesting the construction of the highway over sacred Hawaiian temples and ancient burial sites. Another was reports of the spirits of a few construction workers who were killed digging the tunnel in the Koolau mountain that seperates the leeward side from the winward side of Oahu. The military base you mentioned where you stayed sounds like Camp Smith up on Aiea Heights.

Sam.

I would love to teach you how to surf if I know how. Sorry.

Do you know I have not gone swimming in the ocean in years. The last time I remember going into the water to swim must have been when I was still in my teens. I would however be delighted to show you the island whenever you visit Hawaii.

-Claude

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 03-01-2003, 02:28 PM:

It's $1.59 here in Dallas. [Big Grin]

Posted by Aaron Mehocic (Member # 15) on 03-01-2003, 03:11 PM:

Still $1.59 here in western Pennsylvania, however, we have a new state law that if you get caught stealing gas, you'll lose your license to drive. Anybody from PA or if you are just passing through notice the cool stickers with the big burly cop giving you the stare?

Posted by Daryl C. W. O'Shea (Member # 1303) on 03-01-2003, 03:14 PM:

So it's illegal to steal fuel.
And it's illegal to drive without a license.

Is it just me or is there a problem with the logic behind this law.

Posted by Aaron Mehocic (Member # 15) on 03-01-2003, 03:20 PM:

It's the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania my friends. Need I say more?

Posted by Jacob Huber (Member # 1138) on 03-01-2003, 03:37 PM:

87=$1.59
89=$1.69
93=$1.79

It's great to live in the MidWest, well, except for that whole living in the MidWest thing.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 03-01-2003, 03:46 PM:

Well, last week it was 2.299 a gallon in Colfax, CA. So Claude, for now at least you have it easy! In Utah its about 1.659 a gallon.
Mark

Posted by Stephen Furley (Member # 1277) on 03-01-2003, 04:43 PM:

Leo wrote:

quote:

I've just done a quick sum at today's exchange rate: $5.97 for an imperial gallon of unleaded at my petrol station. It's gone up about 6-7p (11-13 cents) in the last month or so, I'd guess.

Leo, remember that a US gallon is smaller than an imperial one. An imperial gallon is about 4.5 litres, and, if I remember correctly, a US one is about 3.8, so $5.97*3.8/4.5 = $5.04, so our prices aren't as high as they may seem, but still substantially higher than those in the US.

Gracia wrote:

quote:

Of course, having a lengthy commute to work - most of which is highway driving - I'm spending about $40 / week between fuel and tolls, just to transport myself!

Gracia, very few roads here carry tolls, the main ones being a handful of bridges, the actual use of the vast majority of roads is free.

We have another tax, 'vehicle excise duty', which is charged on each vehicle. The amount varies for different types of vehicle, I've no idea how much it is for a private car now, it's twenty years since I drove one. I don't know if you have anything similar over there, and, if so, how much you pay.

Starting two weeks ago, most vehicles, except buses, entering a small area in the centre of London, between the hours of 7:00 and 18:30, Mondays to Fridays, have to pay a 'congestion charge of £5 per day.

All this makes it more complicated to compare the cost of transport in the two countries.

Buses in London are cheap, 70p, about a dollar, except for journeys into the central area, which are £1. A one day bus pass costs £2. Buses on most other parts of the country are more expensive, some much more.

The London Underground is zonal, and expensive, I can't remember the price of single tickets, because I seldom buy them. A one day 'Travelcard' costs £5.10 off peak, and about twice this if it includes the morning peak hours. This can be used on buses, trams, Underground and most trains in the London area.

I think I paid $4 for a one day Metrocard in New York, which seems very good value, as does the single ride subway fare, even it it goes up to $2. Of course, it's not so good if you just want to go a few stops, but then walking may be a better option for many people. It's a pity that the Metrocard doesn't include PATH, it's a bit inconvenient having to use two separate tickent if you use both systems. Maybe they could introduce a combibed ticket at a slightly higher price.

Posted by Bob Maar (Member # 763) on 03-01-2003, 07:19 PM:

On my trip back to New York from Newport,Rhode Island where I filled up yesterday for $1.83 for 93 High Test and refilled when I got into New York's East side 62nd and York I filled up for $2.14 for 93 High Test.

Yes, I feel like Superman...up, up and away .

Posted by Chris Markiewicz (Member # 1415) on 03-01-2003, 07:42 PM:

$2.37.9 for premium unleaded here in Kamuela; Shell, Chevron or Aloha Petroleum. $2.38.9 at Chevron in Kona, 40 miles away, $2.06.9 at Costco in Kona where I filled up today (I had to go there anyway). Costco's fuel here is from Aloha Petroleum. [Roll Eyes]

Posted by Dave Macaulay (Member # 813) on 03-01-2003, 07:54 PM:

quote:
an imperial gallon is 5 quarts.

????

One Imperial gallon = 4 Imperial quarts
One Imperial quart = 40 Imperial ounces
One Imperial ounce = 28.413 ml

One US gallon = 4 US quarts
One US Quart = 32 US ounces
One US ounce = 29.574 ml

1 Imperial gallon = 1 1/5 US gallon (pretty close anyway) so there is no way that 5 quarts makes a gallon any way you add it up.

Explaining how this gallon/quart/ounce discrepancy got so messed up is someone else's job. The civilized world has gone metric so the confusion is immaterial but if the USA persists in hanging on to the past, they should at least teach their people the facts about it. {/rant}

Toronto gas is sitting around CAD $0.77/l, about USD $1.95/ US Gal.

Posted by Kenny Thies (Member # 1551) on 03-02-2003, 12:32 AM:

I checked today... Regular unleaded is $1.57

Claude -

Sorry about my mistake, I meant H-3 on the "haunted" highway. I was told the story as we went thru the tunnel you mentioned.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 03-02-2003, 01:58 AM:

I looked at gas prices in Dallas tonight as I drove home and $1.51 seems to be about par here. Last I remember it was $1.59

Posted by Charles Everett (Member # 889) on 03-02-2003, 11:50 AM:

How much you pay also depends on whether there's competition, whether the station is independent or company-owned, and how far the station is from a refinery/depot.

Yesterday I had to fill up my '90 Taurus at a Mobil station in New Hope PA. Their prices per gallon are 176.9 regular, 185.9 special and 197.9 premium, all self-serve. The closest competition is across the river in Lambertville NJ. Those prices in New Hope are at least 10-15 cents per gallon higher!

Out of curiosity I drove past the Mobil nearest my home. Their prices per gallon are 157.9 regular, 171.9 special and 181.9 premium, all full-serve (New Jersey does not have self-serve).

Posted by William Hooper (Member # 71) on 03-03-2003, 03:33 AM:

I wish I'd bought one of those propane powered Morgan +8 's back in the late 70's/early 80s.

(still driving my '72 GT6 & laughing at the SUV people being bankrupted at the pump)

Posted by Gerard S. Cohen (Member # 994) on 03-04-2003, 11:54 AM:

I guess I've got the greatest bargain: A Senior Metrocard
(with my photo ID on it) that enables me to ride the subway and buses for $0.75, with free transfers within two hours. And if I put $15.00 on the card at once, I get a free trip besides. This bargain is available to persons over 62 years of age, and to the handicapped without age limit, for all five counties of New York City.

As for gasoline. I've always driven VW Beetles since the early 1960's, and even my New Beetle is easy on gas. But why do most posts mention Premium (Hi-Test) gas? Do you'all drive luxury cars that require it for high compression engines? I never had a car that required more than "regular."

Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 03-04-2003, 12:04 PM:

My Pathfinder requires premium. New Volkswagens with the 4-cylinder turbocharged engine are "Premium recommended".

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 03-04-2003, 12:30 PM:

The car that I traded in last week (a 1990 Volvo 740 with turbocharged engine) was supposed to take premium fuel according to the manual, although I never noticed a difference in performance when I used regular grade unleaded about half the time.

My new(er) car is a 1996 Volvo 850 which is not turbocharged. It runs just fine with regular-grade unleaded, which is what the manual recommends.

Posted by Chris Markiewicz (Member # 1415) on 03-04-2003, 04:24 PM:

My Mazda (Ford) pickup will run on regular but knocks under load. Premium cures it. BTW we're up to $239.9 as of this morning...

Posted by Daryl C. W. O'Shea (Member # 1303) on 03-04-2003, 04:54 PM:

My Thuderbird SC, supercharged, usually won't even start if I put anything less than 91 octane in it. Maybe it's had too much 100 octane aviation fuel... who knows. [Smile]

Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 03-04-2003, 05:22 PM:

Eh, Chris, Aloha brah! [Smile]

Not only is gas prices rising fast in Hawaii, did you read in this morning's Honolulu Advertiser about Hawaiian and Aloha Airlines plans to charge two hundred dollars for a round trip interisland trip? Ouch! [Frown]

-Claude

Posted by Daryl C. W. O'Shea (Member # 1303) on 03-04-2003, 05:24 PM:

How far is the average interisland trip? And how much do they charge now?

Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 03-04-2003, 05:51 PM:

Hi Darryl,

The last inter island trip I took last November was paid for my my host so I do not know what they paid but I believe the price is now about $75. 00 to $85.00 one way. The distance to the farthest point is between Oahu and the big island of Hawaii to the south where Chris is at. The island to the north is Kauai and is slightly under a hundred miles based on my estimation. It is hard to believe that you can drive the total distance on a full tank of gas with most well serviced fuel effecient cars outside of Hawaii on the mainland, Europe, Australia and other large land mass but long distance travel here is only limited to flying.

-Claude

Posted by Chris Markiewicz (Member # 1415) on 03-04-2003, 08:02 PM:

Honolulu to Kahului Maui is about 100 miles, and about another 100 to either Kona or Hilo on the island of Hawaii. Apart from Hawaiian and Aloha "airlines" there is no interisland transportation unless you have your own boat. All vehicles and oversized freight go by barge twice a week. The barge company Young Bros. and the towing company Hawaiian Tug & Barge are both owned by the local electric monopoly Hawaiian Electric. All of our fuel comes from two refineries on Oahu. I know people with gas station franchises who are going out of business because they can't afford to operate on the margins they are allowed by the distributors. They are not keeping any of the price increases.
Hi Claude! How's Alan doing? I haven't talked to him for a while.

Posted by Daryl C. W. O'Shea (Member # 1303) on 03-04-2003, 09:22 PM:

quote:
long distance travel here is only limited to flying

That's OK with me! [Smile]

We've sold quite a few small airplanes to a company in Maui for courier use.

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 03-06-2003, 07:21 AM:

Stephen writes:

quote:
We have another tax, 'vehicle excise duty', which is charged on each vehicle. The amount varies for different types of vehicle, I've no idea how much it is for a private car now, it's twenty years since I drove one. I don't know if you have anything similar over there, and, if so, how much you pay.

It's currently £160. Compared to the £4k which the average car owner spends on all motoring costs per annum (including insurance, maintenance and depreciation), this is insignificant. One recent government proposal was to scrap the road tax disc and replace it with an electronically collected charge per mile (levied, I would guess, using similar technology to Red Ken's congestion charge).

This would be politically quite clever, because the government could say that they were scrapping a tax. But unless the replacement charge per mile was miniscule (i.e. one 10,000th of £160 or less), we'd end up paying more. In effect it would be a tax increase disguised through clever propaganda, which is this government's hallmark.

I suppose there's always the train, but mine from York to Newcastle this morning was 75 minutes late, 'due to technical problems at Leeds'. That's the fourth time this month I have suffered a one-hour plus delay.

Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 03-06-2003, 11:20 AM:

Hi Chris,

I have not seen Alan Sakaida since a few weeks before they closed the Waikiki Twins and the #3 during a showing of "SIGNS" in house #2. We sent each other emails a couples of times after that, however. How have you been and how is the movie business on the big island?

-Claude

Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 03-11-2003, 10:26 PM:

There was a national news article about the escalating gas prices in the country in this morning's Honolulu Advertiser with a picture of a gas station in the San Francisco bay area charging about $2.65 for a gallon premium unleaded gas. Hawaii used to have the highest prices for gas in the country but I guess California has now taken the lead. I dont know how high the prices will be once the possible war with Iraq is settled but I am almost positive, it will be much higher than what it is now.

-Claude

Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 03-11-2003, 11:45 PM:

Well, Claude...It has stabilized a little now. But it is still higher than hell. Now you know why I came home via the Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington State route to avoid the high prices during my return trip from ShoWest.

California gasoline prices are "otta their ass!!!!"

Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 03-11-2003, 11:57 PM:

I personally would love to see the gas prices go way up....like to $4 or $5+ a gallon. It would get some of the un-necessary traffic off the road! My SUV gets 28MPG (city, and more on the freeways)and I personally support the law of demand. NOTE: I DO NOT support price-gouging and/or corporate horse-shit!

>>> Phil

Posted by Michael Schaffer (Member # 1204) on 03-12-2003, 01:22 PM:

I met Alan Sakaida at ShoWest. We were introduced by John Allen and went to eat to a buffet restaurant. Where I ate about 20 kg of lobster.
Alan was impressed with my incredible knowledge of music and disgusted by how much I ate. [Wink]

I just put a smiley here for those who can never figure out when I am joking.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 03-12-2003, 02:34 PM:

I finally got to meet Alan Sakaida at ShoWest this year, but the timing wasn't too good and I didn't get much of a chance to chat. He is doing well though. We did not eat any seafood.

Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 03-12-2003, 05:29 PM:

Brad,

I was very pleased you had the opportunity to meet my friend, Alan Sakaida of Consolidated/Pacific at Showest. During the brief moments you spent with him, did he mention what was going to happen to the Waikiki Twins and the Waikiki #3 buildings? I have to assume they will all be demolished to make way for more shops that sells the same merchandise to the tourists. If anything, how I wish the Waikiki #3 can be saved because of the very historic nature of the building with the many Hawaii world premieres it has hosted not to mention a few studio previews. Before the new mall theatres opened, the Waikiki #3 was favored over the twins by all of the major studios for their very big pictures. I recall many time before the theatre was set up for SRD and DTS, it would play some big pictures in analogue when it could have gone to the #2 and play in SRD.

-Claude

Posted by Bruce McGee (Member # 131) on 03-12-2003, 06:02 PM:

Gas is $1.62 for 87 octane around western North Carolina. I've started driving my little 1986 Pontiac Grand AM with the 2.5 litre 4 cylinder with fuel injection to work every day instead of now and then. This little car gets over 32 mpg!

You guys with premium running engines currently running regular are asking for trouble. Some of these can run on mid-grade now and then, but even then you should run premium most of the time.

My folks just spent $1300 repairing their car because of my mother running regular gas. She not only fouled the spark plugs, which messed up the oxygen sensor, and made the emission control system die, but then her mechanic had to pull the cylinder heads to scrape off the carbon that had built-up on the pistons, and the valves and guides.... Expensive lesson.

I'm lucky that all of my vehicles run on regular, and also glad that they are all paid for...

My best friend is a long-distance truck driver. These gas prices are killing his business.

Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 03-12-2003, 06:08 PM:

I see a report today that crude is down to $36.72 per barrel. Wholesale prices of gasoline and diesel fuel also fell, but retail prices still continue to climb.

Several months ago, I think mentioned somewhere on the forum that I thought the oil companies wanted to get 2 bucks a gallon retail by the end of the year. They are going to do just that, and there is no way to stop those greedy bastards. I just heard that regular is running between $2.10 to $2.23 per gallon in Southern California.

You figure....
[Mad]

To top that off, natural gas has skyrocketed to the point where in some locations, the heating bills have climbed to 107% higher for the month of February as compared to last year. This was in Long Island, NY.

The situation seems to be getting worse.

Posted by Bruce McGee (Member # 131) on 03-13-2003, 08:02 AM:

Right, Paul!

My gas bill has risen 75% higher than it was this time last year.

"Clean, Inexpensive Natural Gas..."

Bull.

I think the oil companies suck, too.

Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 03-13-2003, 01:33 PM:

Gas prices is creeping up here in Hawaii. The price I have to pay now at my favorite Union station has gone up another nickle for a gallon since I last reported what I pay on February 28th when I started this thread. I just cannot understand why prices are going up for no reason. The war has not started, the supply of crude oil in the Hawaii market has not gone down but is exatly the same as it was on 2/28 and there was no increase in energy tax both on the federal and state level. The only reason I can see why gas prices is going up is likely due to the the oil companies taking advantage of people by extorting more money from us. [Frown]

-Claude

Posted by Mike Olpin (Member # 1115) on 03-16-2003, 01:05 AM:

Posted by Michael Schaffer (Member # 1204) on 03-16-2003, 06:57 AM:

"Casa de Oro" means Golden House. Things are supposed to be expensive there.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 03-16-2003, 10:39 AM:

Claude,
You might consider a move to Utah where its still 1.659 a gallon for no-lead. You could also photograph some of the beautiful girls around here.....Lots and lots of blonds!
Mark

Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 03-16-2003, 02:31 PM:

Well, if it's broken $2 and nobody's burned the places to the ground, then it'll be a free-for-all from this point forward. For years, the $2 mark seemed to be a ceiling, a no man's land, with prices just kissing that limit on and off.

Now that it's broken, we can all watch it skyrocket rapidly.

Diesel in the rural areas here is $2, btw.

Posted by Chris Markiewicz (Member # 1415) on 03-16-2003, 03:54 PM:

Premium unleaded 92 octane is now $243.9 here. Diesel is $228.9 at the one station that has it. The next closest places for diesel are 12 miles west and 16 miles east of here.

Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 03-16-2003, 04:09 PM:

[Big Grin]

What a very tempting reason to move to Utah, Mark.

In my opinion, two of the most beautiful national parks beside Yosemote in California and our Hawaii and Halealala parks is Bryce Canyon and Zion National Parks in your state. They are also in close proximity to another favorite, the Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona and parts of Colorado. Having a lot of beautiful women and cheap gas is a fantastic fringe benefit for moving. Because of strong family ties and other responsibilities, I will have to spend the rest of my life in the islands but there is no reason for not visiting your state. I have visited 38 states during my many years of traveling and would sure like to make Utah the 39th. You and I discussed going out on photo field trips whenever I visit Utah at the Movie Sound Page forum and I hope the invitation is still valid. I think the combination of your natural beauty as a background with your beautiful women will be awesome! [Smile]

By the way, I hope it is very obvious from the pictures I took last week at the phorographer's shoot out at the Kualoa Ranch in Windward Oahu that Joe Redifer was kind to post for me that I enjoy photographing blonds like the two images I made of Erica.

-Claude

Posted by Charles Everett (Member # 889) on 03-16-2003, 04:38 PM:

On my way to see Talk to Her yesterday I had to fill up at a BP (ex-Amoco) station in Edison NJ. Prices were 157.9 regular, 165.9 silver (mid) and 175.9 gold (super).

Posted by Mike Olpin (Member # 1115) on 03-16-2003, 06:06 PM:

Zion National Park has a nice IMAX screen.

Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 03-16-2003, 06:12 PM:

My God! Hawaii always had the highest prices for gas in the country. A distinction we were not proud of but California now has us beat by at least 35 cents. As I had predicted earlier, I would not be too surprised if it goes up to $3.00 a gallon or more when the impending war in Iraq is over. Because of the current high prices for gas, I am very happy that Honolulu has an excellent national award winning public transportation system I can use as an alternate transportation source when it is not necessary to drive.

-Claude

Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 03-16-2003, 06:44 PM:

Claude, you can consider yourself one of the lucky ones because of your area. If you used a tank of gas over a three-week period going to and from work and shopping, it would not surprise me.

On the mainland, even if I cut unnecessary trips, I go through one tank of gas in about 4 days minimum doing the same. That gets expensive.

Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 03-18-2003, 05:01 PM:

Almost two weeks ago, a full tank of gas cost me less than $25.00. I paid $27.50 today. [Frown]

-Claude

Posted by Per Hauberg (Member # 529) on 03-18-2003, 07:18 PM:

One US Gallon = 3,8 liter in danish messure.
1 liter unleaded octane 95 today is 7,50 danish kroner = a bit over one dollar.
Which again means, that Claudes 13 gallon tank = 50 liter is 375 danish kroner = about 50 $.
The danish tax dept. is everywhere. My 8 year old Volvo (945 classic) could be sold today for not less than 150.000 kr = about 20.000 $, and the tickets for my little flea cirkus goes for 50 kr = 7 $ for normal films.
One understands, why the Hasselblad gear had to be chanced for digital. Otherwise the bus fare might also be tough. By the way - if it means anything at all, coming from here - those photos are really great, Claude. -Thanks for sharing !

p.

Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 03-18-2003, 07:22 PM:

You are welcome, Per! [Smile]

-Claude