People are predicting gas to go up to $7-$10 a gallon in the not so distant future. I am pretty sure our economy will collapse if it gets that high.

http://www2.nysun.com/article/75363

 

Europe has been paying nearly that much for a long, long time. They're doing just fine. The lack of mass transit is what is going to kill America.

When I visited France, we took a tour bus 40% of the time, and rode the trains/rails the rest of the time. And diesel was only 99 cents a litre at the time. (which is about what we're paying now.. minus the fact that our dollar to a euro is not a good conversion for us.)

 

That would put oil at somewhere around $280 a barrel. Sounds like a scare tactic around election time to me. One thing is for sure if it does get that high... count on the Dems to continue to block drilling in ANWAR and off our own coasts. If oil continues to go up it may be too little to late even if they allow more drilling. It would take years to catch up.

 

But in Europe they do not own gas guzling SUV's and trucks. Half of my family lives over in Itlay. I was talking to my cousin online a couple days after I bought my truck. She lives in Italy by the way. She was shocked at how big of a vehicle I owned and how much gas it uses. In Europe they drive little tiny cars to get around everywhere. And most families only have one small car. Over hear we have multiple cars in our families and at least one of them is a huge SUV/Truck.

 

Gas costs about the same there, except that their govt adds a bunch of taxes to it to fund other things like heathcare and education... things Americans have to pay on their own. So we would be paying much more than them at $7/gallon because that stuff wouldn't be inlcuded.

 

True, they do drive tiny cars. Even their semis are about the size of our F450s and stuff. Just goes to show how wasteful Americans are. I wouldn't sell my truck in a heartbeat though, because I actually use it.

Oh well...

 

More semis getting better milage but making more trips doesn't mean they are more effeciant. It just means their streets can't handle a 53 footer like they can in the US.

 

Now I know what fixed income means. I took my bicycle to the store yesterday to pick up a newspaper and noticed I haven't taken near as much care of my bike as I do my truck. But the exercise felt pretty good. I have a feeling it's going to be getting a few more miles on it in the future.

 

They drive small cars for multiple reasons... gas prices being only a small part of it. Many Europeans live in overcrowded towns and do little "traveling" for everyday things. Americans "travel" much more to work, for groceries, etc. The reason gas is so high there is due to taxes; the govt wants to encourage public transportation. At this time the US does not have the public transportation infrasctructure except for big cities. Europeans live closer to work; most americans drive much further. The safety of European econo boxes do not meet US standards, if they did we would have them here.

 

Europe pays that because you are right the Government tacks on the cost of Healthcare Etc! I can tell you one thing if gas ever goes to $7-10 Dollars a gallon here in the USA due to the proven colusion between Big Oil Co.'s & Politicians there will be a REVOLUTION in this country like you have never seen & it will not be pretty!...................

 

lol

 

Thanks F150Europe, I needed a laugh while I'm paying $4.

 

don't forget that most european countries are smaller than the USA, the people don't drive 50 miles one way to work, and they don't live hundreds of miles from their families either. they just don't have to drive as many miles as us for the basics. IMO
that said this year i decided to give up my paddle boats and get one with a motor. feel sorry for the local restaurants though, with these high gas prices I just can't afford to go out to eat. Now days I'm even growing my own vegetables and now raising chickens for eggs.

 

It was about average in its class too.

 

PERFECT!