Okay. Here we go again. Logically you would think that if BP shut down an oil pipeline they would be the ones whose business would suffer; right? Yeah right. Let's see, they (the oil companies) are making record profits and have been for about two years now but they still have issues with maintenance. I'm calling BS on this one. So why then, with this announcement did the price of oil go up? If I was the other Oil Companies I'd lower my prices to screw over BP....but no....gas prices are going to go up again. Who'd a thunk eh? The latest excuse for raising prices. I'm surprised we haven't heard "Seagull farts on oil rig so we have to shut it down to disinfect it...." How long will the Government stand by and watch our economy go down the tubes???? This isn't just affecting you and I at the gas pump. The idot car companies (and they brought this on themselves) like GM are having to declare bankruptcy because they have depended solely on SUV sales to keep them afloat. Now that the public has had it with paying 100's of dollars to gas up those gas guzzling behemoths (and they brought this expense on themselves.....50K for a vehicle that seats 12 and gets 12 mpg...are you stupid??????) and are trading them in for fuel efficient vehicles these car companies are having to scramble to come up with replacements before all of their business goes to the Japanese. Toyota with 9 models that get 30 mpg or more, Honda and Nissan. The American car companies have always been a bit slow when it comes to what the average American wants. Travel is hurting because airlines are having to raise fares to cover rising fuel costs. To fly from SF to LA used to be cheap....now it costs and arm and a leg. Southwest who used to be the cheapest airline, is now one of the most expensive one's around. Having traveled a lot last year I can tell you this first hand. Amusement parks are suffering because no one can afford to drive to them and pay their high admission prices (usually 50 or more....). It's like 50 bucks to fill the armored personnel carrier and then 50x4 to get the Fam and kids into the park. Plus who knows how much for food etc....folks just can't afford it. Sales are hurting at retail establishments as well. Folks aren't visiting and shopping as often due to the fact that their spending power is being cut by having to buy gas for the bloody car!!!! In the past two years it has gone from 15 to fill up my tank to 25. That's nuts!!!! Thank God my car gets great mileage and I only have to fill up once every other week. The Oil Companies are just being private corporations, selling something at a price that the market can bear to maximize profit. Unfortunately they are worse than tobacco companies in the fact that we, as a nation, are addicted to their product. Realistically, if we had mass transit that worked in this Country people would take it. We don't, so we have to drive. Sure I can take the new commuter train that will carry me to Nashville. But it only stops downtown which means I'd have to find some other mode of transportation to get me from downtown to the East side of the City. Bus, taxi......and I'd have to start commuting about 4 AM. Or, I can leave my house at 7 in my car and get to work in a half an hour. Hmmmmmmm.......what to do. Exactly my point. We need to do something now, but I don't know what. Perhaps if we all bought fuel efficient vehicles........not likely. There are those out there who buy SUV's because they argue they are safer. "I feel safer in my armored personnel carrier." They feel safer because they don't want to get squished in their sub compacts by....get this you will love this one.....someone driving an SUV. Yep...believe it or not there are people out there who believe in the old addage "He sends one of mine to the hospital, I'll send one of his to the morgue." It's the road rage cold war!!!! I've got to protect myself from the big bad SUV's by getting a bigger, badder SUV. Oh yeah, and minivans....just aren't cool apparently. I got news for you folks. If you need a vehicle to cart yours and others kids around....get a mini-van. Much safer than a SUV and some of them get better mileage too. Oh yeah, and a hint, you are a married Mom/Dad with kids so guess what?? YOU AREN'T COOL NO MATTER WHAT YOU DRIVE!!!!!!!!! Not even Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are cool anymore. They are married with children. Cool means reckless, no responsibility (ie drive a sports car like it should be driven and have a crapload of speeding tickets), go wherever you want do whatever you want. It doesn't mean dropping junior and his pals off at Football practice. Be realistic here folks. Get the family car and not the former military vehicle. Oh and by the way, Station Wagons are cool. Hell if you are going to pay 40K plus for a vehicle, get a Volvo Station wagon. They are safe, fuel effcient, and reliable as Hell.
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