I had put off filling up my car. I started out the non-war war with a full tank and who knew, maybe it would all be over before I ran out.
It isn't. I nearly did. I had too much fun this weekend to remember to get gas, and when I set out for work today, the tank was much lower than I like. The only name-brand station on my way downtown that I'm comfortable at is at 49th St., and it's rarely the cheapest.
But an $85.00 refill is painful. Gotta have it, and it's not like I can't cover the cost, but it's a bigger bite than I'm used to and indications are that the price of oil isn't done going up. Almost anything that happens in the Middle East right now, especially around Iran, is going to reduce the availability of oil. Some events will have longer lasting results, but over the next thirty days, you can count on the stuff costing more, even if there's a sudden outbreak of peace, goodwill and brotherhood: damaged refineries and seagoing traffic jams don't get sorted out overnight.
My present bet is that we're headed for a recession at best. Oh, our country and the planet keep lurching towards them, and dodging at the last minute by shoving one industry or sector into the mud for awhile as everything else goes roaring past; but sooner or later, someone's going to miss a step, and the damage will become widespread. Wars, declared or not, have a tendency to break the rhythm. That can be helpful if things are already really bad; but if they're on edge, not so much.
Me, I'm going to get my motorcycle tuned up, and shop for saddlebags so it can be more a commuter vehicle. Mechanic's fees are a one-time cost; gas just keeps on going up. The motor scooter will follow -- I love it, but 10" wheels and Indiana roads after a harsh winter aren't a great match. Unlike my car, the motorcycle and scooter will burn regular gas, too.
Update
1 year ago
6 comments:
I wonder if we'll start seeing "I Did That" stickers with Trump's picture on gas pumps in the future?
And yeah, there's going to be some big pickup driving MAGA types looking at weekly triple digits on the gas pump, and quietly asking themselves if they really got what they thought they were voting for.
Egads! $81? I freaked because, as did you, I had a full gas tank when the felon in our White House started playing with fire. Having a small car, I filled the vacant half of the tank + four gallons for the mower (it takes premium no ethanol, but I am letting it suffer this once with the same premium that went into the car) for "only" $51 - using my frequent customer points.
That reminds me- I also need to get some side boxes to supplement my motorcycle top box. Probably a surplus ammo can of some sort.
And my '03 diesel Jetta with a third of million miles is suddenly much more expensive to drive than any gashog short of a Hummer. Diesel is much worse than gas and going to get more so...with a bigger iceberg ahead of our Titanic.. Read Krugman for the road ahead:
https://paulkrugman.substack.com/p/the-oil-crisis-is-about-to-get-physical
https://paulkrugman.substack.com/p/4-gasoline-is-less-than-half-the
I heat with #2 fuel oil, identical to diesel. Started out the season paying $3.75, now it's $6....and next winter it may be $20. Hard times and consequences ahead for electing bloodthirsty morons. Would it be too much to expect Joe & Jill Average American to learn from this? Probably. In the Great Depression it took ten years of misery to get through to people.
I did that :) ... and they promptly disappeared. Homo sap purely hates being wrong and 'fessing up to it. OTOH, this will drive EV adoption like a gold rush.
Stewart, Diesel in Sacramento is about to hit $8 a gallon. I can still find Regular for $5.15.
As for Americans learning from this? We can hope, but it's not the run-of-the-mill citizens getting it I'm worried about. MAGA has invested everything into their guy; it's not hard to envision a second January 6th, except better organized.
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