An Idea: Voluntary Gasoline Rationing

Diana Hignutt · Sep 1, 2005

It has now become apparent that our government has no interest in slowing the ever-increasing price of gasoline. After, 9/11, you may recall that the president warned the oil industry NOT to price gouge, or they would face prosecution. Now, he has nothing to say. I've heard several "explanations" regarding the sharp increase in fuel prices/oil prices...mostly increased demand. Yet, in my mind, it seems unlikely that demand has doubled in the last four months--which would be the only way to account for the near doubling of the price. One is left with the impression that the government has no interest in slowing the tide of fuel price increases which will lead to double digit inflatation and the potentially worst economic crisis in American history. Why are gas stations allowed to raise the price of gas ALREADY IN THEIR TANKS?

If the governemnt will not do its job, then in becomes encumbent upon the people to do so. Back in the 70's when we had our last oil crisis, the government instituted oil rationing procedures which held the price of gasoline down. I suggest that the American people take it upon themselves to ration gas. IN the 70's you could only buy gas on odd or even days depending on your license plate number. If we voluntarily only buy gas on even days if the first number on our plates is even, or on odd days if the first number on our plates is odd, it would effectively cut demand and force prices down. Such is my modest proposal.

Diana Hignutt

aspier · Sep 1, 2005

mm

Diana Hignutt said:
It has now become apparent that our government has no interest in slowing the ever-increasing price of gasoline. After, 9/11, you may recall that the president warned the oil industry NOT to price gouge, or they would face prosecution. Now, he has nothing to say. I've heard several "explanations" regarding the sharp increase in fuel prices/oil prices...mostly increased demand. Yet, in my mind, it seems unlikely that demand has doubled in the last four months--which would be the only way to account for the near doubling of the price. One is left with the impression that the government has no interest in slowing the tide of fuel price increases which will lead to double digit inflatation and the potentially worst economic crisis in American history. Why are gas stations allowed to raise the price of gas ALREADY IN THEIR TANKS?

If the governemnt will not do its job, then in becomes encumbent upon the people to do so. Back in the 70's when we had our last oil crisis, the government instituted oil rationing procedures which held the price of gasoline down. I suggest that the American people take it upon themselves to ration gas. IN the 70's you could only buy gas on odd or even days depending on your license plate number. If we voluntarily only buy gas on even days if the first number on our plates is even, or on odd days if the first number on our plates is odd, it would effectively cut demand and force prices down. Such is my modest proposal.

Diana Hignutt

No better Diana! Let's all drive less voluntary ... you can still take your car to go for siggarets around the corner (risking a parking fine) etc. I mean but rather take one day (later a day a week or such) and say huh-uh today's MY day and today I am going to play walking. I did it and was so surprise that I actually can still walk! I mean literary walk with my legs and feet! It was strange after all these years but yoepy I shouted: I can walk! And it didn't hurt ... you know. Boy, what is life full of wonderful surprises. (Psst I also noticed that all advertising billboards are on car hight ... you don't notice them when you walk!)

But this 'worry' re petrol ... soon Iran's going to have nuclear stuff to stuff in cars. We could be in on it! Espescially now that we are so successfull in their neigbouring region (Irak) with our goodwill democrasy policies. They just love Western countries in the Arab World! Boy, with all the friends we got there is gonna be a bright bright sunshing day full of easy cruising allover for us. Oh I wouldn't worry too much about rising costs. We stick close to Iran and they'll help us out ... soon!

A Positive lif-attitude wink!

Christine N. · Sep 1, 2005

Since the weather is clearing up, I'm getting out my bike. Which I haven't ridden in four years (three years since the baby got here, one while I was pregnant) I'm gonna put my fat old butt on that seat and go to the store for milk and bread. I need a basket though.

I already ration my gas - I just don't drive anywhere unless I absolutely HAVE to. Tomorrow, I have to go to the doctor, so I'm taking Ry to the park that's near the doctor's office instead of one that's miles further.

It's all about organization.

And if that doesn't work... I'm buying a horse. Gotta be cheaper, and think of all that good manure.. my grass will be the greenest on the block!

MadScientistMatt · Sep 1, 2005

Well, here in Georgia our governor had to declare yesterday that they would prosecute price gouging, as we had a panic over Huricane Katrina and rumors that there wouldn't be any more shipments of gasoline to the state for a while. Things really got crazy with people scrambling for gas - at least one station decided to take advantage of the gas panic and charge $6 a gallon. But this was a temporary, rumor-fueled spike, not the way things rose before the hurricane.

Unfortunately, the price of oil has climbed worldwide in a very short time. It's worldwide, not a US-only problem.

I like the idea of voluntary gas rationing, but I don't think an odd-even day scheme is the best way to do it. Didn't work too well in the '70s, either. If you have rules that you can't buy gas on certain days, you'll just fill up a day early. Instead, see what sort of gas use reduction plan fits into your life. It may be that you might make a rule that you will only buy a certain number of gallons per week, and once you've done that you won't buy any more fuel. Or you might make a list of everywhere you plan to visit in the week and come up with a way to do this while driving the least number of miles. Or buy a scooter or small motorcycle for some trips. My own gas conservation plan this year was that I traded in my SUV for a Ford Focus.

Just, whatever you do, see if you can find a way to use less gasoline.

maestrowork · Sep 1, 2005

Don't forget to car pool!

Paint · Sep 1, 2005

Gouging is common. It is rampant here in a tourist town. Accepted even, although I hate it and don't do it personally as a business person. Rationing was successful in Denver for water. Why wouldn't it work on some level for gas? At least the powers that be could see that consumers won't tolerate the urestricted rising prices.

Do you think you are gouged? Look at your credit card rates. Now that's a blight on America. I better quit or I'll have to use the soapbox smilie.

Carole · Sep 1, 2005

I wish I lived in an area where I could walk to run errands. I can't, at least not with the ability to also carry back what I bought - groceries, etc.- because it's more than a few miles to the nearest grocery. (plus, I live on a mountain) Unfortunately, that stupid old SUV out in the driveway is necessary. We wouldn't be able to haul the stuff we haul with anything else. Hubby's work equipment and all that. It just makes me sick. It also makes me wish I could transport back to pioneer days and live off the land with a horse & cart. Yep. I'm a hippie - sorta. I'm sure I could find something to complain about if I was living off the land, though.

robeiae · Sep 1, 2005

Just to be clear, the rationing of gas in the '70's was a bad move, IMO. It didn't do anything positive. If you remember, there were always looooong lines for gas. This is because the gas stations merely opened and dispensed gas to maintain their current profit levels. The tactic provided no incentives for gas companies to find a way to lower prices. Moreover, no new gas stations were built; what was the point? Thus, demand increased as the popultion grew and more people could drive, but the supply was frozen.

The solution is simple: don't buy what you can't afford. Cut up your gas cards NOW. The last thing you want is to be paying interest on top of these prices. This will lead to a decrease in profits for all parties involved in selling gas, including banks and the government. Prices will eventually normalize.

Rob

P.S. Of course, I know that most people will simply continue using the same amount of gas, even when they can't afford to, so it is unlikely prices will come down any time soon.

maestrowork · Sep 1, 2005

I'm glad I filled up when the gas was $2.56, and I still have about 350 miles to go before having to fill up again. I'm not driving anywhere unless I have to.

tjwriter · Sep 1, 2005

I ration gas as best I can now. I don't go anywhere unless I have to. This is going to kill our household. For the last 6 months, at the least, we have stopped going out to eat or doing almost any unnecessary running and we strapped as it is. My husband and I work together, so we ride together, which saves us money. I have cut almost anything luxury from our budget and we are still tight. I have no idea where we are going to get the extra money to support a rising gas bill.

Edited to add: There is almost no public transportation in the city I work in and we don't have any kind in the town we live in. We have to do all our own driving.

MadScientistMatt · Sep 1, 2005

Water rationing can work with odd-even days for lawn watering and the like, but only because that has a few advantages that gas rationing doesn't have. For example:

It prevents people from watering their lawns every day, something a lawn fanatic might try in hot, dry weather. Few people fill their gas tanks on a daily basis.

Unless you have a complicated automatic sprinkler system with timers and all, you have to be at home for a significant part of your lawn-watering to move the sprinklers around and turn things on and off. So if your watering day is inconvenient for you, you might just skip it.

So, the odd-and-even strategy can force less water use in some cases. On the other hand, it seems like the '70s era attempt to ration gas like that was more an effort at government trying to do something, anything, to give the impression that they were doing something about gas prices, instead of a well thought out move.

Carole · Sep 1, 2005

The prices at the closest Exxon raised TWICE today. Early this morning they were at $3.09 and about an hour ago they were at $3.29.

I gassed up at Kroger and with my little discount card, I got it for $3.06 a gallon. It's sickening to think that I was happy to find it that "cheap".

Unique · Sep 1, 2005

I just came home from "a day on the town". I've only been going out once a week as it is. Today was: haircuts, library, grocery shopping, post office, then home. All in a circle. What would I cut back to? Driving once a month?

WriteRead · Sep 1, 2005

Diana, you're sooooo right! Why would they forfeit their profits, when it's so easy to say "The Pres will consider tapping the oil reserves in the next few days"? Why does it have to take him "a few days" to give a directive, esp under those extreme circumstances?

Why is the price in the tanks going up, when it was already paid by the co's? Taking ugly advantage of the situation, that's the answer!

Dan

robeiae · Sep 1, 2005

You know who is gonna feel the pinch from this gas crisis: Starbucks. It turns their four-buck drink into a five-buck drink. Man, I practically live there. But I stopped as of today. The one by me will probably have to fire someone.

Rob

P.S. Fast-food will feel it, too (but I'm not giving investment advice).

Dawno · Sep 1, 2005

My company particpates in a program called "EcoPass" We get a sticker good for a year of free rides on the light-rail and other local transit. There's a stop right outside of my building at work and a station not far from where I live. I've got half a gallon of gas in the car that cost less than $3.00 a gallon and I'm gonna see how long I can make that last.

reph · Sep 2, 2005

Unique said:
Today was: haircuts, library, grocery shopping, post office, then home. All in a circle.

You're doing it right: bunching errands for greatest efficiency. It saves time, too.

I don't drive at all. My husband drives but doesn't like it. We picked a house within walking distance of essential goods and services to minimize car travel. I recognize, though, that not everyone likes to live in a city.

People could drive less if businesses of the same kind were spread out instead of clustered together, so that each neighborhood had one of everything. For instance, within a few blocks we have several antique stores and restaurants, but there's no big hardware store or office-supply store nearby.

DTNg · Sep 2, 2005

I was raised by hippies who believed in walking every where they could. My three year old can walk circles around most of the neighborhood soccer moms. We walk to playgroups and the park (all less than a mile away) though I do take the wagon if he gets tired. (He prefers to pull his bear around.)

Preschool starts next week and it's a half mile up the road. We'll walk as usual. The nearest shopping center is three miles away, however. I don't mind walking this while my son is in school to save on gas.

A few years ago we moved to the 'burbs from NYC. I don't miss the noise or crowds, but I do miss walking everywhere, not to mention the best public transportation system in the country.

sassandgroove · Sep 2, 2005

I have to say this. Yes, we need to do our part and drive less and bunch errands into one trip and carpool. But I have to say this...Right now the issue isn't the supply of gas, it is a distribution problem becuase there are refinerys in the gulf coast and pipelines that were damaged. What the government needs to do is allow more refineries to be built in a wider range of places, and allow us to tap into our own resources, like Anwar, so we don't have to rely on foreign oil.

paprikapink · Sep 4, 2005

I see a lot of advantages to restricting our driving speed to the speed limit. First off, we use less gas that way. Also minimizes anxiety about "is that a cop?" Less fuel burned results in less pollution. Fewer accidents. Accidents less likely to be fatal. Makes our neighborhoods nicer places to be.

Contrary to popular belief, speed limits aren't just so cops have an excuse to give you tickets (there are some wicked exceptions). Engineers set these things. It's about road conditions, the amount of traffic on that street -- many factors. Once I noticed that most 25 MPH zones are in areas where there are lots of free-roaming humans, I started to really feel like a heel to zip through them.

It is not easy. The hostility one experiences when driving the speed limit is intense. You'd think you were breaking the law the way people scowl at you. I figure that just because I couldn't get out of the house on time doesn't give me the right to make the road less safe for you. I try to restrict my rushing to before I get in the car. Life would be a bit pleasanter if the driver behind me shared my perspective, or at least respected my right to practice it. Especially when I'm in the slow lane!

That was another strategy implemented in the 70s -- reduce highway speed limits. I'd love to see statistics about how much speed reduction=how much increased fuel efficiency. I'm not interested in reducing speed limits. But what if we observed the ones we have?

Doyle · Sep 4, 2005

Sorry to say, but it is too little too late

There are many who will be doing everything we can to conserve gas and energy. But we can have little impact on the overall problem. China is now starting to "come on line" in demand for gas. There is nothing we can do to influence their demand. We are talking about One Billion Plus population, that is almost 3 times the USA population. The amount of gas that China will suck from the dwindling supply pretty well guarantees continuing rising prices.

Really want to make a difference? Do not buy anything manufactured in China. Absolutely nothing! That is the only way to have an impact on the global market, take away the money from the buyers.

I am sorry to say that I do not believe we have the will to do so.

We are a short sighted and profit hungry people. When the very rich start to feel the pinch, then look out, the scenario will be set to "create" an enemy that can be used to motivate us all by fear.

Just hunker down, do the best you can on the local scale, and try to be prepared. 10-20 years is my guess.

Christine N. · Sep 5, 2005

What I want to know is... why is MY gas so high? I live within 10 miles of TWO refineries. All the gas in the Del. Valley doesn't come from the Gulf.. it comes from HERE. It travels a whopping 10 miles MAX... so why is MY GAS SO EXPENSIVE??

I also have started driving the speed limit, coasting to a stop, rolling when I start, using that accelerator as LITTLE as possible.

Rabe · Sep 6, 2005

MadScientistMatt said:
My own gas conservation plan this year was that I traded in my SUV for a Ford Focus.

And I plan on trading in my Focus on an SUV.

A hybrid SUV more correctly!

Now, I may have gotten the idea of it wrong, but as I understand it, it uses the electric engine under 40mph and in most 'stop n go' situations, which means city driving. Since I live in a tiny town without speed limits above 40mph in most of the town...I should hardly EVER use gas in town. Only on the occasional trips. Which, means, for most trips, I *might* have to fill up before coming back home...but that 'fill up' would only be half a tank!

Of course my other plan has been to walk most places I go, especially work. Since it's only a mile away. And to the gym...cause that gets me two miles of *walk* time in to increase the caloric burn AND a bit of a warm-up! Plus walking is a great time for thinking about writing projects. I often walk a lot in the winter nights when snow has completely covered the ground. So beautiful, peaceful and magical.

Rabe...

Diana Hignutt · Sep 7, 2005

Christine N. said:
What I want to know is... why is MY gas so high? I live within 10 miles of TWO refineries. All the gas in the Del. Valley doesn't come from the Gulf.. it comes from HERE. It travels a whopping 10 miles MAX... so why is MY GAS SO EXPENSIVE??

There are seven oil refineries on the Delaware River. The vast majority of the Delaware Valley's oil is refined here. Oil Tankers deliver the crude here. People who say that the spike in gas prices was due to the destruction of the refineries on the Gulf Coast still then have to explain the price increases which took place before them. Also, the Chinese demand is beginning to come on, there aren't one billion Chinese people driving around in SUV's yet. The impact of Chinese demand is currently overstated.

Last quarter the oil companies posted a 40% increase in profits according to the AP. I'm going to be very interested in those statistics for the current quarter.

diana

BlueTexas · Sep 7, 2005

I wish I could cut down on gas. I already drive a little car because I have to--I drive, roundtrip, 100 miles a day to work, and my husband does the same. Our hours are such that we can't ride together.

There is no public trasportation in the town where I live, and no reasonable way to use the poor system where I work.

If I worked in the town where I live, I'd take a 40% pay cut--at least, assuming I could find a job. With gas prices rising, we've stopped eating out entirely, and most things we buy at the grocery store are generic anymore.

If my gas budget was 40% of my income, the answer would be easy--but there seem to be be no answers. If we moved into the city, an apartment would cost double our current mortgage.

An Idea: Voluntary Gasoline Rationing

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