Helaine is shopping. She just called a few minutes ago while waiting in line for gas at BJs. They’re currently at $4.20 a gallon for regular – a bargain.
She’s cut back on her trips to the market because of the price of gas. While she’s out, she’s combining trips as best she can. That’s more symbolic than anything. After all, a round trip to the market probably uses under a half a gallon. The price is crazy nonetheless.
All 12 pumps at BJs are full, she reports. More cars are in line behind each one.
I told her, if she’s idling more than 10 seconds, it makes more sense to turn off the ignition. That’s what UPS trucks do as a matter of company policy. For us, it’s more symbolic than practical. She shut the car off anyway.
“It’s like the 70s,” she said.
Across the street from Dunkin’ Donuts near the Madison/Clinton line, there’s one station that’s been $4.17 for the last day or so. Things were quiet, when I first noticed, but today the place was packed — word got out. 🙂
Just paid $4.75 for regular in Santa Maria CA. : (
Geoff,
Ever since fuel hit $3.00, I started using a “UPS” approach to errands. I try to get them all done on a weekday, from 9am-3pm [lighter traffic (everyone is at work and school)], I plan out all of the stops on a typed itinerary, and I try to make the trip as short a loop as possible. And I hit BJ’s 2 times a month to stock-up on some bulk items.
I guess I’m glad that I was a business major?
Should add that in Ecuador last week diesel was $1 per gallon, regular was $1.50 and premium $1.75. No, not per liter, per gallon. Ouch.
Well, it’s not that much like the 70’s, because back then we had both high prices and shortages.
Besides, it’s not reliving the 70’s that bothers me as much as the possibility we’ll relive the 80’s. When the price of gas eased off after the last shortage in ’79, we went back to our old, wasteful ways, and forfeited what could have been a 30-year head start on seriously tackling the energy problem.