People are finally becoming outraged.  It's about time. 

NOPE BLT - it is too late.  Should have been outraged years ago.

I stand corrected.  You are absolutely right. Too little too late. 

They're outraged, but they're still standing on it while driving a full-size truck.  

Good point.  On the other hand, I read in the LA Times today that sales of trucks have plunged in the past month. 

Either way, it's time to wake up and smell the gas.  Or, rather, as witterpitters has suggested, it's already too late. 

The government already has us by the short hairs - look around. I listed several factors on another blog.

That said, it is because WE have let the government "take care of us" for too long and now it is firmly set in place for them to "take care of us" the rest of the way.

I coughed up 40 bucks last night for 3/4 tank of gas at the ARCO on Calif. and Oak.  4.15 per gallon.

I thought about running out to Rosedale to Walmart to return an item and decided nope, I'll do it when I'm in that area.  I got in my car, drove to the bread outlet and then around the way to Copes Market and home.  That 3/4 tank of gas needs to last me a while.  No cruising for this ole gal.

LOL @ the picture! I have a set of earings that are composed of some old ceramic doll parts that I save for my yard sales. (*edited* a doll arm and leg)

my victim;"how much for this?"

me:points to earings "an arm and a leg" 

i just hope these outrageous gas prices don't cause those who continue to drive vehicles - ROAD RAGE. With more bikers out on the town and more drivers blowing steam, bad things are bound to happen.....

y i k e s!

Funny how the masses whine when it's too late..

We've been paying too much for gas for more than 5 years.

The truely sad part is not that people waited so long to whine but the fact that congress calls the oil companies into the the capital and blame them for the problem. Of course why would the congress want to change thigs when most of them own oil stocks and the price is more money in their pockets. If they really wanted to lower the gas prices they would reduce the gas tax, allow new drilling, new refineries, and to quit importing as much oil. As for the oil companies go, what do you expect a CEO to do? make less nd keep their jobs? 

Is government regulation needed? Heck no. If we allow more government regulation then we will see higher prices yet to come. Besides, if you run a business would you want the government tell you how much money you can charge?

In my opinion, the best wa to lower the gas prices is to reduce the use, invest in better fuels like hyrogen, propane, electrical power. But during this time we need to drill and build new refineries to ensure that commerce doesn't stop. We could also build a few nuclear power plants to generate clean poawer for homes. Even the co-found of Green peace made that suggestion.

By the way, in Tehachapi the gas price fo low grade was $4.30 the last time I filled up. Needless to say I normally fill up in Bakes when I go down the hill.

Today I put 1/2 tank of gas into my dad's truck at $4.21/gallon (over $40) at Arco at Merle Haggard Dr and Hwy 65.  The Shell across the street (Hwy 65) was $4.33 and the Chevron across the street (Merle Haggard Dr) was $4.35.  Not to mention, Diesel #2 at the Shell was $5.17/gallon!

Now I hear on the news that gas-related thefts are on the rise.

Though I don't agree with an overregulated society, the oil companies have made it absolutely clear that they need to be regulated.

In the meantime, all I can say is, "Ride a bicycle!"  Bakobornnraised, I sure hope nothing bad happens to any bicyclist or motorcycle rider, but who knows when the frustration is going to boil over.  These gas prices are probably angering just about everyone to some extent.

We are paying too much for gas.

There's absolutely no reason the government couldn't and shouldn't become more involved in the oil crisis.  The current gas prices are due to a number of issues, most of which the U.S. government should take some, if not all of the blame:

1) Screwed up foreign policy.  When we invaded Iraq, oil prices began their ascent into infamy.  We pissed off OPEC.

2) Why is Oil allowed to be traded based upon futures?  Way to count your chickens before they hatch.  The government failed to regulate the Oil Industry, therefore the market has been controlled by futures traders.

3)U.S. Government's unwillingness to establish fuel economy laws.  There's absolutely no reason why all new cars couldn't be forced to have better fuel efficiency.

4)American Society is one of excess.  We eat too much, drink too much, spend too much and then do everything we can to brag about it.

I filled up Sunday evening after church for $4.29 a gallon at Chevron, Ming and Ash. Today it's $4.47 a gallon. An 18 cent increase in three days? Gimme a break!

Everyone needs to stop their moaning abt gas prices. Hell fire folks! Get wih the program! There's a far better mode of tranportation out there (minus the GET bus).

What am I talk'n abt?

HORSE.

Yep sire!

Their cheep to feed and get plenty of miles on a gallon (along with the golden apples they drop). And what to do with those golden apples? Leave em all on the door step of someone you love.

Ride ole Mr. Ed to work and be the envy of the BPD since they can't ticket you for riding a horse in downtown Bakersfield.

When I passed the Chevron at Ming and Ashe at 7:00pm, it was 4.37 for regular. When did you go by Monodopd? Because that's another major increase by them in a matter of hours. They jumped from 4.29 to 4.37 in a few hours Tuesday afternoon too.

It was Wednesday morning, June 4th, on the way to work around 7:30AM.

Ah, well I passed Wednesday evening at 7pm and it was 4.37. But watch it be up to 4.49 by tomorrow. I've noticed the Chevrons tend to have very similar prices and when one goes up, they all follow suite within a day or two.

Price of HAY is looking pretty darn good looking now; isn't?  WAY cheeper than paying 4.39 a gallon and, if your driving a gas hog, we know that could be a huge dent in that wallet that is full of dust.

This morning at the Summit Chevron in Tehachapi. 4.55

Why is it that WE're outraged and the government -who, by the way represent US - isn't? My husband and I are spending over $1000/mo on gasoline just to do our jobs. We can't keep doing this? I have to tell you, I'm scared. Pretty soon, I won't be able to afford to go to work.

We're being gouged. That's the long and short of it. I got to Costco and the price of gas has gone up 22 cents in 6 days. 7 cents overnight! You cannot tell me there is any logical reason for this except greed. Pure and simple. When are we going to stand up and do something?! We need to make our politians answer for this! Email them! Write them! Call them! Quit worrying about whether Obama is black, red, green or yellow and make him tell us what he's going to do fix this mess! Wake up McCain and make him tell us what HE'll do! Forget Bush... he's done...

What's funny is about 6 months ago the manager at my local gas station said gas prices should hit $5.00 a gallon within the next two years.  I thought he was crazy, but then I figured if anyone should know, he should.  That's when gas was $3.40.

"Dictator" Chavez offered to sell oil to the US at cheaper set rates, forseeing a spike in prices. He has made similar offers to other countries in hopes of helping poorer communities but the U.S. is above such lowly people...

  just hope these outrageous gas prices don't cause those who continue to drive vehicles - ROAD RAGE. With more bikers out on the town and more drivers blowing steam, bad things are bound to happen.....

I have thought about this as well. I still see pinheads doing jackrabbit starts, blasting forth only to have to stop at stop sign or light ahead. I always seem to catch up to em not far down the road. All that wasted gas just to gain what they think is a few seconds. People drive like jackasses and these high prices haven't changed that.

But when they are idling @ $4+ per gal, etc. it seems to me temper flares will only be enhanced. I asked a week ago about LEO's tryin to get from point A to point B with all the cars on the road now -- same kinda deal. More cars, no more asphalt, and now high prices for gettin from point A to Point B -- makes for an explosive mixture in my mind.

And BTW, you say prices were too high 5 years go Fla State? I bet yer one a the types who bitches about high gas prices then leaves car idlin whilst ya run in ta pay for something that is free -- bottled water -- and you pay a hell of a lot more fer that designer bottle a water per gal than ya do gas - even now........

high gas prices will take cars off the road......sounds like a win/win situation to me

Mags - you said once you used ta load-fill at one a the racks at a refinery down there. Which one was it?

Anyway -- you must not be drivin anymore. Its gettin close to a grand a fill up now on my trucks. I have ta take a banker with me to fill drivers up now {jk} -- it is ridiculous!

But you must be drivin from lazyboy nowdays or you wouldn't a said win-win. The pinheads will drive GEO's and Saturns in jackrabbit-jackass fashion no matter what petro is at! (but its killin truckers)

Chico: please inform cameraqueen the actual cost of maintaining even one horse! Feed & vet bills will keep ya broke then ya have to have a place for them to stay! HEY - there ya go Chico! another venture for ya! RENT out horses for folks!  Cost of keeping the horse plus a nominal fee for usage and mileage!!!  Could put a ped-o-meter on horses hoof!!!! Saddle is extra, bareback no fee, blanket nominal fee!!! Discount for taking hackamore(sp) horse!!  HA!!

Wit -- I talked about that on another thread!

Trouble with the plan is (of coors) liability insurance!

I figger I could give discounts to the nice lookin young ladies (lowers my cost a help - you know them young cow hands)

We could also have Mexican ropin horns on saddles fer them gay marriage folks (ya know they could sit ona horn and not fall off - thus reducin liability)

Just some random thoughts.................

OH OH Chico!  Watch them "random" thoughts....................he might think ya love him!!!!!!!  HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Buy walking shoes now,several pairs so you can rotate them.

I don't go in much for conspiracy and collusion theories, but hearing "speculators" justifying oil prices by ever spinning scare stories about "supply disruptions in Nigeria" that never seem to happen, might make me reconsider in this case.

This might be the speculator's version of the Nigerian 419 scam, except in this case it's the Nigerian $4.19 scam.

We need to fight a war over oil.  Send troops to these speculators' offices and say "the price of crude is $50/barrel, effective right now."  Just kidding.  I think...

Texaco, rack 5 and overhead rack 6,7....

There are still some jackrabbits on the road, but I've also noticed a heck of a lot more people driving to conserve fuel. I used to be the only one coasting to a red light while everybody else zipped past and climbed on the brakes. Now, it is amazing to see how so many people around me slows down too.

And I used to have the bike lanes and bike path to myself except for some racers obviously out for exercise. Now, I meet more and more bike commuters on the road. It is way beyond awesome.

I won't be at all surprised if gas hits $5.00 a gallon this very summer.

Government regulation of gas prices isn't the answer. Good old supply and demand made the USA the entity it is, warts and jelly bellies and Hummers and all. If the government is to interfere at all, it should be things such as by requiring Detroit to drop the monster trucks and manufacture more fuel efficient vehicles, and investigation of alternate energy soures. That will work through supply and demand to bring the gas prices down when demand slacks off. And nobody has to give up their standard of living unless they want to trade it in for a full size truck either.

We may also be able to look forward to a shift in status symbols and fashion. Maybe big vehicles for the sake of having the biggest block on the road fall out of favour, replaced by elegant, fuel-efficient vehicles and a kind of nonchalant disregard for materialism in transportation: I have enough cool stuff in my life that I don't need to compensate with a monster truck. Come check out my sound system and my pool some day. Maybe it will become the ultimate sign of status to pedal a state of the art bike to work - demonstrating that you don't have to rush there, work long hours, and rush back in the dark picking up dinner from McDonalds just to scrape by. No, you can afford to leisurly pedal back and forth with not a care in the world.

nitewrite - how long of a commute do you have? I've fallen out of reckoning with how much a monthly commute can cost a family. Yours sound horrific - we won't be able to afford that!

My husband walks to work ( we chose where we live carefully a few years back, albeit not for reasons of fearing rising gas prices, we simply wanted to cut down on expenses while we build cash reserves to buy a house once the market normalized ) and I used to drive the five miles to work and five miles back, but now I ride my bike, so we really forget what gas can add up to. We only drive for shopping trips and roll together a lot in one trip, like doing the entire Northwest Promonade ( Petco, Target, World Market ) in one go. We can walk to a Vons and take the bike path to Trader Joe's. Of course, it is easy to do this, because we are aiming to save money in order to buy that house. It is very motivating to see how little we spend each month on living costs by living this way. And we have fun riding our bikes and feel good after the exercise. I used to be a permanent stress ball, wound up tight by other drivers on my commute, glumly staring at a red light while waiting. On the bike, I'm almost always moving, often past strings of waiting cars, and when the light is red, it is a welcome breather!

I've been commuting about twice a week on 99 and now stay behind an 18 wheeler.  My speed is about 60-62 mph.  I've noticed on a 30 mile trip, the gauge needle hardly moves when I do that.

When I was at the Peddlers Fair a few weeks ago I saw a very yuppie looking couple ride op on bikes, lock them up and go inside.  I thought then "why don't I do that?"  I don't live so far away.  I have an oooooooold bicycle in the garage (one speed) and may have to get it out and air up the tires.

Yes -- the recent price jumps have been outrageous (10 cents over night???).  I switch gas brands in my car every 5,000 miles and unfortunately I am on my Chevron cycle...$4.47/gallon is outrageous.

So I have switched up my cycle to go to the 76 station on Ming and South Chester -- its in the "ghetto" but the prices are usually cheaper.  I filled up yesterday for $4.29 -- total cost was $63.00.

I would love to bike to work if my office building had lockers and showers.  I need to wear a suit to work and coming in sweaty and frumpled in a suit from riding 2-3 miles to work would not be acceptable.

I quit buying diesel and bought a bicycle.  I am tired of the gas prices and refuse to pay them.  I ride to work and home every day about six miles each direction.  Put a backpack on to go to the grocery store.  When is everyone going to get angry enough to stop the madness. 

I've been riding my bike to work. I've improved my 2mile run by 1:30. I can crack the 14 minute mark with ease. Thank's unstable oil industry!

Just today, I saw that the Shell at Merle Haggard Dr and Hwy 65 went from $4.33 to $4.43.  Just before Memorial Day, they were like $3.97.  50 cent increase in about 2-3 weeks.  GIVE ME A BREAK!!!!! 

Nancy, just so you know, it's illegal to "draft" off a semi. You need to be far enough back to see his mirrors or the CHP could ticket you. Oh, and I was off by 2 cents about the price at Ming and Ashe, it's 4.39 at that Chevron when I passed at 1:00pm today.

cameraqueen-a horse is a fine mode of transportation, but I'm sure a bicycle is much cheaper.  You only have to pay for the bike, helmet, lock, light (if you're riding at night), and maintenance (tires, tubes, occasional wheel replacement if your rim gets bent or spokes break).

I've never rode or owned a horse, so I don't know much about them.

It pays to have a job in which you can expense your mileage..

Murphy, the beauty of your idea is this:

Sure, when I ride bikes I gotta look for hills. Flat land biking is like flatland truckin........ for wimps....... gotta get hills ta test ya..... (at the same time I shed all weight off bike)

But Murph, with your idea, you can work your butt off, then ax yer fares ta chip in (not with $ this time but muscle) and let ya get a rest......

You got an ID there bud....... Just make sure its street legal or OB'll be along ta bust ya...... And don't be carryin any pipe, K?

.......and Murph, you could build quadraceps like a damn Eric Heyden or somethin..............

The Gastrocnemius would too, but they are hard as hell to build anyways............

But then, you could be built like TomW and WTF would it all matter anyway?

Shwaine...I don't have a death wish and I don't draft. (99 ain't Indy)   I said I stay behind an 18 wheeler.  I've also probably been driving longer than you have years and know the law as well as the laws of safety.  But..thanks for the advice.

I've found that if the truck is moving at a reasonable clip, I'd rather be behind one than around all the lane changers.  Cruise control works better and I save gas.

Nancy, if you are not being "pulled" by the "truck" then you are in it`s turbulence and losing milage or you are so far behind it really makes no difference so it`s a no brainer...but you knew that

Yup Maggie..I guess my mentioning "truck" and "gas milage" in the same sentence was a mistake.  I'm not "up their tailpipes."  The comment was just that in the middle lanes I have people playing dodge'em cars and am having to keep moving in and out of lanes and change sppeds myself so it's easier to use cruise control if I stay in the truck lane where, consequently, I'm behind a truck.  They generally lumber along at the same speed and aren't trying to race the wind or each other.

Ergo, I get better gas milage due to my ability to use my cruise control and maintain a lower speed. 

My preference of course, is to have no traffic at all with the highway to myself but those inconsiderate people insist on hogging my territory.  Humph!

Well, guys, I now see that the Shell I mentioned earlier went up to $4.51.  And I just heard on the radio that the price of oil jumped $11/barrel today and closed at $139.  They said the reason was the dollar and the fact that apparently Israel wants to attack Iran because Iran won't stop its nuclear program.  GIVE US A BREAK, ALREADY.  I don't buy that.  I think they're simply trying to see which station will hit $5/gallon first and how fast they can get there.  I'd like to see some representatives from the big oil companies read this and tell us that they're manipulating the prices and then STOP doing so!!!!!

yeah i drive a silverado 1500. about 100 a fill up for me....  but i ain't complainin, it beats waiting in 105 degree weather with a kid for the bus. but for a full size truck i get decent mileage....  i think the fact that its lowered and has a flow master on it helps.  sorry green peacers but you won't catch me trading  in my silverado for a prius.  gas is not the only thing that is ridiculous in price. seen the price of food lately? damn near 5$ for a gallon of milk. get over it people, inflation is a bitch. and inevitable.  just think of how a coke used to be 5 cent and now it's like 2 bucks!