Interesting...
So, I was reading an article on cnn about a senetor which is recommending that national speed limits be reimposed on the US... I thought that was an interesting thing...
The national speed limits were repealed in 1995.
The thing I thought was most interesting, though, was the numbers that it spouted;
In 1995, oil was $17 a barrel, and the average gallon of gas was $1.10
today (In America), oil is $145 a barrel, and the average gallon is $4.10
Run the numbers? Oil is 8.5 times the price it was in 1995... but gas is only 3.7 times...
I just paid 4300 yen (About $40) to fill up my 24 liter (6 gallon) tank. Which is almost $7 a gallon. Now, it has been argued that I don't drive as much as Americans... but I am in the boonies, with no train service, and I still cover about 1600km (about 1000 miles) in a month (Of course, Maia does live 20km from here). That's about half what I did in Denver, but it's only half...
When I got my little "Kei" car (It's a 3 cylinder 650cc engine) a year ago (Maia and I lovingly call it the "Piglet"... I'm not entirely sure why...it just fit) I paid 3200 yen to fill up the tank, in a year it has gone up about 30%... Just so you guys don't think you are the only ones suffering... I spend about $250-$300 a month on gas... and I have little more than a glorified motorcycle...
Sometimes I wonder if Americans are aware of how good they have had it?
in 1995 gas here was about the same as over there, about 100 yen to the gallon (roughly a dollar to the gallon), now it's 700 yen to the gallon... about 7 times as expensive... which means that you can argue that America is reliant on foreign oil, but not half as much as the rest of the world. America is getting it's oil domestically somehow... because Japan and Europe have watched the gas prices stay pretty close to the average cost per barrel of oil.
Japan has done something about it (Case in point: The Piglet, I mean, 30% of all vehicles here are the same class as the Geo Metro... and have been for nearly a decade). I'm wondering when I get home, how I'm going to find a Piglet that I can drive... because honestly, I don't need a 27 cylinder 9.4 liter engine anymore... I'm kinda comfortable driving this Kei car...
I think Americans could be, too.
posted by Aabh @ 4:58 AM
4 Comments:
Here's my question to you: are Japanese people complaining against the price of gas?
Around here, most people acknowledge that they really don't like what they are paying (which by the way is still more than what Americans pay) but it is definitely not an issue that is discussed/bitched about on any kind of regular basis. If it comes up in conversation, we all agree that it's ridiculous, and then the conversation moves on.
Perhaps the media coverage that we get from the States up here is misleading, but it sure seems to me like Americans are making a huge deal about the whole thing, down to boycotting and letter writing.
-- Mal.
Well, nope... that's what's so strange... I was at the gas station a week ago, the attendant said: "That'll be $4,200 yen" I said "Wow", he smiled (Apologetically) and said "High, isn't it?" I said "Yeah"... he nodded and said "It's really been bad lately"... and that's about it...
We Americans really need to grow up about this... And I guess the media coverage could be misleading over here too... but man it does seem like we are way out of line complaining about it, doesn't it?
You know us Canadians, we would never say anything to upset our friendly, well-armed, American neighbours. ;-)
(By the way, comments that I make to you in private are different, because while I consider you "friendly", I usually don't perceive you as "well-armed"...although perhaps I will change my mind with all these martial art classes you've been taking...)
--Mal.
I'd say the coverage on the States is misleading, because the truth as I'm seeing it here in America is that the complaints about gas prices are pretty minimal. As you both have said, the subject comes up, people go "man, I can't believe it's that high!" and then they pretty much move on.
And that sucks.
I wish people WERE actually getting more upset about it, enough to actually DO something. Start riding your bike places. Carpool. Get a more fuel efficient car.
And above all, start DEMANDING that the government support research into more viable alternative fuel sources.
At out current level of "discontent," all that happens is the same stupid crap that happens every year. A few congressman pull together a hearing, take a few oil company execs up onto the Hill...
(wag fingers) "How can you justify these price increase when your profits are as high as ever?!"
And then nothing! As if the mere finger-wagging was somehow enough.
Yes, gas prices are pretty ridiculous. But still not ridiculous enough to shock the average person out of his apathy about our frightening consumption of a limited resource.
If it takes even HIGHER gas prices for us to reach that point, maybe that wouldn't be a bad thing.
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