Old people's obsession with gas prices.

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ghostrunner
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Old people's obsession with gas prices.

Post by ghostrunner »

Okay, so I'm generalizing, but I'm basing this on personal experience and two recent events.

The night before Mubarak left office, my Mom calls up because my Dad heard that gas was going to $100 a barrel and that the Suez canal was shutting down (it didn't), and how much gas did I have and I should get some "tonight." So I say I have half a tank, and even supposing the price jumps up 20 cents a gallon, it will save me about $1.30, and that I'm not going to worry about it. This irks my mother because my Dad "follows this stuff a lot." I don't mention, which I also know to be true, that they watch cable news (often FoxNews) and always leave it on full blast.

This morning at work an older fellow who likes to talk (I'll call him Dave), pulls up next to me in the parking lot and comes over before I've gotten out of my car and is about to knock on my window. I open the door before his knuckles are formed and he says "do you have a pretty good amount of gas in the car?) It's a company car I drive to appointments. I say yeah, and he tells me about his friend who runs a Speedway and says gas is going up to $3.55 (about 20 cents higher than current) at 10am. He goes on in, and by the time I've got my stuff and walk through the door he's told everyone, and one guy actually leaves to gas up. Then I sit down and see an email from my boss re-telling this story as told to him by Dave (it's a small business), and that we should go get gas.

Am I wrong/alone in finding this a big waste of time and effort? It strikes me (at least with my Dad) as an effort to do something about disturbing events you have no control over. In my boss's case perhaps it's just more of that micromanaging he likes to do.

Along with this general rant, I'll throw in people who drive down the road or to an inconvenient gas station to save a penny per gallon on gas.

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Radbird
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Re: Old people's obsession with gas prices.

Post by Radbird »

I'm old and I don't worry about it.

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heyzeus
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Re: Old people's obsession with gas prices.

Post by heyzeus »

Yes, my dad will drive across town to the station that's 5 cents less per gallon, then buy their jumbo bag of sunflower seeds and a large diet coke from the station at probably a 1000% markup.

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Hudler
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Re: Old people's obsession with gas prices.

Post by Hudler »

I'm not old, but then again i get to worry about keeping gas in 3 work trucks, a dump truck and a backhoe.

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thrill
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Re: Old people's obsession with gas prices.

Post by thrill »

I love this rant. Find something else to talk about, middle-aged and old people.

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wart57
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Re: Old people's obsession with gas prices.

Post by wart57 »

I am not old...ok I am getting old.. I am [expletive] pissed about the gas prices. In december it was $2.89 per gallon, I fille up yesterday at $3.29 per gallon. .40 x 15 gallons to fill my tank = $6.00 - that is a 24 pack of Dew man! I can't stand it! I am gonna lose it buddy. Don't [expletive] with my Dew!!!!!

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ghostrunner
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Re: Old people's obsession with gas prices.

Post by ghostrunner »

Hudler wrote:I'm not old, but then again i get to worry about keeping gas in 3 work trucks, a dump truck and a backhoe.
Yeah, that's different. My boss I cut a little slack - but there's 5 company cars and they're all little hatchbacks. So he might save a maximum of $12 or $13 if we all went out and filled up this morning.

I guess you could argue the savings would stack up assuming the gas continues to go up, but it's likely to be up and down like it always is.

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Hungary Jack
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Re: Old people's obsession with gas prices.

Post by Hungary Jack »

I'll worry about gas prices when I get older and drive a big boat-like Buick

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wart57
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Re: Old people's obsession with gas prices.

Post by wart57 »

I don't wpry about gas, I pass it whenever I want to.

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Popeye_Card
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Re: Old people's obsession with gas prices.

Post by Popeye_Card »

Same as everything else. Penny wise and pound foolish.

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