Gas Prices

I heard that the average nationwide price for a gallon of precious petrol has crept up to around $1.90. After bottoming out a few months back around $1.50.

That seems inconsistent with the cost of crude oil, which has not gone up (selling for around $40/barrel).

So - what's wrong with this picture?

Everybody is critical of the obscene profits made by the oil companies (except for the oil company shareholders, of course). But apparently their profits weren't high enough. And apparently people aren't angry enough about it to stop buying their product... they'll just taper off a bit when gas is selling for $4. I guess that's what you do when you're over a barrel.

It's nice to be watching mostly from the outside.

Of course on the rare occasions when I buy gas, the price I pay is affected by overall demand... not my demand.

There ought to be a graduated scale.

For your first 100 gallons each year, you pay $1/gallon. The next 100 gallons is $2. The next is $3, etc.

Here's another great idea from the Bike Nazi: How about being able to "bank" gas? I write out a check to Exxon-Mobil to buy 100 gallons at today's price... and then they keep it in their hole-in-the-ground until such time as I want to pump it. My balance (in gallons, not dollars) is stored on a swipe-card, just like a gift card at Best Buy or whatever. I could buy the 200 gallons I use each year in December, and burn 180 of it over the summer.