Talking Cars
As many of you know, I am 66 years old and I grew up as many as you readers did with gasoline prices being so low, it wasn’t even a topic of discussion. Now as we enter into 2021 gasoline prices are a concern to many and might I add a few things.
Gasoline is one of very few commodity products in which the producers of refineries can change the price without a given notice to us, the drivers, on the spot. We all know how they play the game. Oil companies do not have a conscience. If it isn’t the weekend coming up or a Holiday coming up, the gasoline prices suddenly go up sometimes 30 cents a gallon. Then when the vacation is over, or the weekend is over the gasoline prices mysteriously go down.
To add insult to injury, we read about and hear about how we as consumers need to conserve on gas. We need to change our driving habits. We need to make sure our tire pressure is up to it’s correct PSI readings. The list goes on and on. I call this a real double standard.
Let me give you a great example or two of a double standard. Why do car and truck manufacturers keep making cars and trucks that get horrible mileage? Have you ever seen what a Hummer gets for mileage? A Dodge Demon? A Ford F250 with a gas engine? I can’t understand how these people can afford to keep gas in them.
Another example is the gasoline stations deliberately set up the gas nozzle so that when you use it, it is a miracle if you can stop the gas flow on an even number. We click thump it carefully as we can but somehow the pump has to flip to that extra penny. Think about this, oil companies are smart, and greedy. If over 50 million people a day run the pump fill up price over just one penny, then the oil companies made $500,000.00 that day. That’s a half a million dollars. Things you have to keep your blood pressure down over.
Secondly is traffic stop lights. All the experts say to try to avoid prolonged idling. I don’t know about how you feel, but I don’t like to sit and idle even at a fast food restaurant. If “They” who ever “They” want us to save gas, then “Time” some traffic lights better. A real good example is the automatic traffic signal at Oak road and Pidco drive.
No town is perfect. Keep that in mind. But there are situations that don’t make any sense. The Traffic light on Oak road by Teachers Credit Union will change to ‘Red” with nobody waiting to turn off of Pidco drive. We sit there playing the Jeopardy game song as we wait for the traffic light to go back to green for NOTHING! Even if there were ONE car waiting to turn, I could understand the light turning to red. But to sit there for a minute or two and wait for nothing but the light to change is some real nonsense. There are other areas in town just like that one.
Makes me wonder how many people have looked around for the cops and run the light? The Experts say we shouldn’t warm up our cars in winter for a long time. PHOOEY! My car is 26 years old and when it’s cold out, I let it warm up. It still has the original engine. If the experts want to drive in a freezing cold car, then they can enjoy it. Gasoline. We are their slaves and they know it. Drive safe everybody. joseywales2@gmail.com