Gas prices making cage travel an option again

rickko · Post by **rickko** » Thu Nov 13, 2008 6:04 pm

Wow! Prices dropping to near $2.00 across the country. If they get to $1.50/gallon, which there is now speculation they will, it won't cost you much more (other than the fun factor) to drive a cage that gets 25-30mpg than what it cost to use the Buddy when prices were $4.50/ga.

This happens every time we threaten to come up with energy schemes that'll cut off the Arab kingdoms. All they do is lower the price of oil per gallon until it becomes cost-inefficient for American companies to invest research dollars in alternative energy.

With the worldwide economy slumping, causing people holding onto their cash, it makes it hard to drum up new investment dollars, or redirect investment dollars in questionable new technology; especially when you can fill up your cage for under two-bucks a gallon again.

..rickko..

olhogrider · Post by **olhogrider** » Thu Nov 13, 2008 6:33 pm

Saw $1.99 in Texas yesterday. Filled the cage for $2.24 a gallon here in N. Cal this morning. All the 4WD trucks and SUVs are back on the road

I liked it better when ga$ cost more.

r0sa · Post by **r0sa** » Thu Nov 13, 2008 6:37 pm

im still keeping my scooter even if gas was $1/gal

docutech · Post by **docutech** » Thu Nov 13, 2008 6:49 pm

r0sa wrote:im still keeping my scooter even if gas was $1/gal

Word. I will still ride it as well

thehypercube · Post by **thehypercube** » Thu Nov 13, 2008 6:55 pm

make car insurance, maintenance, and ease of parking comparable and we'll talk

UrbanBuddy82 · Post by **UrbanBuddy82** » Thu Nov 13, 2008 7:35 pm

Gas prices making cage travel an option again

Yea, Its an option

slurugger · Post by **slurugger** » Thu Nov 13, 2008 8:21 pm

Definitely still scootin, cheap gas just makes it that much cheaper to scoot!

itzhak37 · Post by **itzhak37** » Thu Nov 13, 2008 8:23 pm

slurugger wrote:Definitely still scootin, cheap gas just makes it that much cheaper to scoot!

I rode my Buddy to class through the cold and the rain today, didn't think twice about hopping in my cage. Gas prices be damned. I wanna scoot.

DennisD · Post by **DennisD** » Thu Nov 13, 2008 8:50 pm

WOW! Gas is so cheap, its like its FREE!

Those who love to scoot will continue to do so, but you can bet the majority of Americans will breath a sigh of relief that "its finally over" and go right back to their non conserving spendthrift ways. At least the ones who remain employed will do so.

Tough times.

I scoot because I love it. Its just cheaper now.

Becktastic · Post by **Becktastic** » Thu Nov 13, 2008 9:08 pm

Yeah, my dad was really happy he could fill his work truck without going bankrupt. It used to be almost $100 to fill up o_O

But I still win, it only cost me $1.98 to fill my scoot yesterday!
I'm so in love with my scooter ^_^

7eregrine · Post by **7eregrine** » Thu Nov 13, 2008 9:14 pm

"Gas prices making cage travel an option again"

IF that's why you scoot. I didn't start scooting because of gas prices.rices.

Spinergy · Post by **Spinergy** » Thu Nov 13, 2008 11:11 pm

I just paid $1.98 today, it's been dropping 5-10 cents a day for the past week. God only knows how long this "free gas" lovefest will last, OPEC has promised more production cuts if prices don't stop sliding. Luck [or not] for us not all the member countries follow official OPEC decisions.

armacham · Post by **armacham** » Thu Nov 13, 2008 11:13 pm

what car

PasadenaSue · Post by **PasadenaSue** » Thu Nov 13, 2008 11:20 pm

Or I can fill up my Buddy and use the savings to pay for the increased cost I am seeing for food, utilities, property taxes, sales tax, etc.

OMG, I am so silly!!

PasadenaSue

Drumwoulf · Post by **Drumwoulf** » Thu Nov 13, 2008 11:37 pm

So hey, since a lot of food prices went up, as did delivery prices, due to the increased energy costs,
why aren't they dropping back down again?

-It seems to me that if you have to pay almost $5.00 for a loaf of bread because gas costs $4.79 a gal,
that bread should also go back down to $3.00 when gas is back to $1.80, no???

And have you checked out the 'delivery charges' for large scale scooter items lately?

-Shouldn't they be going back down too???

Someone is always ripping us off!

Rob · Post by **Rob** » Thu Nov 13, 2008 11:58 pm

I filled up for $1.98 this morning. Since the temp got up into the mid 50's, I rode the scoot to work. I figure the round trip (14 miles) fuel price was less than 25 cents. Not bad.

From one of the gas price websites, here's their Gas Price Temperature map. It's average prices and it seems accurate for my area.

Rob

Apiarist · Post by **Apiarist** » Fri Nov 14, 2008 3:09 am

have no fear, the lack of supply will increase prices much higher, or so it is told here

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/bde7a8ba-b0b2 ... fd2ac.html

r0sa · Post by **r0sa** » Fri Nov 14, 2008 3:25 am

i was so stressed out today after taking 2 exams which i think i made below a B, after my last class, i came home and took my scooter out for a joyride around the city, it felt SO GOOD! it was chilly but cool at the same time. after i came home, i was SO HAPPY, words can't describe how happy and stress-free i was...

i LOVE love LOVE love LOVE scooting!

maribell · Post by **maribell** » Fri Nov 14, 2008 5:44 am

I can see my county on that map. It's the one that looks like a heart.

newslinky · Post by **newslinky** » Fri Nov 14, 2008 11:33 am

I saw $1.78 on my ride into work last night. Even though gas prices are cheaper I still am getting 3 times the bang for my gas buck riding my scoot. Add in the fringe benefits of relaxation and fun and there simply is no way I will go back to cage driving other than when it is absolutely necessary.

Becktastic · Post by **Becktastic** » Fri Nov 14, 2008 1:41 pm

It's odd to me that Tucson was cheaper than most places when gas was up, but now almost everyone's is cheaper than here? o_O

Kaos · Post by **Kaos** » Fri Nov 14, 2008 2:46 pm

I drove one of my hotrods to work the other day for the first time since March. Only reason was the 35MPH winds. Some of my coworkers commented that they were glad to see that I'd stopped my "Insane scooter commute". They had to eat their words when I scooted in the next day. Scooting isn't as much about the gas as the enjoyment. It just means that when I *DO* want to go for a cruise in one of my hotrods, that it won't cost me an arm and a leg(Which I need to keep for scooting!).

I've not yet seen gas below $2.25 here, though thats still far better than the $4.60 it peaked at. Really, though I could care less if it costs me $5 to fill my Buddy, or $2.75.....

jfrost2 · Post by **jfrost2** » Fri Nov 14, 2008 2:54 pm

1.75 here around Dayton.

r0sa · Post by **r0sa** » Fri Nov 14, 2008 3:57 pm

gas is cheap and im happy

jfrost2 · Post by **jfrost2** » Fri Nov 14, 2008 4:00 pm

Not sure why Meijer's gas station raised gas from 1.82 to 1.99 the other day. Everyone in my town within a mile's distance is still 1.82. But around dayton, various stations are 1.75 or 1.77

Cant wait to see $1.50!

r0sa · Post by **r0sa** » Fri Nov 14, 2008 4:01 pm

or better yet $1.00/gal!!!!

Kaos · Post by **Kaos** » Fri Nov 14, 2008 4:18 pm

r0sa wrote:or better yet $1.00/gal!!!!

Then it will only cost around $1.25 to fill our Buddies!

r0sa · Post by **r0sa** » Fri Nov 14, 2008 5:11 pm

its so funny how last week i got gas at the station and i forgot my credit cards at home so i only had $3 cash so then i went inside and told the cashier i need to fillup for $2 (gas being $1.93/gal) he gave me the stupidest look and i told him, "well....2 bucks will last me for a couple of weeks!" LOL LOL LOL

Dooglas · Post by **Dooglas** » Fri Nov 14, 2008 5:56 pm

Well, I wouldn't go out and buy a Hummer just yet. I don't imagine this will last past spring. The real concern is how many of us will still have a job in the spring. (if not, more time to ride the scoot - every cloud has a silver lining)

hcstrider · Post by **hcstrider** » Fri Nov 14, 2008 6:05 pm

The lower gasoline prices are nice but they are not the reason why I switched my daily commute to the bus stop from my Buddy to my Honda Civic. When the time change switched to Standard Time I stopped riding my Buddy because this meant that I would be riding home 15 miles from the bus stop in the dark. My concern was safety, I felt that the Buddy was not visible enough in the dark to the other drivers around me. Now I just ride the Buddy for errands during weekend daylight hours.

As for people driving more, I have noticed the increase. During the peak summer gasoline prices the driver of my bus had to turn people away almost every day because every seat was occupied. Now that gasoline prices have declined, so has bus ridership.

JNV · Post by **JNV** » Fri Nov 14, 2008 6:37 pm

I'm still scootin'. And I am enjoying every minute of it.

myras_girls · Post by **myras_girls** » Fri Nov 14, 2008 6:41 pm

hcstrider wrote:The lower gasoline prices are nice but they are not the reason why I switched my daily commute to the bus stop from my Buddy to my Honda Civic. When the time change switched to Standard Time I stopped riding my Buddy because this meant that I would be riding home 15 miles from the bus stop in the dark. My concern was safety, I felt that the Buddy was not visible enough in the dark to the other drivers around me. Now I just ride the Buddy for errands during weekend daylight hours.

Have you considered flashing LED lights for bicycles? I think useage depends on the laws in your state, but I have purchased flashing LED lights meant for bicycling for my scoot. They make me feel a lot safer when I'm riding at dusk or in the dark. They have lights that clip to the rider, to backpacks, to handlebars- just about anywhere!

Kaos · Post by **Kaos** » Fri Nov 14, 2008 6:44 pm

myras_girls wrote:
hcstrider wrote:The lower gasoline prices are nice but they are not the reason why I switched my daily commute to the bus stop from my Buddy to my Honda Civic. When the time change switched to Standard Time I stopped riding my Buddy because this meant that I would be riding home 15 miles from the bus stop in the dark. My concern was safety, I felt that the Buddy was not visible enough in the dark to the other drivers around me. Now I just ride the Buddy for errands during weekend daylight hours.
Have you considered flashing LED lights for bicycles? I think useage depends on the laws in your state, but I have purchased flashing LED lights meant for bicycling for my scoot. They make me feel a lot safer when I'm riding at dusk or in the dark. They have lights that clip to the rider, to backpacks, to handlebars- just about anywhere!

Or 3M reflective tape. They light you up really well with just a small amount of light hitting them. With headlights its VERY bright.

hcstrider · Post by **hcstrider** » Fri Nov 14, 2008 7:35 pm

Both are excellent suggestions and I thank you for them. I have considered both but in the end I decided that making a habit of riding at night in rush hour traffic is not a risk that I want to take.

I have occasionally ridden at night but I don’t make a habit of it. I upgraded my stock headlight bulb to a PIAA HS1 which greatly helps me see other cars and obstacles at night. I wear a high-visibility vest and my Buddy has reflective tape on it so the other cars can see me. But even with these precautions I have decided that I do not want to ride in the dark during rush hour traffic. My route is along heavily traveled local roads with a lot of cars pulling in and out of parking lots and eventually some driver is not going to see me in the dark.

babblefish · Post by **babblefish** » Fri Nov 14, 2008 7:56 pm

Becktastic wrote:It's odd to me that Tucson was cheaper than most places when gas was up, but now almost everyone's is cheaper than here? o_O

Well, that's still better than here in San Francisco where gas prices were higher than anywhere else at the peak and is still higher than anywhere else at it's low.

Post by **ericalm** » Sat Nov 15, 2008 2:54 pm

Regardless of price of gas, as others have pointed out, it's still cheaper to ride a scooter. For most of us in the warmer climates, cheaper gas just means cheaper scootering. Others are lucky the low prices coincide with the end of riding season.

Taking into account the state of the rest of the economy, many people might be quite happy to continue to save by scootering, even if those savings are less. I'm just glad low gas prices offer some relief for those who probably need it most and hope no one thinks it's a sign that the recession is easing.

LisaLisa · Post by **LisaLisa** » Sat Nov 15, 2008 5:38 pm

I never saved money on gas with the scooter.
The thing is too much fun to ride!
The gas I saved in commuting was burned on invented errands and long weekend drives.
I never put more than 2500 miles on my car in a year (except for traveling), and in 6 months I have put 3500 miles on the buddy.

Now, if only I could get that stator (or whatever it is) fixed....

Modern Buddy

Gas prices making cage travel an option again

Gas prices making cage travel an option again

Gas Prices