Why are gas prices so high (and why do they keep climbing)?

The-Real-Deal82

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We need to pick a lane, and I really don't care which one, but pick one and stay in it. It is maddening need both SAE and Metric tools and to have to switch between SAE and metric bolts. :mad:

I’m a mechanical engineer so everything with my job is metric but in everyday life people still state their height and weight in imperial measurements too [emoji2359]. I do the odd bit of work with an American company who like dual dimensions on drawings where millimetres and inches are present. I then gave to explain why the inch dimensions are so weird. Because it’s been converted from millimetres!!! [emoji13]
 

Apple fanboy

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I’m a mechanical engineer so everything with my job is metric but in everyday life people still state their height and weight in imperial measurements too [emoji2359]. I do the odd bit of work with an American company who like dual dimensions on drawings where millimetres and inches are present. I then gave to explain why the inch dimensions are so weird. Because it’s been converted from millimetres!!! [emoji13]
When I worked in engineering I was happy in millimetres or thousands of an inch. You just set your measuring tool to whichever was appropriate.
What used to drive up the wall was the tool shop who would make a tool with two lifting bolts. One 1/2 whitworth the other 12mm. No wonder the threads were always buggered!
 

Edd

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We need to pick a lane, and I really don't care which one, but pick one and stay in it. It is maddening need both SAE and Metric tools and to have to switch between SAE and metric bolts. :mad:
I work for a European pharmaceutical company so everything at work is metric. I’d like for the US to just go that route.

Also surprised about the UK still using miles. Canada doesn’t.
 

The-Real-Deal82

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I work for a European pharmaceutical company so everything at work is metric. I’d like for the US to just go that route.

Also surprised about the UK still using miles. Canada doesn’t.

Here’s a bit of trivia for you:

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Herdfan

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When I worked in engineering I was happy in millimetres or thousands of an inch. You just set your measuring tool to whichever was appropriate.
What used to drive up the wall was the tool shop who would make a tool with two lifting bolts. One 1/2 whitworth the other 12mm. No wonder the threads were always buggered!
I have a Polaris SXS, made in Minnesota. It uses metric which is fine.

But go buy an accessory for it, it is liable to be SAE. Like I said, pick a lane.
Also surprised about the UK still using miles. Canada doesn’t.

So do you buy gas in gallons, imp. gallons or litres?

And if in litres, do you calculate gas mileage in miles per litre or litres/100 miles? Just seems weird mixing them.
 

Edd

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I have a Polaris SXS, made in Minnesota. It uses metric which is fine.

But go buy an accessory for it, it is liable to be SAE. Like I said, pick a lane.


So do you buy gas in gallons, imp. gallons or litres?

And if in litres, do you calculate gas mileage in miles per litre or litres/100 miles? Just seems weird mixing them.
I live in the US, not sure if you can see my location. But, visited Canada a fair amount and filled the tank. Memory says that gas was sold in liters (maybe?), speed limit signs were KPH, and all that.
 

fischersd

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It's litres/100km, or mpg if you're doing Imperial. (btw - current price due to all this nonsense in Vancouver is $2.14.9 per litre) - that works out to $6.40 US a gallon (with today's exchange rate).

Many of us still use imperial for some things, but gasoline has been sold by the litre up here for a LONG time. (my first job was in 81 - we sold it by the litre at the Sunoco station back then).

Just googled it - Canada started the conversion to metric April 1, 1975!!!

Very few countries left in the world that still use Imperial...the US just never embraced the Metric system (will they ever?)
 
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Apple fanboy

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I have a Polaris SXS, made in Minnesota. It uses metric which is fine.

But go buy an accessory for it, it is liable to be SAE. Like I said, pick a lane.


So do you buy gas in gallons, imp. gallons or litres?

And if in litres, do you calculate gas mileage in miles per litre or litres/100 miles? Just seems weird mixing them.
Litres. Calculate miles per gallon!
 

MarkusL

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I live in the US, not sure if you can see my location. But, visited Canada a fair amount and filled the tank. Memory says that gas was sold in liters (maybe?), speed limit signs were KPH, and all that.

When I lived in Canada ten years ago it was a bit mixed. Meat prices were per pound on the shelf edge and per kg on the price tag, or maybe it was the other way around. And spaghetti was metric in that there was 454g in a package, not 1lb. Everything in traffic was metric I think.
 

Herdfan

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Just googled it - Canada started the conversion to metric April 1, 1975!!!

Very few countries left in the world that still use Imperial...the US just never embraced the Metric system (will they ever?)

When I was a kid into HS, my family spent a month every summer in Canada, just outside of Picton, ON. We rented a cabin at a place called Wilolea (it looks to still be there, but under a new name). They sold gas at the marina by Imperial Gallons. As a kid, I always thought it was odd that there were 2 different types of gallons.
 

Chew Toy McCoy

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https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/11/middleeast/mideast-summary-03-11-2022-intl/index.html

Reading between the lines…..the price of oil has absolutely nothing to do with uncontrollable scarcity. It's almost entirely greed and maintaining a certain level of wealth. OPEC sans Russia wants to wait longer to determine what the actual supply issues are which is probably the smart thing to do, but where the fuck was that wait and see logic when they instantaneously jacked up the prices at the pump?
 

JayMysteri0

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https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/11/middleeast/mideast-summary-03-11-2022-intl/index.html

Reading between the lines…..the price of oil has absolutely nothing to do with uncontrollable scarcity. It's almost entirely greed and maintaining a certain level of wealth. OPEC sans Russia wants to wait longer to determine what the actual supply issues are which is probably the smart thing to do, but where the fuck was that wait and see logic when they instantaneously jacked up the prices at the pump?
I forgot which episode on Chris Hayes, but he had an oil guy on. Basically he explained that the industry has their system set up on "possibility" or "threat" of scarcity or shortages, that can trigger price hikes. The actual event of a shortage isn't necessary, just the perception.

Great system, if you can set one up yourself.

Oh wait.
 

Herdfan

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Scott Pressler, the gay Republican activist, is holding voter registration drives at, ................wait for it..........................

Gas Stations.

That is freaking Brilliant.
 

SuperMatt

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Scott Pressler, the gay Republican activist, is holding voter registration drives at, ................wait for it..........................

Gas Stations.

That is freaking Brilliant.
“Brilliance” is definitely a relative term when it comes to Republicans.

I guess the fact that Presler is gay is supposed to forgive him being part of anti-Muslim hate group? Or attending the Jan 6 riot?

Brilliant. Looks like he registered about a dozen voters.

Presler quote about Jan 6: “The largest civil rights protest in American history.”

What a great guy.


Elise Stefanik had briefly associated herself with him for an event… until somebody told her what he’s really about. Then she deleted her tweet mentioning him and he cancelled.
 

BigMcGuire

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Been way over $5/gal here for many weeks (so-cal). Funny to think we bought our first electric car when gas went over $5/gal near February 20. Now quite a few stations are over $6/gal (and have been for several weeks).

Drove by a Costco on our way to UCLA this morning that was completely packed - lines out the door at 7:30am. :(
 

SuperMatt

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Car companies dragging their heels on building/selling EVs are missing out big-time right now. We are a decade behind where we should be with EV adoption, infrastructure, etc.

I imagine gas prices will drop and stabilize in a couple months. But if people remember this spike next time they need to buy a car, an EV could move to the top of their options.
 
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