Happy Birthday to all who have hit the big five-o. I don't mean 50 years of age but paying $50 for a tank of gasoline. How does it feel? What are you going to do to celebrate? I got an idea for you, about you treat yourself and go out and buy one of those big Hummer vehicles. You might be able to claim 50% of the expenditure as a tax write-off if you can show that you use it for business and pay only $50,000 for it. There it is the big five-o again. Let me know if you buy one because I want to be around when you hit the 100 mark. I have a nice bottle of Dom Perignon saved for this special occasion. You're going to need some consoling when it costs $100 to fill up your tank.
This is the good old American way; super size it, buy more, use more, waste more, even when you don't need it. While our gasoline costs have doubled, the business section of the Wahington Post has a story about how Exxon Mobil is trying to figure out how to spend $30 billion dollars. It seems like they have a little spending money left over and don't know what to do with it. $30 billion for Exxon Mobil when your average Kyle (used to be Joe) has a hard time saving $3 a week. I wonder how much of this money will go back to our Senators and Congressmen to sway them against passing legislation forcing auto makers to produce vehicles that have better fuel efficiency ratings?
My 2000 VW Passat is not a gas guzzler but I think I should still be able to do better. The manufacturer suggests that I use only Premium fuel. They make sure I'm aware of it because not only is it written in the owner's manual it's also boldly stamped inside the cover of the fuel tank. I always thought that if I used lower octane gas (such as regular) I would be doing damage to the vehicle. I've found out that it doesn't matter. If you disagree or have proof to the contrary let me know.
Oil refiners make the most money from selling higher-grade gasoline because the higher cost to produce it is more than made up by the added charge to customers, said Fadel Gheit, an oil analyst at Oppenheimer & Co. in New York. Gas stations also benefit from higher margins on premium fuel. "It's to everybody's advantage to push the high-grade," Gheit said.
Where the hell is my advantage! These are some of the things you're not told about (excerpt from a Wash. Post article):
Automotive experts say using regular gas in most vehicles does no damage and makes no discernible difference in performance. Cars made in the past 15 years have such highly refined computer controls that the engine will adjust to the grade of octane in the gasoline, even in cars sold as requiring premium gasoline. Some drivers -- in some cars under some driving conditions -- may notice a drop in horsepower, but for most people behind the wheel, it wouldn't be enough to notice, the experts say.
"It's not going to hurt anything," said Peter Gregori, service manager for EuroMotorcars, a Mercedes-Benz dealer in Bethesda. In fact, Gregori has been using regular gas in one of his own Mercedes cars for two years, and "it's perfect," he said -- even though Mercedes-Benz says owners should use only premium.
"I get better mileage with the regular than I do with the high-test, in this particular model that I have," Gregori said. Among cars that come in for service, Gregori said, he can't tell which have been sipping premium.
Apparently, drivers are figuring this out.
Don't get me wrong I'm not advocating a life of crime, but it seems that the people who complained about organized crime (the so called Mafia of yesterday) have no clue about how bad they are getting ripped off from some of the major corporations. The irony of it all is that they are protected by law; in fact some are making the laws.
We've become a nation of sheep and ostriches. It's time to take our heads out of the sand.
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