Compared with Europe's prices, U.S. gas is cheap

[yorrd]

Bottom line, I don't care what other countries pay. We pay over 4.00 and it hurts ,many indivuals as well as businesses. With any luck, we'll soon be drilling and not be so dependant on foreign sources. That is unless the Dems. shoot it down.

[yorrd]

Correction: individuals

[I can read]

Wow, there are some serious misperceptions of Europe by Americans. I'll just go through them in order:

We do refrigerate dairy. We invented artificial refrigeration in Scotland. We do use ice and drink ice cold beverages, we just don't make drinks contain 70% ice as standard with the exception of US companies like McDonalds.

Someone said hardly anyone makes the equivalent of US minimum wage? You mean nobody earns that little, quite possibly.

Europe has far better transport infrastructure than the US. Our roads are WAAAAYYYY better and our railroads make amtrak look like a joke. We can go between countries faster than the accela (your best train) goes between states.

Candy bars and coke aren't 2 dollars in Europe unless you buy them in bars and I remember them being about $2 in US bars too......

The price of petroleum products throughout the world is currently artificially inflated. Not by the war on terror or the state of the middle east but by speculators gambling on the price of oil rising. Most of these are US based by the way but there are many in the UK and throughout Europe.

We pay far more for petrol due to taxation but that has forced the consumer into spending more wisely and better. In general we have smaller cars which get better fuel economy. Much of the fuel tax money goes back into environmental projects.

If the US wants to cut the costs of driving easily I have a suggestion for you. Put up taxes. If you charged an extra $100 a year for each car on the road and used it for road improvement then you'd probably save $200 per year maintainance costs for every car on the road.

Quite simply your transport systems in the US are terrible. Boston has a good public transport system and so does new york. The roads there are still awful though.

[Yep]

yorrd wrote:

Bottom line, I don't care what other countries pay. We pay over 4.00 and it hurts ,many indivuals as well as businesses. With any luck, we'll soon be drilling and not be so dependant on foreign sources. That is unless the Dems. shoot it down.

Assuming we begin drilling, don't expect relief soon. It'll take a while before any of that oil makes it our way and we see any savings.

[advntregrrl]

Huzzah wrote:

<quoted text>
No need to get snippy. I was just answering a question.

Why was that snippy? because it was to the point? that other poster did not ask a question about russia - they asked about hippos
(btw, russia may seem larger but they have approx. half of our population)

[advntregrrl]

I can read wrote:

Wow, there are some serious misperceptions of Europe by Americans. I'll just go through them in order:
We do refrigerate dairy. We invented artificial refrigeration in Scotland. We do use ice and drink ice cold beverages, we just don't make drinks contain 70% ice as standard with the exception of US companies like McDonalds.
Someone said hardly anyone makes the equivalent of US minimum wage? You mean nobody earns that little, quite possibly.
Europe has far better transport infrastructure than the US. Our roads are WAAAAYYYY better and our railroads make amtrak look like a joke. We can go between countries faster than the accela (your best train) goes between states.
Candy bars and coke aren't 2 dollars in Europe unless you buy them in bars and I remember them being about $2 in US bars too......
The price of petroleum products throughout the world is currently artificially inflated. Not by the war on terror or the state of the middle east but by speculators gambling on the price of oil rising. Most of these are US based by the way but there are many in the UK and throughout Europe.
We pay far more for petrol due to taxation but that has forced the consumer into spending more wisely and better. In general we have smaller cars which get better fuel economy. Much of the fuel tax money goes back into environmental projects.
If the US wants to cut the costs of driving easily I have a suggestion for you. Put up taxes. If you charged an extra $100 a year for each car on the road and used it for road improvement then you'd probably save $200 per year maintainance costs for every car on the road.
Quite simply your transport systems in the US are terrible. Boston has a good public transport system and so does new york. The roads there are still awful though.

I will only respond to your response to my post- I was there in the fall 07. I do not buy candy and soda in bars so my information is personal and , since I rent a house, it is related to shop prices. I paid about 1.25 Euros for a coke (my personal hangover treat). At 1.42 dollars for a Euro, the math is not that hard (what is it today, around 1.6XXX) And the choc there is so much better so value is relative but cost was higher than here because I was converting the low valued dollar.

[I can read]

advntregrrl wrote:

<quoted text>
I will only respond to your response to my post- I was there in the fall 07. I do not buy candy and soda in bars so my information is personal and , since I rent a house, it is related to shop prices. I paid about 1.25 Euros for a coke (my personal hangover treat). At 1.42 dollars for a Euro, the math is not that hard (what is it today, around 1.6XXX) And the choc there is so much better so value is relative but cost was higher than here because I was converting the low valued dollar.

Where in Europe were you, some parts are way more expensive than others obviously but in the UK a bar of chocolate will cost about 50p or $1. A can of coke in some places may cost $2 but this is generally only in bars, service stations and shops in transport hubs where they have a monopoly like train stations and airports.

[Huzzah]

advntregrrl wrote:

<quoted text>
Why was that snippy? because it was to the point? that other poster did not ask a question about russia - they asked about hippos
(btw, russia may seem larger but they have approx. half of our population)

I'm well aware of that.

[advntregrrl]

Huzzah wrote:

<quoted text>
I'm well aware of that.

Aren't you tired of this?

If you are aware of the population point, then why bring Russia up when the other poster suggested why the mess of roads here - this is a large, very poplulated country?
That comparison does not prove anything.

[advntregrrl]

I can read wrote:

<quoted text>
Where in Europe were you, some parts are way more expensive than others obviously but in the UK a bar of chocolate will cost about 50p or $1. A can of coke in some places may cost $2 but this is generally only in bars, service stations and shops in transport hubs where they have a monopoly like train stations and airports.

We'll usually rent a house for about 3 weeks each year. last year we revisited Ireland. We were toying with the idea of going back to Italy or maybe Croatia this year but the crapped-out dollar is making Costa Rica look better.
http://www2.acnielsen.com/news/20060424_Image...

One can see that ,like here, prices do vary but when you multiply by 1.6 it is, on average, a bit more than here.
But, like someone else stated- it doesn't matter what the cost is there- it is out of context for most readers of that article.
Their reality is that the prices have doubled and salaries have not.

[Huzzah]

advntregrrl wrote:

<quoted text>
Aren't you tired of this?
If you are aware of the population point, then why bring Russia up when the other poster suggested why the mess of roads here - this is a large, very poplulated country?
That comparison does not prove anything.

I responded as I did because the poster noted that this nation is "... a much larger nation covering obviously larger amounts of land than any one european country ..." Perhaps I misread his post, but I assumed that he/she was commenting on how it was unfair to compare the rail systems of Europe to those of America because no country in Europe is as vast as America. I was simply pointing out that there is one country in Europe that is much larger than America -- Russia.

[SNJ]

Arent you tired of this wrote:

<quoted text>
Russia is a European nation that is larger than United States.

Russia alone was 180 million people when you were 260 millions. Now you are 300 millions but I doubt Russia has passed 200 millions.
Their life expectency was rather low only a handful years ago. Their growth however is rather good these days. Becaus of their oil and gas resources they are on their way back on feet and the Russian bear is growling again. We notice up north that they have started to fly their military planes the way they did during the cold war making our F-16th scramble weekly. But it is different today. They simply have to demonstrate that they are back and we all have to reckon with them...Putin is an ambisious guy, but his people are a bunch of drunkards to a great extent. Poor Russians. They have had uphill drags for generations.

[SNJ]

advntregrrl wrote:

<quoted text>
Russia may be on the european continent but they do not consider themselves european.They're also not part of the european union.
I don't believe the article in question, or the republicrat commenting on said article was including Russia- again Apples to Apples, please

There are some special dynamics in Europe. Russia is not a member of the EU - that is right. Norway is not either, as is Switzerland and Iceland.
Russia stretches from the Baltic and way into Asia.
I think the Russians know that very well and that their nation includes European land and people as they include Asian land and people. Russia is Christians and muslims as are the traditional conlficts between the two religions.
Compare this with America and it makes sense to talk about apples and pears.
The many different cultures in Europe compared to USA makes Europe much richer in many ways, diversity is one of the driving factors in this context too. Many of the former Soviet satelite states so to speak are now members of the EU and more will follow in years to come. We are not a melting pot yet, but many different nations with own culture,history and languages.
In 300 years perhaps the European Union has turned Europe into a more homogeneous area than today, but cannot see a reson for us today to worry too much about that.
Europe has inherited poverty from the former East European states, now making poverty rate in Europe match the poverty in USA (some 12-15 prer cent). Our oil resources are much wanted in the European Union, but it seems we are too selfish to share it so far....

[whyknot]

I can read wrote:

Wow, there are some serious misperceptions of Europe by Americans. I'll just go through them in order:
We do refrigerate dairy. We invented artificial refrigeration in Scotland. We do use ice and drink ice cold beverages, we just don't make drinks contain 70% ice as standard with the exception of US companies like McDonalds.
Someone said hardly anyone makes the equivalent of US minimum wage? You mean nobody earns that little, quite possibly.
Europe has far better transport infrastructure than the US. Our roads are WAAAAYYYY better and our railroads make amtrak look like a joke. We can go between countries faster than the accela (your best train) goes between states.
Candy bars and coke aren't 2 dollars in Europe unless you buy them in bars and I remember them being about $2 in US bars too......
The price of petroleum products throughout the world is currently artificially inflated. Not by the war on terror or the state of the middle east but by speculators gambling on the price of oil rising. Most of these are US based by the way but there are many in the UK and throughout Europe.
We pay far more for petrol due to taxation but that has forced the consumer into spending more wisely and better. In general we have smaller cars which get better fuel economy. Much of the fuel tax money goes back into environmental projects.
If the US wants to cut the costs of driving easily I have a suggestion for you. Put up taxes. If you charged an extra $100 a year for each car on the road and used it for road improvement then you'd probably save $200 per year maintainance costs for every car on the road.
Quite simply your transport systems in the US are terrible. Boston has a good public transport system and so does new york. The roads there are still awful though.

As far as refrigeration and ice. I am speaking of Germany. Not the UK. The Germans do have fridges, but they leave their butter and milk items out on the counter. They do not drink cold beverages. Been there, done that. Again, was not speaking of any part of the UK. Europe is so much more than that.

[What]

advntregrrl wrote:

<quoted text>
Absolutley true, this info is based on the comparable value of the dollar to the Euro. It is out of context.
To follow that point, a candy bar in Europe is almost two bucks as is a can of coke. So?
Like you said, apples to oranges.

For all you saying that you can't compare - BS! I was recently in Canada and they are paying the equivalent of $5.25US per gallon. The US/Canadian dollar is one-to-one and they make about the as hourly rates as we do (although they are taxed more heavily to pay for national healthcare). And they are geographically spread-out like the US is without the wonderous mass transoprtation of Europe.

Canada/US are darn close to apples/apples, but the Canadians pay more and seemded to whine less.

[Bluegrass Baby]

I am from a small town in Kentucky and yes, we do wear shoes, no, we are not inbred, in case anyone is wondering. We have quite a few taxes going on in the small town where I live, but the biggest problem in America is not paying an extra gas tax, because if we could keep all small town officials from laundering the money that the state gives them, which the federal government gives them, we might be able to make this work. Our minimum wage here, although on a national level it is higher, is still around $5.75 an hour. It is almost like working an hour for one gallon of gas. America is a huge country and the counties in our state are huge. We have to drive a long way to get to work daily. The prices of foods have gone up and the prices of clothing, utilities, you name it, everything has gone up, but in small town America, wages haven't gone up at all. And unfortunately, at this time, it would be too hard on the "little man" to pay a tax for gas. I hope it isn't this way in other states or counties, but our county is extremely corrupt and no matter what taxes we are to pay, they find a way to get their share.

[advntregrrl]

What wrote:

<quoted text>
For all you saying that you can't compare - BS! I was recently in Canada and they are paying the equivalent of $5.25US per gallon. The US/Canadian dollar is one-to-one and they make about the as hourly rates as we do (although they are taxed more heavily to pay for national healthcare). And they are geographically spread-out like the US is without the wonderous mass transoprtation of Europe.
Canada/US are darn close to apples/apples, but the Canadians pay more and seemded to whine less.

OK, but the title/topic Is prices in Europe compared to the US. Who mentioned Canada - that's like the person bringing up Russia.

It should be at the top of your screen:
Compared with Europe's prices, U.S. gas is cheap

n

[What]

advntregrrl wrote:

<quoted text>
OK, but the title/topic Is prices in Europe compared to the US. Who mentioned Canada - that's like the person bringing up Russia.
It should be at the top of your screen:
Compared with Europe's prices, U.S. gas is cheap
n

Sorry you're too dense to see the relationship - let me try to dumb it down for you. It was being stated that Americans are whiners because they are compaining about the prices so much when other countries (in Europe) have much higher prices. People were on here saying you can't draw that conclusion (about Americans being whiners) because the European countries were far different circumstances that then let Americans off the hook for being whiners. Behold Canada, where circumstances are darn near the same as here except gas is a considerably higher and they don't whine about it as much.

Is that dumbed-down enough for you? The more of your posts I read the more convinced I am that you do not have a basic education.

[goon]

and in most European countries you get free health care and college for your kids along with the sky high petrol prices.

[Gillmore]

goon wrote:

and in most European countries you get free health care and college for your kids along with the sky high petrol prices.

How in the hell is it free when taxes in europe are about 60 to 70% of your income?