CNN Complaining

[Flamer89]

Hey everyone, I'm new to CP but have been reading this site since the start of the 03-04 season. Anyways, I was wondering if anyone else is getting annoyed with CNN complaining about gas prices. I mean I was just down in the states and they have it good compared to us in Alberta. It is kind of sad considering that we have alot of oil in Alberta and pay so much in tax. I did a quick calculation and $1.10/L here is equivalent to over $4.00/L in the states and they are complaining about $3.00/L. Anyways, I was annoyed with them today and was wondering if anyone else felt this way about CNN too?

[Nehkara]

For the US part I think you mean $4.00/gallon.

[Hack&Lube]

Originally Posted by Flamer89

Hey everyone, I'm new to CP but have been reading this site since the start of the 03-04 season. Anyways, I was wondering if anyone else is getting annoyed with CNN complaining about gas prices. I mean I was just down in the states and they have it good compared to us in Alberta. It is kind of sad considering that we have alot of oil in Alberta and pay so much in tax. I did a quick calculation and $1.10/L here is equivalent to over $4.00/L in the states and they are complaining about $3.00/L. Anyways, I was annoyed with them today and was wondering if anyone else felt this way about CNN too?

1 gallon = 3.785 metric litres.

$0.88 US = $1.00 CAD

$3 US/gallon = $0.71 CAD/L

So we have maybe 30 cents more in taxes + exchange rate and price war fluctuations over the base price of gas.

Anyway, what does this have to do with CNN? CNN is not a Canadian channel, it's a complaint made toward the average gas price across the US. At least you aren't paying like $2.00 CAD/L like they do in the UK.

[Vulcan]

The US doesn't use the Imperial gal.
I believe the US gal. equals 3.9 liters.

edited to say the Imp. gal equals about 4.5 liters.

[Hack&Lube]

Originally Posted by Vulcan

The US doesn't use the Imperial gal.
I believe the US gal. equals 3.9 liters.

No, I think it is 3.785 after checking again.

[Bobblehead]

It's hard not to feel like we're being gouged when headlines like this show up:

Shell Canada earns $447M in Q1

[troutman]

Did you ever calculate what people pay per litre for bottled water, and Starbucks coffee? That is true madness.

[Bobblehead]

Originally Posted by troutman

Did you ever calculate what people pay per litre for bottled water, and Starbucks coffee? That is true madness.

The most common HP Inkjet Printer for home use uses a cartidge (#56) that holds 19ml black ink. The cost as per Staples.ca - $28.86.
There are 3785ml in a US Gallon.

Therefore black printer in today costs $5749.12/gallon

[CaramonLS]

Originally Posted by troutman

Did you ever calculate what people pay per litre for bottled water, and Starbucks coffee? That is true madness.

Actually, depending on which bottled water you buy (just don't buy it at the dome, 3.75 for a bottle w/ no cap), it is cheaper per litre than gas.

Used to be that Gas companies would use that as their slogan, but at safeway there is 12x500ml waters for $2.50 +tax+dept - still cheaper than gas per litre.

[ken0042]

A buddy of mine manages a service station. He laughs to himself when somebody complains about $1.09 for a litre of gas, but also purchases a 500ml bottle of water for $1.59

That is the bottled water example that I think troutman was referring to. Obviously when you buy in bulk it's cheaper; but still- how much refinement goes into water compared to gasoline?

[Bobblehead]

Originally Posted by ken0042

A buddy of mine manages a service station. He laughs to himself when somebody complains about $1.09 for a litre of gas, but also purchases a 500ml bottle of water for $1.59

That is the bottled water example that I think troutman was referring to. Obviously when you buy in bulk it's cheaper; but still- how much refinement goes into water compared to gasoline?

Coca-Cola knows, but it was pretty funny when the Brits asked them a similar question abotu Dasani. link

[JBR]

Can somebody calculate the cost per litre of Heroin Beer at the Dome?

[albertGQ]

Originally Posted by troutman

Did you ever calculate what people pay per litre for bottled water, and Starbucks coffee? That is true madness.

These two things are not even comparable. I don't know why people keep bringing it up when they try to justify gas prices.

I don't complain about the prices ever cause its supply and demand, but comparing bottled water to gasoline is like comparing apples and oranges

For example. To justify buying a video game for $50 that normally retails for $40 that I could enjoy for 100 hours works out to $0.50 cents an hour. Should I compare that to someelse that decides to pay $300 (but would'v paid $500) for 3 hours of entertainment for front row seats at a Flames game?

I am only paying $0.50 an hour and the other guy is paying $100 an hour. We both get our desired entertainment. One could say I was ripped off cause I overpaid my entertainment by 25% while the other guy only 67% of what he was willing to pay for his.

IMO, you can't compare the two. Its apples and oranges. Just like bottled water and gasoline

[ken0042]

Originally Posted by albertGQ

These two things are not even comparable. I don't know why people keep bringing it up when they try to justify gas prices.

The problem with your entertainment, is you are comparing something qualitative; whereas comparing a litre of a refined natural resource is purely quantitative.

If going to a Flames game and playing a video game were only a means to pass a quantity of time, then you'd have a point. However I might argue that going to a Flames game isn't a method of passing time.

We may have to agree to disagree though.

[Flames89]

Originally Posted by Flamer89

Hey everyone, I'm new to CP but have been reading this site since the start of the 03-04 season. Anyways, I was wondering if anyone else is getting annoyed with CNN complaining about gas prices. I mean I was just down in the states and they have it good compared to us in Alberta. It is kind of sad considering that we have alot of oil in Alberta and pay so much in tax. I did a quick calculation and $1.10/L here is equivalent to over $4.00/L in the states and they are complaining about $3.00/L. Anyways, I was annoyed with them today and was wondering if anyone else felt this way about CNN too?

Welcome ... original name ... (not that mine is so original ...)

[troutman]

Originally Posted by albertGQ

IMO, you can't compare the two. Its apples and oranges. Just like bottled water and gasoline

Actually, you can compare apples and oranges. Why not?

[Vulcan]

The difference for me is that I need the gas in order to function. It has become a necessity.
The bottle of specialized water is a luxury that I can easily replace from the tap.
When I can replace the gas bought at the station from my tap, I'll accept the argument comparing water to gas.
The people defending the gas prices probably work for or have a vested interest in the oil industry. Lots of people live on a fixed income and for them this is bad news.

[FurnaceFace]

Now, compare the price of gas in Canada to Europe. We're much less.

This is a world comparison from, shockingly, CNN Money:
http://money.cnn.com/pf/features/lis...bal_gasprices/

Or closer to home, here's a break down of taxes vs costs for what you pay at the pump and comparison vs other countries.
http://www.fin.gc.ca/toce/2005/gas_tax-e.html

[RougeUnderoos]

The thing that makes me scratch my head about gas-price griping is that nobody applies the same logic to other products. If something becomes too expensive for me, I stop buying it, or I buy less of it, or I stretch what I do buy out a little more. For a lot of people though this rather straightforward approach is unfathomable when it comes to gasoline.

Like is it not possible to use less gas? I find it hard to believe that anyone out there absolutely needs every drop of gas they can get and they can't afford to go with one drop less.

[Mr. Ski]

Originally Posted by FurnaceFace

This is a world comparison from, shockingly, CNN Money:
http://money.cnn.com/pf/features/lis...bal_gasprices/

We just need to pool some funds around here and order a tanker full from Venezuela! $0.12 a gallon, wow!