US Polonians complain about petrol prices...

Polonians complain about the price of petrol in the USA until they come to Poland or hear from rellies that in Poland it runs about $9 per US gallon. And there is no end in sight. By year's end it may be closer to $12 - $15.

Perhaps Americans will finally wise up and cut back on those hulky-bulky, fuel-guzzling SUVs. There are so many of those view-obstructing monstrosities about (roughly one-hałf of the vehicels on the road) that if you drive a normal car (hatchback, saloon, estate), you may have a hard time finding it at those sprawling car parks that surrounding the shopping malls. Those oversized, overpriced and over-consuming heavyweights would be understandable if one's a commercial traveller driving from Baltimore to Minneaoplis every week, but many are driven to and from work in city traffic, only adding to the congestion, air-pollution and time it takes to get there.

ever think some people like their oversized car and dont worry much about gas prices?

I know someone with a pointless (IMO)hummer. I talk to him about the gas prices and he doesn't care. He said "Well, if you can afford to buy an expensive suv then you can afford the gas for it". I have a VW GTI and the prices are still killing me.

Yeah, let them come to the UK - 1 litre of petrol = £1.15, on some remote islands £1.40...

Polonians complaining for no good reason?

What is the world coming to?

A fuel tax (also known as a petrol tax, gasoline tax, gas tax or fuel duty) is a sales tax imposed on the sale of fuel. In the United States, the funds are often dedicated to transportation, or roads, so that the fuel tax is considered by many a user fee. In other countries, the fuel tax is a source of general revenue, which pays for many projects. So let us see if the price of fuel is really different when you subtract tax?

UK


US


Take the average price per gallon in UK 8.47 as of 5/26 and US 4.16 subtract tax

US = 3.69/gal
UK = 3.31/gal

Actually there is not that much different now is it, and the price is actually cheaper by 38c in UK

We are paying less but we have to drive more. Americans city are different than European and a lot cities here do not have a good public transportation. How many people in Poland have to drive really far to work, how many people can not go to buy groceries without a car? Switching to smaller cars will not happen overnight. Comparing Poland and USA does not make sense. Due to a weak dollar gasoline prices are higher here if you exclude taxes.

We are quite spoiled in The USA. The convenience of driving is what counts. I would not like to share my ride to work with lots of sweaty people, even it is so much cheaper. America is in love in their cars. They'd rather sit in the traffic for 2 hours than get on a Metra or "L" train. That's the way it is - now.

I (they) would rather commute in a car. Some people do have a choice to go to Chicago by public transportation, but they simply will not.

The public transportation does not go everywhere and often you don't have a choice, especially in the suburbs, if you don't have a car - you're simply stuck.

What are polonians?


You mean the price of gas.


I know what's a hatchback - but what are saloons and estates? Are they some kind of Polish or European classification of cars?

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IMO you drive what you enjoy and what you can afford. Some may like a $7,000 3-cylinder ISUSU, others may prefer a $35,000 Chevy Suburban. It's a free country, my friend.

ummmmmm no good reason?? i'd say gas prices are a valid thing to complain about!

I haven't seen a $7000 car on the market in a LONG time. Is that a used Isuzu?

"It's a free country."

I'm sure it's for sale, but I don't think it's free. I never understand what people mean by this statement. But probably this is one of those debate tricks where, if you disagree, then you look unpatriotic (albeit an antiquated sentiment) whereas all it really amounts to saying is "I should be allowed to do whatever I want". I don't agree with this and I hope most people don't. The situation is that everything you do has some effect on everything else. And when you burn more than your share of gas you deplete everyone's resource, not to mention worsen everyone's air quality. And then there's the extra rubber that gets rubbed onto the ground and the extra (quite nasty) fluids that are exchanged (I think gear oil is the worst in terms of nastiness x frequency of exchange). And finally, after you get done being free in your country to simply throw away the car and get a new one, all that glass and metal and artificial interior crap gets to sit in a junk yard. You should have to store all of your old fluids and tires in your living room, and your old car, too, when you get tired of playing with it like an apathetic jerk.

Unfortunately, this diverse car culture leads to the dilema that, while driving a smaller car is generally better on the resources and environment, it is unsafe due to the jackasses in their monster tanks on their cell phones. For instance, one of the greatest cars ever produced, our 94 Corolla, was slammed from behind at a crosswalk by a careless F-250 driver. We couldn't even see any damage to his 50 million ton bumper, but the insurance company totalled our poor baby. So, just like that, not running over the pedestrians in the cross-walk cost us about $5,000 (the difference we have to pay out of pocket to regain a car in good condition) and an irreplaceable vehicle while the jackass probably hasn't even batted an eye since.