Lord Jim wrote:I have a question, (well a couple, actually) for our overseas participants who are paying these outrageous gas prices, (the Brits, the Aussies, and of course the faux American living in South Africa)
In your countries, are diesel prices comparable? Also, is there some type of two tiered system that gives a break in the pricing to commercial delivery vehicles? (Obviously, since the market price of a barrel of oil isn't any different for you then it is here, and refining costs are comparable, the difference must be accounted for by confiscatory tax levels, which the government could raise or lower.)
The reason I ask is, because if this isn't the case, then you guys must also be paying way more for any products that are delivered to brick and mortar retail stores, from produce to TV set, then we are. (and probably also considerably more even for things that are ordered online and home delivered since the trucks that work for whatever your equivalents of UPS and Fed Ex are, obviously also require gasoline.)
Are you guys paying four bucks for a head of lettuce?
Diesel is 38c more than Unleaded - so in your cents, 3.8 per litre more expensive. Taxis (i.e. minivans overloaded and with bald tires and drivers without licenses who dont stop at red lights) receive a government subsidy (rebate) for entirely social reasons involving equity and who the hell else will drive THERE anyway?
Head is more than four bucks. Except at that one robot down on Zastron after 11pm on a Wednesday.
So they say
Meade
For Christianity, by identifying truth with faith, must teach-and, properly understood, does teach-that any interference with the truth is immoral. A Christian with faith has nothing to fear from the facts
Down to $3.25 this morning, the lowest I can recall in some time.
As for the "discount" there is no other retail location where I automatically receive a discount for cash/aka a surcharge for using a credit card. Why are gas stations different?
And yes, I worked in retail from the time I could get a work permit at 16, through college, and even after, including for my Mom's shops. I'm quite familiar with the charges. I also assume the retailer has done the math regarding the card fees and the convenience/increased transactions. Do I have a problem with that? No - they don't have the take the cards if they don't want to. See, e.g., many small retailers who don't accept American Express.
“I ask no favor for my sex. All I ask of our brethren is that they take their feet off our necks.” ~ Ruth Bader Ginsburg, paraphrasing Sarah Moore Grimké
Gas station margins are pretty tight, so the 2-3% credit card fee really impacts them. If people are willing to pay cash why should they subsidize those who pay by card? As to why it is only gas stations and not other retailers that have seem to have this policy, I can't tell you other than most other retailers have a mix of high profit items they can make up the charge with. While traveling in rural western places, I've also see many hotels and restaurants who far prefer cash or even a check so they can avoid the bank fees on debit/credit cards.
Cheapest gas I seen here on the island is about $3.39 per gallon. I do have coupons from stop & shop and k-mart which knock off another $0.30 per gallon at BP stations.
Down in Texas (East side of Dallas) the cheapest I saw was $2.80 per gallon.
Diesel is 38c more than Unleaded - so in your cents, 3.8 per litre more expensive
Well let me stop you right there...
In this country, we don't have "litres"....
3.8 or otherwise...
So part of your Re-Americanization, (In addition to becoming re-aquainted with MLB and the NFL, and losing those Nancy Boy "sports") is obviously going to involve remembering how we measure things around here...
NO "litres" (unless it's a 750 mili litre bottle...)
And it's "miles" not "kilometers", and for the love of God, don't ever give the temperature in "degrees Celsius"...
Actually, much liquor is sold in meteric quantities as well. But jim, you are right, we don't have litres anymore than we have theatres. We have liters
