Gaslighting

[msconduct]

 I've read a lot of complaints from people in the US recently about the price of gas, which seems to be about $3/gallon. I've always been vague about the conversion to litres, not just from gallons but from AMERICAN gallons, which I have no clue about at all. But I just looked it up and did the conversion. A US gallon of gas at $3.60 is around 95 cents a litre.

I'm crying. Gas, or petrol as we call it in New Zealand, is around $3 a litre, or more than three times the cost in the US. Other than a very brief dip in 2016, petrol hasn't been under $1/litre since 2000.

Comments

[kevin_standlee]

I think that it's a matter of faith to a significant number of 'Murikens that gasoline should cost about 5 cents/gallon, or be free, or maybe that they should pay us to take it away. Parking should similarly always be free and unlimited. And of course "freeways" are free, and cost nothing to build, and the guv'mint never does enough to keep them maintained, but they never should do any maintenance when it's personally inconvenient. Also, there shouldn't be taxes, because Freedom! And so forth.

Having said that, I note that gas prices here in Fernley where I live are significantly less expensive than they are in Reno, 50 km west of here. I always tell people driving from California into Nevada who are planning to keep going east (say to go to Salt Lake City, where this year's Westercon is) to never refuel in Reno. Wait until Fernley and save 50 cents/gallon.

[msconduct]

Exactly! My business partner was in the 90s seconded to the US for a while by IBM and she says someone said to her there "If gas goes above a dollar a gallon there'll be rioting!". Mind you, she was in Dallas.