12-01-2023, 08:30 AM | #111 | |
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This shows otherwise. It does state that between 2019 and 2021 travel expenses dropped, but thats because of COVID, and theres a lot of folks that have maintained that stay home lifestyle since COVID. "In 2022, transportation was the second largest household expenditure behind housing, accounting for 15% of average household spending." " In 2022, the household making less than $25,000 (the lowest income quintile) spent 30% of their after-tax income on transportation while those in the highest fifth by household income spent 12% (Figure 1)." https://www.bts.dot.gov/data-spotlig...-it-affordable Judging by your stable, and like many of here, you are probably comfortable financially and travel costs are likely not a concern, but most of the country is not comfortable financially and fuel costs are absolutely a concern. I can't even keep track of how many times I've had friends/family have to cancel plans because they need to save the gas money for something else, or how many times I've had to pay for a Soldiers tank of fuel so they can get to drill (and then receive a paycheck that barely covers what it costs them to go to drill). It is very far from a "nothing burger".
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12-01-2023, 08:59 AM | #112 |
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Americans complaining about fuel costs does my head in. A) your fuel is dirt cheap on a world scale and B) you drive the most ridiculously large vehicles.
8 seater SUV are everywhere, trucks are everywhere, it's insane how big your vehicles are. |
12-01-2023, 09:25 AM | #113 |
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It's a little more complex than that. It is dirt cheap relative to other countries, but Americans pay more for fuel than other countries because we drive more, a lot more.
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12-01-2023, 09:35 AM | #114 |
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You also own massive vehicles with massive engines. Those 8 seater behemoth SUV with V8's do my head in, get a minivan.
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12-01-2023, 09:53 AM | #115 | |
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My Boys III by Andrew Thompson, on Flickr |
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12-01-2023, 11:08 AM | #116 | |
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Also I'm sure it depends a lot on the individual situation. In my case we both work from home and typically don't go more than a couple of miles around the house on any given day. We do occasionally drive 50-70 miles each way to see family, but it's maybe once a month or so. Plus we have the EV which we drive 90% of the time when we are here. So for me the fuel economy of my ICE vehicles doesn't really matter. Also I can afford to pay it. On the other hand I have a friend who drives around all day for work and puts a shit ton of miles every year AND he lives in CA where gas is like a million dollars a gallon. So for him it may matter more. |
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12-01-2023, 12:42 PM | #119 | |
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Pull a 4,000lb trailer with an SUV and everyone looks at you like you're insane and wreckless. And the really stupid thing is, most new trucks you buy now have a bed that you can't even put a sheet of plywood in without it hanging off the end. Hook up a boat and the suspension sags so bad you're looking at the trees when you drive. MOST truck owners never use their truck for truck things.
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12-01-2023, 12:50 PM | #120 |
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It's true.. we have too many useless sized vehicles on the roads too. And they're usually the ones who complain first about gas prices. Our car markets follow yours tho. Small cars aren't available anymore.
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12-01-2023, 12:54 PM | #121 |
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I generally see the same vehicles in Canada and when they are visiting down here in the USA....especially those huge RVs.
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12-01-2023, 01:00 PM | #123 |
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USA/Canada, same shit different smell. I'm comparing it to the rest of the world but in saying that your gas is way cheaper and your fleet is still much larger. Biggest selling car here for eons was the Civic.
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12-01-2023, 01:08 PM | #124 | |
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I agree, there are many people in the US that drive big trucks and SUVs, but don't really use them or if they do, it's like a few times a year otherwise the truck is like a car. But just don't pick on those with big vehicles. My wife drives a 2020 4Runner and that's not an overly large SUV and it gets 17-19mpg max. Toyota sells a ton of 4Runners in Canada. Just saying. Don't be so mad because we have cheap fuel. Also, don't forget the Canadian dollar is 27% higher than the US dollar so when you constantly bring Canadian costs in your posts, it is not an apples or oranges comparison. Your housing is a bit more expensive, but your food, utility, insurance, and healthcare costs are lower. Your perspective is also a bit skewed given you live in one of the most expensive cities in Canada. With all things considered, the cost of living differences, on average, in Canada and the US are not much different.
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12-01-2023, 01:39 PM | #125 |
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True, when I lived in Stuttgart, I could be in France in less than an hour, Zurich in about two hours and other surrounding countries within four hours drive. I can drive for four hours in Virginia and still not be out of state.
Also our population density is much lower so mass transit doesn’t seem to work well here. Large towns in Europe are much closer to one another. |
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12-01-2023, 01:42 PM | #126 |
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Also true that my truck is more of a specialty machine I use for going to Home Depot or towing toys. I can’t do that with my other cars.
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12-01-2023, 02:31 PM | #127 | |
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Cost of living wise, it's hard to say. Gainfully employed in the USA with a good health insurance plan? Then you're miles in front of us here. Professional salaries are almost 1:1 before exchange. We have offices in both countries and if a PM costs $70K a yr in Canada, it's the same in the USA but in USD. So you're making the same money but paying less for most things and taxed way less. I ran some numbers and my wife and I lost about 59% of our earnings to taxation of one form or another last year. Now, if you're not on a professional salary in the USA or you don't have you're health covered, it's a world of hurt, granted. I'm not "mad" at your fuel costs, jealous, sure but not mad. What I don't understand is a family of four with a Yukon complaining about the cost of fuel. |
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12-01-2023, 08:27 PM | #130 |
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Systemically lower. Flat real fuel price, better fuel economy and higher incomes. And flat or slightly declining vehicle miles traveled.
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12-02-2023, 06:09 AM | #131 |
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funny how it doesn't take much for these threads to go off the rails....
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