Chicago Gas Prices are Really Hurting Bad! (Melrose Park, Ashland: hotels, home)

[Jesse69]

Just came back from a 10 day vacation to Israel and on the way home in a Prius Taxi I saw the price of 87 octane as $4.75 / gal, on the Shell Gas station at Ashland and North Ave. I have never seen regular that high before, and gas shouldn't be that expensive. Gas is so expensive that I rarely drive my 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan SXT which gets 12 mpg city stop n go driving. Rather, I use my fuel efficient 1999 Honda Civic HX M/T which gets me 22 to 32 mpg tank fills, mostly 85% city driving. But this car got me a 51.2 mpg tank fill driving all hwy from Chicago to Memphis during summer at 70 mph, so it's a really fuel efficient car. When I was driving it in Houston [less stoplights], I was getting 44 mpg tank fills.

Boy high gas prices hurt me. That's why I only drove my minivan 1245 miles in 1 year of ownership. It can go a month unused but the battery doesn't die down because I plug a 15W solar battery charger to the direct to battery 12V plug. Now I'm gonna use biking as much as possible to avoid driving, and last year I saved $117 in gas by using my biking for transportation.

How do you cope with high gas prices? Where do you fill up for gas?

I never fill up in the city too, to avoid city gas tax. I drive down North Ave to Melrose Park and fill up at Citgo or Food4Less, then I treat myself to a Culver's meal.

[linicx]

Our gas is under $4.00. How was your vacation?. Did you like the food and weather?

[bradjl2009]

The Midwest has had insane gas prices lately I've read. Glads its about $3.50 here in Pittsburgh.

[Vlajos]

Glad we don't have to drive too much.

[Jesse69]

Originally Posted by linicx

Our gas is under $4.00. How was your vacation?. Did you like the food and weather?

Tel Aviv beach had lots of pretty women. Breakfast and dinner buffets at all the hotels I stayed, but I only gained 1 lb coming back home. I saw the important religious places in Israel, like where Jesus was born, crucified, his jail, and his tomb. Saw the Wailing Wall too. But almost everything is expensive there, like a lamb shwarma pita with a diet Sprite cost $10. Airport marzipan candy = 16 shekels = > $4, yet I bought it in a Chicago store for $1.49. Tic Tac 6 shekels.

The weather was great and it never rained. I also floated in the Dead Sea and saw Masada.

[andrew61]

Originally Posted by Jesse69

How do you cope with high gas prices?

Didn't you ask this question once before?

I cope with high gas prices by not driving at all. Haven't owned a car since 2001. I sometimes use public transit to get around, but most of the time rely on my vintage 1961 feet. Lots of walking does my body good and is great exercise. Of course, it helps to live in a key neighborhood where going carless is easy.

[pnwmdk]

I "coped" with high gas prices the last time they shot up to insane levels by converting my work truck to propane. I pay a little over $2 a gallon, and get a couple mpg less than it did on gasoline.

However, I have no emissions inspection here, but they do in most areas and suburbs of Chicagoland, so I'm not sure what that means to converting a late model vehicle to propane. It's cleaner, cheaper, and if properly done, extends engine life by 2 or 3 times.

Does anyone know what the emissions policies are for alternative fuel conversions?

[jdiddy]

Numbers are fun.

[Lucky Clover]

Well, we do have the highest average for gas prices in the entire nation. Usually Chicago is near there, but Honolulu and a couple of California cities have it higher. But right now that's not the case.

USA and Canada Current Average Gas Prices By City/State/Province - GasBuddy.com

[noid_1985]

I live 5 miles away from my job and drive a Camry.....Doesn't phase me much except for my extra curricular activities on the weekend