Gas prices are plummeting

I heard on the news this morning that the price of fuel is expected to fall through the floor in some parts of the U.S., largely because there is plentiful supply, and extremely low demand.

However! Nobody should be tempted to take advantage of those low prices for any travel that isn't truly essential. One might argue that Recreation is essential for balance and is good for the soul, but under these circumstances, there are larger considerations, for our human community as a whole. Shelter in place means sit tight in one spot, even if your home has wheels, and the same good reasons that make drastic steps necessary for some of us should rightfully apply to everybody, across the board. That's every single one of us, folks. Please take it seriously! (IMHO!)

Rick

Actually, there were already a couple photos posted on various (I think Facebook) pages showing that price on signs.

Here in Joplin we have an unbranded c-store at $1.29 and Sam's Club at $1.42 today.

I'm with Rick on this one. "Nobody should be tempted to take advantage of those low prices for any travel that isn't truly essential." Remember that the novel coronavirus responsible for COVID-19 disease can remain viable for several days on hard surfaces such as gas pump handles. So to fill up your tank today means that you're coming in contact with everyone who's used that pump for the last three days or so. To me (I'm 'high risk') saving about $20 on a tank of gas is not worth endangering my life or the lives of the loved ones I will come in contact with while using all that 'cheap' gas.

AzBuck

Our San Diego area, most reasonably priced fuel:

Costco regular unl - $2.59.
Ultra Fuel diesel - $3.29.

My husband fueled up his premium vehicle about a week ago at Costco. I made him use hand sanitizer immediately afterward.


Donna

Oh, it is SO tempting to take advantage of such low gas prices. But... it would be a trip of death. Hunkering down.

It is the great contradiction of the pandemic.

Gas prices are at historic lows ($1.48 is the lowest I've seen so far, inflation adjusted that's closest to the cheapest prices of my lifetime), people either have more time off or the more flexibility to work remotely than ever before, and while normally that would be the perfect combination to hit the road, it's just not possible.

Four or five counties in the Denver area were told to shelter-in-place within the last few days, with fines imposed for being out in non-essential places. Counties are Denver, Pitkin, Boulder, and Arapahoe. Arapahoe County JUST got the order -- where my daughter and her family lives. Her King Soopers (grocery store) has fuel for $1.89 unl, $2.31 diesel.

We had to go out for an essential reason today (medicine). Went to start the diesel truck -- it would not do anything. AAA came out, BOTH batteries were dead. (Diesels often have 2 batteries.) It was an expensive morning, but the truck immediately fired up with two new batteries. One battery was 6 years old, he didn't say how old the other one was, but my thoughts were "5". (I'd have to go back and check our paperwork.)


Donna

Gas in my area varies from $2.55 at Costco to $3.25 at the Shell. We were out on a month trip when California was put into Shelter in place. We had already canceled plans twice and ended up coming home a week early. The last two places we camped we paid on the phone using our credit card so we wouldn’t have contact with anyone. We heard that all the campgrounds in California state parks were closed. We also saw that Rocky Mountain National Park is closed. We had already left Death Valley when we learned all the campgrounds had been closed. We even heard that some private campgrounds had closed but we didn’t experience that.

One of the main reasons we came home was we didn’t want to take the chance of getting sick on the road. We’re very glad we came home.

utahtea

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Utahtea

One of the main reasons we came home was we didn’t want to take the chance of getting sick on the road. We’re very glad we came home.

utahtea

---

Utahtea, thank you for saying that. I'm sure some folks are thinking, just as you did, that it's possible to carry on with a road trip without physically interacting with other people along the way. That's true, to an extent, but the thing is, none of us can control the unexpected. If someone was to get sick, or have any sort of an accident while traveling during this pandemic, they would find themselves at the mercy of a local or regional health care system that is likely to be strained beyond capacity dealing with local patients. Resources will be stretched thin everywhere; that's the message we're all hearing. In rural America, and in all of those less populated areas that beckon road trippers, those resources have always been critically thin; understaffed, and underfunded. During this extraordinary time, the last thing any of those places needs is extra business.

Bottom line: Stay home! It's best not to risk traveling right now. For your own sake, and, more importantly, for the sake of everyone else!

Rick

The Moab UT area made our local news a few nights ago, making that same statement, that they just didn't have the capacity to deal with tourists who came down with C-19. Hotels have to enquire about the reasons someone is checking in. Business locally? OK. Family locally? OK. Just to see Arches and Canyonlands? No, you can't check in.


Donna

One of the Conocos here has regular 87 10% for $1.09 today.

That is really hard to imagine. Thanks for sharing that price George!

Mark

It's down to $2.09 at Costco here in Phoenix. That's a fair bit cheaper than everywhere else in town, but the trend is most definitely downward!

Rick

Sam's Club is down to $1.22. National average just went under $2.