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Automotive News & Views Are gas prices fueling your pain? 
10042 messages, Last post on Jul 12, 2008 at 3:07 PM
You are in the Automotive News & Views Forum. Your Hosts are steve_ & claires
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Replying to: kernick (Apr 22, 2008 8:47 am) Change in spending habits - you bet. We don't drive to the park 7 miles away any longer. We walk the kids to the one about a mile away. We are also trying to have "no drive" weekends. Friday night I combine my errands, grocery shopping, kid pickup, etc. into one big loop. I carpool on weekend activities rather than drive myself. It isn't as convenient but since my fill-up is $62 (and I DO pay $4/gal) v. under $40 a couple of years ago... you bet habits are changing.
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Replying to: Sylvia (Apr 22, 2008 12:48 pm) No that's incorrect. I work for a company that has its hourly-laborers on 2nd shift work M-Th, 10-hr shifts. They pay a 10% shift premium. Overtime at 150%-pay, is only paid after the first 40 hr are worked.
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Replying to: kernick (Apr 22, 2008 8:47 am) So when I look at where we are going in the auto industry I see that the trend is continuously combining more power, bigger vehicles WITH greater efficiency; It used to be that 250-300 HP was a big deal - sports car turf. (I'm talking post oil crisis, through the 80's and 90's) Now you can buy mainstream mid level sedans that are over 300HP. I sometimes wonder about the benefit of not looking to increase the HP on the Malibu, deciding that 250 (let's say) is enough, and trying to make it the most efficient. Agree that current sizes are big enough (anyone remember when the Accord was a small car?) weight is enough etc.... Just a thought. |
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Replying to: bpizzuti (Apr 22, 2008 9:16 am) I'll take you word on the price, but also consider the average Chinese worker is making $5,000 if lucky. The people in China buying cars are upper middle class, and might be making $15,000 - $20,000. So that is why I am saying other societies are dealing with the gas price. However their lifestyle might be living 3 miles from work, 1 car, and driving 5,000 miles/year. These other societies deal with a much higher relative price compared to their income. Here in the U.S. the typical worker is pulling in $40K? $50K? If I drive 10,000 miles/year at 25mpg  $3.50/gal gas = $1,400. $1,400 really isn't that much compared to our salaries! If gas goes to $4.00/gal then my gas bill would be $1,600. $200 more is not that much ( 3 months cable TV ). If you think these amounts are a lot, you have a lot of economic issues besides that. How you will pay for increasing health-care, college tuition, and retirement. You really need to consider a new career, or working another job, if those gasoline bills scare you. You have a much deeper problem.
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Replying to: kernick (Apr 22, 2008 1:19 pm) The issue with higher fuel prices is much more than the direct cost to the individual buying gas.... Higher fuel prices trickle through all the other things that we are all consuming. |
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Replying to: kernick (Apr 22, 2008 4:48 am) I spent two months is Cape May and was able to see the town a couple of those days. Its a very pretty town and would love to go back and see the town in a more relaxed unhurried way.
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Replying to: Sylvia (Apr 22, 2008 12:48 pm) I know of no company that pays overtime for going over 8 hours in a single day. All pay overtime after 40 hours, so working 4 ten hour days would not result in any over time. |
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Replying to: snakeweasel (Apr 22, 2008 2:11 pm) Well... I beg to differ. I worked for a company for 27 years, as both management and hourly, and hourly paid overtime was computed daily - so if you worked 10 hours in a day, 2 hours would be at an overtime rate. It all depends on the contract, and the applicable state laws
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Replying to: snakeweasel (Apr 22, 2008 2:11 pm) Plus, depending on how your contract is worded, even after 40 hours you're not necessarily going to get overtime. For instance, if you're purely straight salary, you get paid the same amount whether you put in 30 hours per week or 90. In my company, there are two classifications that they put you into...either "exempt" or "non-exempt". Basically, "exempt" just means you're "exempt" from getting overtime! Over the years, they worked at getting rid of the non-exempt positions. I actually pull a lot of OT, so back in 2001 when they switched me, I got a 10% raise to compensate for it. And I if I go over 40 hours in a week (actually, with us its 80 hours in a 2 week period), I still get paid, but it's just an hourly rate and not time and a half. But yeah, if I went to four 10 hour days instead of five 8 hour days, it wouldn't affect my paycheck any. Actually, I do remember one company where if you put in more than 8 hours in a day, they'd give you time and a half. I used to work part time for the Hecht Company, which was a division of May Company. I think they're Macy's now. I remember if I got in more than 8 hours in a day, I'd get time and a half for any additional time. I quit there back in 1996 though...I'm sure they've changed their ways since then. |
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Replying to: snakeweasel (Apr 22, 2008 2:05 pm) OTOH we do have cheap (relatively speaking) gas.
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