wtfdetroit needs to solve the energy crisis

[Fool]

When I lived in Chicago, I took the bus all the time. For a few weeks, I think Jesus was on my bus.

Jesus is always on your bus.

[b-diddy]

i rode detroit busses when i used to live w/ my mom (until i bought a big SUV).

i seriously have driven less than 10 miles in the last year or so. in chicago there is no need for a car. and honestly, the thought of driving in chicago (or even detroit) really sounds stressful now. i would only want a car if i lived in the country. probably the next car i buy will not run on crude oil. meaning its gonna be a while.

[Big Swami]

No seriously, there was this Hispanic guy in long robes, long hair, a beard, and carrying a wooden cross that got onto the bus every night.

One night the bus was completely empty except for me and some 80-year-old drunk Irish guy. And the Hispanic guy gets on the bus. The drunk old guy just stares at him silently for a few seconds, and then he turns to me and says "Jesus Christ!" Even Haysoos started cracking up.

[Fool]

lol

[geerussell]

To answer my own question, I used to commute into downtown detroit for years on the bus. Granted, this took a fortunate combination of having a job at the nexus of all the routes and living near a route that was well serviced.

During various stretches it was either detroit or smart buses depending on where I was living at the time.

Under those circumstances I found it to be a welcomed alternative to driving to work. A stress-free time to relax, read the newspaper, catch a nap, whatever.

After my job moved to the burbs, that idyllic public-transportation-enhanced situation ended as there is no bus service between where I live and my office. On the upside, it's only three miles away.

These days, bus trips are relatively few and far between for me but on the occasions when I did venture one, they showed up when the schedule said they would and were clean/well maintained.

I'd use them more often but the schedules in the burbs are really only made to serve standard commuting hours.

[b-diddy]

futures oil contracts almost got to 107 dollars overnight.

the most heavily traded option right now is april oil at 110 / barrell.

no doubt, this has alot to do with a flimsy US dollar. ive heard experts say expect it to drop back down to the 80's over the summer when the dollar gets back on its feet (and when demand will go up... hmmm).

[Glenn]

$4/gal gas on the way...

[geerussell]

When our demand goes up in the summer, they usually blame the refinery situation and regional seasonal blends for the price spikes. So we'll get screwed no matter what happens to the price of a barrel.

[b-diddy]

whats amazing is that analyists are saying this is just a buble caused by a cheep dollar... which is true in that the dollar has gotten its ass kicked for a while now, as everyone knows.

but seriously, whenever a news story comes out about how al the janitor didnt turn off the lights at the refinery on his way out, gas prices prices skyrocket.

my guess, and this is only a guess, if oil does go back down to 80/ barrell this summer, it will be there just for a minute, where everyone will be liquidating everything they own to get in on the action, and that 80 / barrell will be right back in the mid 90's in no time.

incidentally, if you bought an futures contract at $80 / barrell and it went up to 95, that would be a 15 dollar swing per barrell, and a win of $15,000. do to margins (leveraging) you could do this with just a few thousand dollars.

or, if you believe the experts, and think were headed back down soon, you could make even more if you bought near the top, say at 110 and then rode it down to 80, $30,000.

[b-diddy]

When our demand goes up in the summer, they usually blame the refinery situation and regional seasonal blends for the price spikes. So we'll get screwed no matter what happens to the price of a barrel.

another school of thought is that our demand wont go up this summer. no one has money. no one is going to be driving large distances at 4 per gallon.

i think ive read reports about gas prices not affecting demand as much as expected (maybe im confusing zip rants and real reports). i think 4 dollars might be the sticker shock that puts a dent in demand.