When we start rationing gas, what should the limits be?

[taterguy]

Poll question: When we start rationing gas, what should the limits be?

[MercutioATC]

1. Why would we ration gas? There's no shortage.

If there ever would be a shortage and we were forced to ration, enough for a person to get to work and run errands every day plus a percentage for leisure travel would be appropriate...

...but it all depends on the extremity of the shortage.

[taterguy]

2. Who determines how much is enough for a person to get to work?

[MercutioATC]

4. MPG x distance in miles to work x 2

Pretty simple formula.

[taterguy]

6. Don't lots of folks own more than one vehicle?

[MercutioATC]

8. Do they drive both of them to work every day?

I think it'd probably be safe to assume that they're only driving one at a time.

[taterguy]

10. The ration would have to be set in advance

So how do you go about determining ahead of time which vehicle gets used?

[MercutioATC]

12. Again, tell me WHY we're hypothetically rationing gas?

If its due to a shortage, the ration amount would be based on supply, not demand.

They'd probably take the average MPG of cars driven by Americans and apply it to the formula.

[taterguy]

15. Just thought it would be a fun hypothetical

And unless everything we know about geology is wrong it's a decision we're going to have to make one of these days

[MercutioATC]

17. If it's an actual shortage, the number would have to be based on available supply.

It might be a good idea to give people the gas they need to get back and forth to work, but there might not be adequate supply for that.

[taterguy]

19. What about all the people who live within 3 miles of work?

How much gas do they need?

[MercutioATC]

22. Less than those who live 30 miles from work.

[taterguy]

23. How much less?

[MercutioATC]

24. Jesus! Who cares?

If gas was ever rationed, they'd probably just issue a set amount to everybody based on available supply.

[taterguy]

25. If I didn't care I wouldn't have asked

[Taverner]

3. 20 gallons a week would be good

For a start...that is

[MercutioATC]

7. That'd work for me, but not for some...

...again, WHY are we rationing gas (hypothetically)?

If there was a true shortage, rationing would be based more on the limited supply than the demand.

[Taverner]

9. Not sure

I'm just giving a perfect scenario for the average American

I also think folks should be able to sell their ration cards, so if they don't need the gas, they can sell it at farmer's markets.

[ejpoeta]

5. hopefully there will be alternatives by then.

[Gregorian]

11. Endless amounts. No limits. Americans must not have limits.

Limits is a dirty word.

I just got back from my weekly grocery trip. And even in the so-called quaint town of Mendocino it is absolutely fucking ridiculous how many cars are on the road. It's almost as though everyone who lives here is in their car right now. I'm ashamed of my fellow humans. It's shameful. Not just what we're doing to the planet, but our addiction. Our dependency.

I can't wait until we run out. Honestly. I just want this madness over.

[taterguy]

16. You better hope you have a large supply of asbestos

Or that people don't bother reading the last line of your post

[Gregorian]

31. We lived without gasoline for all or our previous history, except the tiny last 100 years.

Where that thinking leads to is no longer valid though. And this is what has me most frightened right now. And again, it comes back to population. We could live off the land 100 years ago. Now we cannot. So going back to a day without gasoline is a catastrophe. But living like we are is a disaster. So which is it going to be? This is our present dilemma. And even the economy is based upon it. The "bubbles" are based on resources. This all goes back to what we find on the ground. Oil, coal, water, food... So really, gasoline was awesome. It's the population that is the problem. With a million people burning fuel the planet can handle it. Billions, it can't handle.

[gratuitous]

13. I'll happily be a black marketeer

Gimme my ration stamps, and I'll be glad to sell them. Delivery included if you're within bicycling distance.

Hee, hee, hee.

[taterguy]

18. How the hell do you carry gasoline on a bicycle?

Sure hope you don't smoke

[gratuitous]

26. Ration stamps, not actual gasoline

So, how many can I put you down for?

Ka ching!

[taterguy]

27. What's bicycling distance? How many miles are we talking about?

[gratuitous]

29. Okay, North Carolina's a tad far

Let's see. Put down 6, carry 2 . . . Hmmm. So, you say you're an investment banker? No? I'm afraid it's not going to pencil out from Oregon.

[Obamanaut]

30. Two five gallon containers on a trailer behind the bicycle. nt

[TheCowsCameHome]

14. No more than a tankfull at a time.

Otherwise it's a potential fire hazard.

[Arctic Dave]

20. Enought to set my neighbors Hummer on fire.

:evilgrin: That's all I need for now.

[taterguy]

21. How much gas would be used by the fire trucks that responded to that?

[Arctic Dave]

28. None. BRT run on diesel.

[TahitiNut]

32. It depends on the objective of the rationing.

If it's solely to reduce consumption, then the reduction target should be normalized and a median monthly consumption calculated by CLASS of ration allotment. The ration would then become a 'gray market' entitlement, where those with lesser needs than the ration for their class can sell their surplus ration.

From an economic perspective, it makes more sense to enact rationing (by fiat) than allow private global corporations to fatten their coffers by imposing "price-rationing." If it's done under the corporatist model of "free market" controls, then solely the wealthy are enriched by the supply restrictions. If done by ration cards (a la WW2) then the people who reduce their consumption the MOST (usually the working poor) obtain a marketable entitlement - their excess ration.


We had ration cards in Viet Nam ... for cigarettes, beer, and booze. The guys who didn't smoke could sell (or give away) their cigarette rations. The guys who didn't drink could sell (or give away) their beer/booze rations. The military met their objective of keeping a lid on the amount of such items they had to supply (and limit the amount that went into the black market) and the grunts could benefit by not being consumers. It worked.

[Fading Captain]

33. The eco-fascists can suck my balls

Some people work for a living. And we can't always work a bike ride away. I drive 40 minutes to and from work every day in my little Ford Focus (Eco Fascists usually never buy union-made cars and don't care about supporting American jobs). If I could work in my field, closer to my house, I would.
But I'm sure the eco-facists could centrally plan the economy, too. I might just have to work as fruit stocker at the co-op, is all, and sell my house at a loss to begin renting from the commune.

[taterguy]

37. Would you want someone that you hated to have their teeth next to your balls?

I'm not that trusting

[Occam Bandage]

34. Why would we be rationing gas? Your answer determines mine.

[jmowreader]

35. If gas was rationed there would be a large secondary market in gas coupons

If the government allotted 100 gallons per week to each household, all the people who burn 20 gallons per week would sell the coupons for the other 80 gallons on an open market. It would be an incentive to conserve fuel because 80 gallons' worth of gas coupons at a dollar a gallon (or whatever the going rate would be) means $320 extra per month for doing no work at all--and who can't use an extra $320?

[Dreamer Tatum]

36. Prices ration gas.

Get a gas station and charge a nickel for a gallon, and see for yourself.