Thread: the price of fuel

Heavy Truck comment - You just pressed my button - "soapbox time"
Trucking companies don't pay for the road damage they create. They pay for it in their rego cost, and that is passed on to you cause you buy stuff truckies deliver to the shops you frequent, and the rego costs are built into the transport costs of the consumer item. User pays principle. You don't want trucks on the highways - don't buy non-local made items, otherwise ya got no right to whinge.
If you are concerned about trucks being dangerous - agitate for trucking companies to pay a decent wage to the drivers. The poor old drivers are getting paid so little that they have to make the choice between paying their families bills or taking dangerous risks in regards to hours behind the wheel. Their family's welfare will win out every time. Its the fat suited bugger that does the scheduling and wages that is putting other road users at risk. This problem has been around for decades - all that needs to happen is for there to be a whistle blower scheme for truckies, and a legal structure that closes down the company involved and sends the directors to jail for not overseeing the company in a manner that stamps out this illegal activity. Its easier to just blame the truckie and to bi%ch and whinge in a psudo-current affair program like "Today Tonight". Anyone see the 60 minutes program where truckies were actually breaking down over how they are getting treated, and the damage they are doing to themselves and their families to just make a wage? Remember seeing that girl crying cause she sees her dad 1 day a week and then he is coming off an amphetimine trip and sleeping for 20 hours. Or the small trucking company owner saying that he can't pay a living wage to his drivers and have them work legally 'cause the larger companies are having their drivers break the law just to keep their jobs?
Sure the truckies are breaking the law - but strange choices are made when you need to keep a roof over your families heads and food in their bellies.

4WD hysteria - if its legal and someone chooses to use one, then I think they should be left alone. I don't own a 4WD, but if someone chooses to own one, its their business. If you are scared of being hit by one, do a defensive driving course. Otherwise agitate to make them illegal for metro use unless needed for business purposes. Otherwise its all a bit too precious.
OIL costs - cost are high as demand is at an all time high and refining capacity is being exceeded by demand. Therefore it is sold at auction to the highest bidder. Don't blame OPEC, they are just managing an exhaustable resource for their long term benefit, which is smart.
Pant, Pant, Pant calming, calming, OK - off the soapbox.
Have a good one, and buy a falcon dedicated LPG.
Clinton

Originally Posted by Clinton1

Heavy Truck comment - You just pressed my button - "soapbox time"

Clinton

I didn't include the entire quote but it was all well put.

Originally Posted by outback

I do a tad of country driving myself. I don't think you have a clue what your'e on about.

Originally Posted by adrian

I don't think it's necessary to get personal.

If you think that's getting personal then you have confirmed my original post.

My grandpappa tells of a time when commoners were not allowed on the roads. I feel that increasing the fuel prices is the easiest way to clear the riff raff off my freeways. When I am driving to the snow in my 4wd or taking the kids to school I don’t want to be delayed by the common people ….. after all they have that public transport thingie.

Originally Posted by adrian

As I said, the public debate is getting a bit hysterical. We even had the case of a Sydney council talking about placing a parking levy on 4x4s because they take up more space. My landcruiser prado (most common 4x4) is shorter than a commodore and a falcon. The 100 series landcruiser is shorter than a falcon and only 14mm longer than the commodore.

This is hysterical - wanting to fine 4x4's for taking up room. I drive a Falchoon S/wagon and it doesn't fit in most car parking spots - too long.

Richard

These latest hikes in fuel pricing have me thinking I need a new job! I drive about 55kms return trip, half of it through city traffic (if Toowoomba can be called "city" ). I have a 2.6l EFI ute...2wheel drive folks!!...and I'm battling to pay the fuel bill now. I moved out of town about three years ago and really don't want to return. And all this woodie stuff on the Forum is inspiring me to pull the pin and make stuff for a living. But then I wonder if there'll be anyone left with spare cash to buy it!!

I seriously doubt whether our leaders in Canberra have any idea of what its like for most of us to live. When do you reckon was the last time little johnny had to actually pay for a tank of fuel? 20yrs ago is my bet.

Cheers,

Originally Posted by Sir Stinkalot

My grandpappa tells of a time when commoners were not allowed on the roads. I feel that increasing the fuel prices is the easiest way to clear the riff raff off my freeways. When I am driving to the snow in my 4wd or taking the kids to school I don’t want to be delayed by the common people ….. after all they have that public transport thingie.

Umm, shouldn't this be Prince Charles (AKA Al) saying this? Or has all the trolling or whatever it's called been stopped now :confused:

Mick

Originally Posted by outback

If you think that's getting personal then you have confirmed my original post.

Sorry, I must have misunderstood your remark. I didn't know that the "you" in "I don't think you have a clue what your'e on about" was actually refering to someone else.
My remarks about other drivers were of an empirical nature and although your first post in the thread was an extremely valuable contribution, I think it should have contained something a little more substantial than questioning my ability to have an opinion.

If you are concerned about trucks being dangerous - agitate for trucking companies to pay a decent wage to the drivers. The poor old drivers are getting paid so little that they have to make the choice between paying their families bills or taking dangerous risks in regards to hours behind the wheel.

Maybe if the drivers started saying "no", the trucking companies would have to do something about it. As it is, they have no problem getting drivers to do it. From their point of view, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Meanwhile there are loonies hurtling down the Hume in B doubles driving them as if they are station wagons. If it was me, I'd tell them to stick it because I don't care how hard it is to pay the bills, I couldn't live with knowing that I'd written off a family on their way home from their holidays.

This is not to say we should blame the drivers but they have as much power to do something about it as anybody. Saying that you do something dangerous because it's a choice between that and starving is a very poor argument for doing it.

This is not to say we should blame the drivers but they have as much power to do something about it as anybody. Saying that you do something dangerous because it's a choice between that and starving is a very poor argument for doing it.

:mad: :eek:
Yes, a poor argument from the outside looking in. Thats not how it works when you are in the situation. Sorry, SilentC - but REALLY? Come on, you can't really think like that can you?? Seriously??

So you are saying that a truckie has no choice but to put his life and others in danger by popping pills and driving like an idiot? Come on, you can't really think like that can you?? Seriously?? double :mad: :mad:

Again -

Saying that you do something dangerous because it's a choice between that and starving is a very poor argument for doing it.

Thats what the :mad: was for.
I have had the misfortune to have first hand experience with starving people, and people in other "just as bad" situations, so your use of the word starving really pushed my button. APOLOGIES.

If you meant that poor people get into stressful situations whereby they make poor decisions, which are largely affected by the stress in their life: and that they should just say "stuff it, I won't take that 1 in 1000 chance, I'll go bankrupt and my kids can get stuffed" - is that what you would do? I think that the tendency is to rationalise away the risks and to make lots of small decisions that add up to one big bad decision.

I find that poor people in stressful situations fight tooth and nail for their families. Thats why the double shift worker pulls a split shift of 7 hours + 7 hours (meaning an effective 16 hour day, 14 on minimum wage) and does it thinking "this will get the kid a new pair of footy boots", falls asleep at the wheel and gets wiped out on the road on the way home. Meanwhile old mate work supervisor is congratulated for his innovative personnel solutions and gets a rise.

If I have still offended you - I'll agree to disagree.
Again - I think the trucking company bosses should be held accountable, and jailed if they put peoples lives at risk by demanding that the drivers work 16 hours a day for days on end.

Originally Posted by journeyman Mick

Umm, shouldn't this be Prince Charles (AKA Al) saying this? Or has all the trolling or whatever it's called been stopped now :confused:

Mick

Sorry old chap one must have been taking a nap.
Whats a troll by the way?
God bless Mummy

Charles. :confused:

Originally Posted by DanP

1. It is a fact that 4x4's are safer than sedans. Even if you only take into consideration the improved vision from the higher seating position.
Dan

As far as I'm concerned... Now that I've truely experienced Aussie driving, you need all the protection you can get to survive the idiots that are on the roads here. I have never seen so many deliberately stupid drivers as I have here. Nothing personal but aussies are about the worst drivers I've ever seen.