My Dad worked for Exxon for 32 years. Every Exxon will have (or should have) a sign saying "This Exxon is Independently owned and Operated by ________________. We appreciate your business." I've seen that sign for years.
Damn! I'm glad I sprung for a van that gets 24 mpg. It's still killing me to fill it up. We're lucky, we can afford it. Many people can't. It's really a trip to see these prices. I remember the "gas wars" in Houston, when gas got to the low 20's. (cents) Those are days long gone.
My friends dad had one as well but there was a class action suit a few years back against Exxon and they bought most of of the exxons back and they had to change to another gas station becuase they were slowly making most of them corporate. I am not sure if they are still independatly owned.
Back in the 1960's. Yes, I was driving back then, in the old Vomit Comet, with it's ferocious 2 speed automatic transmission, and it's "powerful" straight 6. (it was straight, I think. I wasn't) Drove the thing 'til it died. It had a hundred thousand miles on it when it was passed down to me by my sister, via my folks. She had graduated from UT and bought herself a new Olds. I used to race mopeds.
Someone is making a killing, but I think it's just a matter of supply and demand for all energies. The amount my company is paying for natural gas has skyrocketed.
My wife wouldn't let me consider a van...or was it the other way around. Anyway, I was able to talk her out of an Expedition (even though they were giving them away), and we got a car to go along with our aging Explorer. Maybe we'll get one of those Pathfinder hybrids.
Yeah I believe it depends from area to area around the country as to whether Exxon has any corporate owned stations. But they definitely have quite a few in Texas, as I also recall reading about the class action suit you mention.
It was for the kids. The thing can seat eight and when it's cruising, and not accelerating, 3 of the 6 cylinders go off line, so it really improves the mileage. And it runs on regular. We have that and an absolute clunker of a Toyota we keep driving because it's paid for and runs well. We're salivating over a couple of sedans, but the gas thing has us thinking of getting a different car than the one we've wanted. That's not a bad topic for a thread... will these gas prices make you buy a different car? We've been thinking of a Lexus 330, but it runs on premium, and the mileage, while decent, isn't what some alternatives have, like the Accord hybrid.
Yeah, our Explorer is a '98, but it's paid for also, so I understand. We already bought the car last month so too late for that changing. And it'll take a lot more than $4 per gallon before I ever considered giving up my M35. I think I'd just drive slower... and less.
Gas shmas. It would take a lot more than it's at now for me to change my driving habits or my car. My car's paid for and has at least another 90,000 miles to go (130,000 miles) before I think about getting a new one. The people I worry about with regards to gas prices are kids and anyone in general making under $10/hr and has a family, too. Those poor folks are working to pay for gas they use to go to work.
Including my fill up this morning, I spent $175 in gas this week (4.5 fillups total) thank God for my P.O.S. Sunfire that gets 25-28 MPG
