gas prices on the rise

It is painfully clear every time we fill up our gas tanks that gas prices have continued to increase.  Latest news say that the average price per gallon in the U.S. has reached over $4.00.  Crude oil and fuel costs have increased in 2008 because of many reasons.  One reason that interested me most was because of the decrease in the U.S. dollar.  We buy oil from other countries with U.S. dollars; so when the dollar is worth less, gas prices are more costly.  This reason seems quite obvious, yet since I failed to notice this reason, it has become even more shocking.  When living in Europe last year, I quickly became aware of the value of the U.S. dollar.  I figured that it would only affect me when I was in another country, trying to live off my money in their economy.  But I've overlooked that every product that is connected outside the country affects me greatly here.  The media usually doesn't speak of the numerous reasons that add up to the increase in fuel, but rather focuses on the more controversial reasons.

  

Another reason I thought interesting for gas price increase is within it's distribution. Operators, truckers, and station owners all affect the price in gasoline.  There is even a level of competition within stations.  I was in a grocery store the other day waiting in line to check-out, when I read a sign that stated if you spend more than $100 at the store, you get $0.10 off per gallon of gas at their station.  If you spend anything between $1-$99.99 you get $0.03 off per gallon.  This seemed like a very good deal until I walked out to realize that their prices per gallon are about $0.04 higher than the gas stations down the street not affiliated with a grocery store.  So, unless you spend over $100, you are actually paying more than the average.  In reading the notice in the store, the text seemed so great and promising.  

 

What I failed to do as a reader was take into account the context of the text.  The distribution context of the text was in a good place for success.  While waiting in a check-out line a customer is more likely to read something, rather than stop while in an aisle searching for food to read it.  It is also the last thing that the customer is thinking about as they leave and get into their car.  This text targets and catches an audience that is often in a hurry and enjoys finding savings.  

 

No help from the constant reminder of driving a car, gas price increases continue to annoy and anger us as consumers.  This is extremely understandable in todays economy, yet, why isn't it newsworthy the fact that deaths in American oil fields has risen sharply in the past 6 years?  Perhaps by ignoring this, it seems that we are saying it's almost necessary for death tolls to increase in order to have a potential for lower gas prices in the U.S.   After all, if we could get more oil from within the county, then it wouldn't matter much in this case that the value of the dollar has decreased.

gas prices

U.S. oilfield deaths rise sharply