How greedy can they get?.

carlaeb

Oh this is exactly what I meant! There are plenty of cheaper places if you don't want to spend the money. I think this is wise- I do the same thing.

I only meant that the owner who is charging MORE is doing so because people are willing to pay. This is perfectly natural. He would be stupid to charge less if his main goal is money. Perhaps this is a less sustainable business model or perhaps he has a different set of clients than the shack you frequent. But the point is that the more expensive places charge more because people pay more. I would expect nothing different from businessmen trying to make more money where it can be made. This is natural.

I did not mean that YOU should pay more!

stevebenaulim

)Very true, i agree with what you say,
if one was on a tight budget, eat in
Margao or any Indian town or city, a good
veg thali meal 20rp to 30rp.
Drink feni not beer.
I do eat a thali when in town,
but im afraid feni is a no, no, i stick to
kings.
Tourists and long termers are chalk and cheese.
I was a tourist many years ago, and yes, i didnt even
think of prices, but as a long termer (9years), things
are different, but i still enjoy, most things.

carlaeb

I think I understand what you are getting at, but this would not work in most of the US. I'm not sure where you are. Ten dollars would get me just over two gallons. For most Americans, this is not even enough gas to get to work and back, so they would have to stop multiple times a day.

Then the other problem is heating. Half the country is extremely cold for half the year, and a lot of the energy crisis here is due to heating homes and businesses. People pay 300 dollars A MONTH in heating their homes.

capt_mahajan

Though that is true, the fact is, that, one way or another, the US consumes a quarter of the worlds energy with five percent of its population, give or take.


http://www.worldpopulationbalance.org/pop/energy/

carlaeb

No doubt, but that doesn't change the reality of the situation.

stevebenaulim

On a happy note, i started this thread on the 26th july,
and ive had 170 replies, not all from me.
Im going for a beer.

capt_mahajan

It should, somewhat.

Energy consumption is a culture too. I think the average Western European, for instance, would naturally consume less energy than a North American, all other things being equal. Europe can get very cold too for long periods.

crvlvr

i am glad prices are going up. People are finally considering reducing their consumption.

stevebenaulim

Not my kings!!!!!!

carlaeb

Yes, but that was not what the post was about. It was about consuming gas at 10 bucks at a time. This is not practical with the way things are. You would have to make major changes, which I agree with but that was not what the post was about.

Also, the comparison with Western Europe is not accurate. In the first place, the cities are organized differently, regardless of how things SHOULD be. If most middle class Americans were forced to give up their long commutes, they would lose either their job or their home. You can't tell them to cut back on gasoline without offering them a solution to this problem. There are all sorts of solutions that they SHOULD demand, and now that the gas prices are so "high", they are starting to make those demands. But it isnt fair to compare their level of gas consumption to that of Western Europeans when the geography and cities are organized so much differently.

Second, you are incorrect about the weather. While there are certainly loads of cold places in Western Europe, if you compare the region as a whole to the populated areas of North America as a whole, you will find that there is MUCH more snowfall for a much longer period of time across a much larger region in North America. Also, it is easier for each nation to deal with its own weather related energy needs as the countries of Western Europe can generally fit inside Texas.

By the way, I'm certainly of the opinion that North Americans over consume and that major changes need to happen, so I'm not making excuses. I'm just saying that we have to face the reality of the situation and not simplify things by assuming that one group of people is just making more responsible choices than another.

Now, if you want to make that argument about governments rather than about people themselves, then I'm right there with you.

Gametotravel

Quote"Yes, but that was not what the post was about. It was about consuming gas at 10 bucks at a time. This is not practical with the way things are. You would have to make major changes, which I agree with but that was not what the post was about."

I had cut and pasted the teachings as it had come to me through one of the mutual fund companies I represent. This was in context of the sudden inflation India is facing and also the stock market dip which has taken place. It is not as if indians buy in big quantities and store but teaching was to somehow arrest the sudden increase in prices by taking some measures.

Ultimately people do get used to essential commodities and services prices whether there is an equivalent increase in earnings or not and by that time the prices start to rise again!

bruce3404

One of the many reasons that gasoline consumption differs between the U.S. and W Europe is our lack of good railway/mass transit systems. In a lot of cases, there is no choice but to drive. In those cities with good mass transit, people who used to drive are flocking to mass transit. Unfortunately, our current government has done nothing to encourage future development of inter-city mass transit or the upgrade of our poor Amtrak system. We can only hope that the new government will be a lot more energy conscious than Bush and his gang of oil cronies.

Honey Bee

Again Goa is getting worried about its tourist trade, as reported in the Times of India to-day.

UK tourists being the backbone of the tourist industry http://www.goanvoice.org.uk

Do you think now that they will be having a reality check, and realise that tourists are not going to put up with dual pricing.

capt_mahajan

is when all realise that british tourists are far from the backbone, however much a (seemingly) UK based setup wants to think so.

rish

UK tourists are backbone of tourist industry and not Goan Economy.

Unfortunately all the big bucks in Goa are coming from Mining and real estate business, with Agriculture suffering in recent years. Anything that is easy money is harmful for Goans themselves, since gains are for short term.

Unless genuine industries come to Goa, there is no solution to this problem. I don't think Tourism is a part of the solution - it is seasonal and how much it genuinely helps the average Goan will always be debated.