Fencing & Fuel

[foilfanatic]

Are you limiting your fencing due to fuel prices?

[catwood1]

I'm not, but my club is only 10 minutes away.

[Chafunkta]

Well, my practicing isn't really affected because, much like catwood1, my club is very close (but it's more like 5 min away). However, travelling to tournaments (4 hr+ away) is definitely going to be a problem. The hotel and event prices were a lot already, now I've got to battle with some seriously high gas prices, even if I do drive a Civic.

So what are we accomplishing with this poll? Is anyone going to tell me that they're not affected in any way by rising gas prices?

[Zilverzmurfen]

Originally Posted by Chafunkta

Is anyone going to tell me that they're not affected in any way by rising gas prices?

I will.

(It's so fun to hear you americans complain how "expensive" fuel is! LOL)

[catwood1]

Gas prices don't affect my fencing. I still go to my club, and I only ref at tournaments, and they pay for travel.

[downunder]

It's an issue for some referees here. With fuel prices at around £1.20 a litre (thats well over $10 a gallon for you lot), the 20p a mile that gets paid for travel allowances may not cover the fuel expenses.


But it hasn't affected me at all. I don't have a car as it is a waste of time, money and space when living in inner London.

[fatfencer]

Originally Posted by Zilverzmurfen

I will.

(It's so fun to hear you americans complain how "expensive" fuel is! LOL)

It would be fun to compare average commute times as well to get to the bottom of how gas prices affect people.

For example, in many major metropolitan areas around the world many people have better use of mass transit than we do here in the US. New York, DC, Boston, are excluded of course.

The US is much larger than many countries and we seem to drive a great deal more. Most of our cars have larger engines than in France for example.

Smaller European countries have had higher prices for decades but they drive smaller cars for smaller distances.

I bet when you factor in longer commutes and larger cars, we probably pay more than many Eurpoeans.

Sure you pay something like $9.00 USD per gallon but you probably drive a 1/4th what I do, for example. So my expenditure may be larger than yours due to social norms here in th US. Just a thought.

My commute is 40 miles to work, or, at least it was until recently.

Many Europeans tell me that they might drive an average of 40 miles per week since they use Mass transit to go to work and only drive their little Yugos and Trabants.

I have a large boat of a Mercedes Benz that gets 11 mpg in the city and 17 hwy miles per gallon. I drove 80 miles a DAY.

My fencing club is 54 miles away from me. so I spend a quarter tank of gas going to fencing.. probably more.

Hey f-net members.

If anyone has a diesel vehicle objectively worth $5k or less and wants to get rid of it can you PM me? I might just make you an offer you cant refuse.

FF

[uhl-mann]

Traveling too and from lessons to 4 different locations all within an hour of my home is expensive.

[DJ Apostrophe]

Attendance at our division tournaments seems to be down this year (disclaimer: I haven't done the hard data analysis that should be done) and I feel as though it is due at least in part to fuel prices. Our division isn't large geographically (most of the clubs are within a 2 hour drive for most members), but I still believe it is having an effect.

-w

[KShan5[PrFC]]

Originally Posted by DJ Apostrophe

Attendance at our division tournaments seems to be down this year (disclaimer: I haven't done the hard data analysis that should be done) and I feel as though it is due at least in part to fuel prices. Our division isn't large geographically (most of the clubs are within a 2 hour drive for most members), but I still believe it is having an effect.

-w

And didn't entry fees for divisional opens get raised this year too??

[DJ Apostrophe]

Originally Posted by KShan5[PrFC]

And didn't entry fees for divisional opens get raised this year too?

Fees for everything got raised.

Which may have an effect, but I think gas prices are more to blame.

The difference in cost between a $10 tournament and a $20 tournament is negligible for a large percentage of division members. You may be in the exception demographic (college students).

-w

[oiuyt]

*Notes the first and final poll options and that the poll is.... you know the rest*

-B

[seak]

It hasn't affected my practice, but I can't really afford to go to tournaments that are far away (3+ hours) without a gas buddy

[nylebuss]

Yea, pretty much high gas prices means no driving for me. I make 6 dollars an hour and having to work 15 hours just to pay for a tank of gas means my old bike is getting a lot more use. The closest club to me is about 15 miles away and thats pretty much a gallon of gas. Though that will change in a month when I move 10 miles closer to it and about 15 miles closer to school. But then you look at how "close" tournaments are and that's at the least a tank of gas either way. So it's either carpooling or borrowing my parents 60mpg hybrid.

[mrbiggs]

I don't have a car, so no.

[journalmom]

Originally Posted by Chafunkta

However, travelling to tournaments (4 hr+ away) is definitely going to be a problem. The hotel and event prices were a lot already, now I've got to battle with some seriously high gas prices, even if I do drive a Civic.

I use to drive my two kids to the club 10 minutes away with their fencing bags in the trunk that barely fit them. So last Spring, I traded in my car and leased a large SUV so that I can fit their bags comfortably.
Fast forward to present......their coach moved 25 miles away so now I have to drive my gas guzzler 3-4 times a week (ouch!) but to make matters worse, the kids now have lockers so I don't need the trunk space to boot. (double ouch!!) With $4.59 a gallon, $100/week in gas is what I pay. But I still have to drive them since they are minors and they need their lessons. So, long story short, gas price hasn't affected their fencing even if I'm paying extra these days.

But I do screen more carefully as to which tournament is worth driving to. I don't take them to as many tournaments as I use to. I'll drive only to those that are worth investing additional gas money to. It only makes economic sense.

[Phincer]

I just made the round trip to drop off fencer to camp downtown. 50 miles total. So that's 100 miles a day. When using the HOV lane to by-pass traffic in a.m. and p.m., that's 25+ mpg. I'm saying $15/day for gas X 10 days...added to the $550 for two weeks of camp...OUCH!!!

Edit: So, no, the price of gas hasn't affected fencing time, but then again, Dear Fencer heads to college in the fall, and we're just gritting our teeth and paying through the nose for this last summer.

Anyone want to purchase my upcoming cookbook "101 Recipes for Rice and Beans"?

[epeemike81]

Originally Posted by downunder

It's an issue for some referees here. With fuel prices at around £1.20 a litre (thats well over $10 a gallon for you lot), the 20p a mile that gets paid for travel allowances may not cover the fuel expenses.


But it hasn't affected me at all. I don't have a car as it is a waste of time, money and space when living in inner London.

£1.20/liter x 3.784 liters/gallon x $1.9619/£1 = $8.91/Gallon....

not exactly "Well over $10 a gallon"...

-m

[oiuyt]

Ah, but see, he meant IMPERIAL gallons (which, of course, we don't use).

£1.20/liter x 4.546 liters/Imp. gallon x $1.9619/£1 = $10.70/Imp. Gallon

-B

[Fencergrl]

Gas is $1.42 per litre in Vancouver Canada. It would be about $1/litre if they removed all the bloody tax. Instead they're planning to add more.

Is it affecting me? Mostly I find it irritating. I've always been a biker/ walker/ bus taker. These days I need my car for my work and my husband needs it because of his disability. Neither of us have much of a choice. I'm considering raising what I charge as this increase has affected not just my fuel, but my standard of living costs (food, equipment, etc...).

I briefly considered not going camping this year (as it's a 16 hour drive in 1965 Chev with nearly a metric ton of gear). Then I remembered we didn't go last year. Averaged out over the two years... I'm ahead of what it cost us in previous years.