• 
• 

A lot of people feel the same. It's just their rotten luck that whenever they fill up their tanks, oil companies announce a price cut the next day.

Motorists have always groused about oil price movements. It seemed okay when the price was below Bt25 per litre. But

constant 50-satang hikes account for a large chunk of household bills now.

Formerly, for a car consuming 50 litres, the owner had to fork out Bt1,250 to fill up his tank.

As retail prices crept up by 50 satang per litre, that was the equivalent of Bt25 or 2 per cent each time.

And now? When retail petrol is Bt41 per litre, we have to spend Bt2,050 to fill the tank.

Moreover, in past years, Bt25 was enough for a one-dish meal, but now there are few places where you can buy a meal for that.

Being able to save money is good when our expenses are

rising exorbitantly. But instead of finding new ways of lowering

our consumption, we risk our mental stability with absurd

over-concern about oil price changes.

Some colleagues get so nervous every time they hear of a planned price increase, they rush out of the office before the petrol stations close.

Alas, there are many others with the same idea. So that same night, long lines of car are waiting to have their tanks filled.

They don't turn off their engines, so they're burning off more petrol as a result.

How much is really saved then? Not to mention the extra carbon-dioxide emissions.

As oil prices are volatile - as witnessed last week by a Bt1.50-per-litre increase in two days and an 80-satang cut the next day - motorists can go mad if they keep up this behaviour.

I can't imagine what would happen to them if they move to Los Angeles, where suburban stations sell cheaper petrol. If they live downtown, would they drive out of town for kilometres to fill up their tanks?