Another sign of rapture? Gas prices are finally falling around Ann Arbor
If you’re looking for a real sign of the apocalypse — what with the rapture scheduled to happen around 6 p.m. Saturday — here’s one that might do the trick:
Gas prices are falling. And probably will keep falling for at least the next week.
“It goes with expectations I had that prices will peak sometime in May and they definitely appear to have done that,” DeHaan said. “I can’t see a reason beyond a widespread failure that prices wouldn’t continue to drop.”
DeHaan attributed the drop in prices - which follows record-setting highs this month - to inventories of gasoline steadily increasing and refineries finishing up maintenance. The flooding along the Mississippi River has also spared many refineries.
In some areas of the state, such as the Flint area, prices for a gallon of gas have dipped under $3.60. DeHaan said the west side of the state has the highest prices on average in the state and the eastern edge of Michigan is dropping faster, which is good news for Ann Arbor area residents.
The average price in Ann Arbor right now is more than the state average at $3.96 for a gallon of regular gas. That’s 20 cents less than it was last week, according to GasBuddy.com figures.
DeHaan said it’s likely that prices will continue to drop next week, even with Memorial Day weekend looming next weekend, the traditional start of the summer driving season.
“I don’t expect prices to go up before Memorial Day weekend,” he said. “Based on what I’m seeing now, there’s no reason prices would go up.”
Kyle Feldscher covers K-12 education for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at kylefeldscher@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.
Comments
Jack Gladney
Sun, May 22, 2011 : 10:56 a.m.
Another sign of rapture? Do they still have grown ups as editors at the Ann Arbor News? How does that headline make any sense?
EyeHeartA2
Sun, May 22, 2011 : 3:04 a.m.
"Another Sign of the Rapture" I find this completely offensive. I believe that the end of the world WILL indeed occur on May 22, 2011. AA.coms poking fun at my dearly held beliefs is simply uncalled for. Wait. What day is it again? Oh, never mind.
Jon Saalberg
Sun, May 22, 2011 : 1:48 a.m.
What if this is it? The rapture is just, well, this. Now on with reality. I wonder if those folks can get their homes and stuff back. At least they still have the t-shirts. Though I think what they need are shirts that read "The rapture came and all I got was this t-shirt".
thorj97
Sun, May 22, 2011 : 1:09 a.m.
ut-oh, I think I'm 3 hours late for the rapture...
Ann English
Sat, May 21, 2011 : 11:42 p.m.
The Apocalypse comes about 7 years after the Rapture, but falling gas prices do fit Jesus warning us about His coming at an hour we do not expect Him (Matthew 24:44). High gas prices and grocery inflation fit the black horse of Revelation 6:5-6 better, and that Third Seal judgment takes place after the Rapture; it speaks of famine, of tenfold inflation for basic foods, but no price increase for luxuries.
jcj
Sat, May 21, 2011 : 11:13 p.m.
Boo I stand corrected. I was looking at old data. (March 2008) I could not see the date when I first looked. Getting too old for this stuff. Sallyxyz My apologies. Now I don't disagree with anything in your post.
treetowncartel
Sat, May 21, 2011 : 7:46 p.m.
Saw gas for $3.68 on Michigan ave in downtown Ypsi
jns131
Mon, May 23, 2011 : 2:24 p.m.
3.66 on Ford in Ypsi
John B.
Sat, May 21, 2011 : 7:29 p.m.
I wish gasoline were around $9 per gallon, but $5 is a good start.
loves_fall
Sun, May 22, 2011 : 12:09 a.m.
Easy for those with disposable income or easy access to usable public transportation to say.
sbbuilder
Sat, May 21, 2011 : 6:50 p.m.
The real question isn't about gas, but whether the price of grape cool-aid is skyrocketing.
loves_fall
Sun, May 22, 2011 : 12:07 a.m.
Well, post-rapture, that price should come down too.
Sallyxyz
Sat, May 21, 2011 : 3:16 p.m.
jcj writes: "Just for the record the price of oil has never been close to $1.50 a barrel. It has never closed over $1.04 a barrel." That's not what my post says. You miss read my post. I wrote that oil was close to $150/barrel 2 and a half years ago, and is around $100 now, not $1.50 and $1.04, as you state. A barrel of light sweet crude closed Friday at $99.91.
jcj
Sun, May 22, 2011 : 3:03 a.m.
a2citizen I did admit my mistake earlier. I stand corrected.
a2citizen
Sun, May 22, 2011 : 2:19 a.m.
For the record, on July 10, 2008 oil hit an intraday high of $147.27. On July 2, 2008 oil closed at $145.29 On July 10, 2008 oil closed at $145.08 On July 13, 2008 oil closed at $145.18 jcj, that's less than 3..5 % from $150.00
Boo Radley
Sat, May 21, 2011 : 10:04 p.m.
Except in July 2008 when it hit $147 per barrel?
jcj
Sat, May 21, 2011 : 4:35 p.m.
My mistake on the printing. Did you read the link? Oil has NEVER closed anywhere near $150.00 a barrel!
jcj
Sat, May 21, 2011 : 3:08 p.m.
Sallyxyz Just for the record the price of oil has never been close to $1.50 a barrel. It has never closed over $1.04 a barrel/ <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/03/business/worldbusiness/03cnd-oil.html" rel='nofollow'>http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/03/business/worldbusiness/03cnd-oil.html</a> That is the only thing I don't agree with in your post. And it is pathetic when we are 'happy" gas is "down" to about $3.90 a gal!
Tom Whitaker
Sat, May 21, 2011 : 6:58 p.m.
That article is from March 2008. Oil was going for over $145 per bbl in July of 2008.
Sallyxyz
Sat, May 21, 2011 : 2:58 p.m.
"I don't expect prices to go up before Memorial Day weekend," he said. "Based on what I'm seeing now, there's no reason prices would go up." Ha. Gas prices are all a scam. Speculators drive up prices on "possible" disruptions in the middle east, "possible" disruptions because of the Miss River flooding, none of which materialized. It's all about greed and gouging. Get ready. This is only a momentary reprieve. Two and a half years ago, when the price of a barrel of oil was close to $150, pump prices averaged $4.00. Now that a barrel of oil is around $100, pump prices are still close to $4.00/gallon. Gas prices are only going in one direction folks, up. So, you save 10 or 20 cents a gallon on a fill-up this week, compared to a month ago. Big deal, that's a total of $1.00 - $2.00 for 10 gallons of gas, which is costing close to $40 for 10 gallons. Gas is way overpriced due to speculators and market manipulation.
loves_fall
Sun, May 22, 2011 : 12:05 a.m.
I think their tactic is just to keep pushing and see where consumers break, and the goal is to keep pushing higher and higher. More reason for us to resist, I suppose.
johnnya2
Sun, May 22, 2011 : 12:03 a.m.
The entire american system is based on speculation. How much is a stock worth? Is it going to go up or down? That is pure speculation. So if you own stock, a 401K or any other investment it is all speculative. Even a savings account is based on speculation of what interest rates may be. Real estate did the same thing until it came crashing down. Internet stock did as well. Part of the issue is based on people not having REAL dollars in the game. It is all paper. They buy on margin, and hope to make their money quick. They never really OWNED it, they owned the right to buy and sell the commodity. By the way, I think gas prices should be around $8-10 per gallon. it will teach people how to be more efficient and not buy wasteful cars. It also makes alternative fuel research come along much faster.
Soothslayer
Sat, May 21, 2011 : 1:50 p.m.
The gas stations are going to need to spend the money they get in a hurry otherwise no one will care about it once the rapture starts.
David Cahill
Sat, May 21, 2011 : 1:11 p.m.
Gas prices dropped thirty cents in one day at our neighborhood station.
Soothslayer
Sat, May 21, 2011 : 1:51 p.m.
Sounds like your station/their parent company was gouging. The bottom fell out of oil and gas dropped at least a week ago but prices have remained high. Interesting right?
jcj
Sat, May 21, 2011 : 12:47 p.m.
It is getting to be pretty obvious. Need hits for advertising? Rule #1 Run the same story Ad nauseam if the original gets a significant amount of hits. Newest rule Insert a reference to a story that gets significant hits in any NEWS story. Speaking of Ad nauseam...
jns131
Sat, May 21, 2011 : 12:29 p.m.
So, with falling gas prices and the end of the world, does this mean I don't have to do laundry, mow the yard and cancel all activities this weekend? So, I guess this means I can sleep in until Monday. I can dig that. I just hope the alt universe is better then this one.
Soothslayer
Sat, May 21, 2011 : 1:52 p.m.
This Universe is pretty darn AWESOME as it is! Also not sure we'd be able to exist as we are in an alt universe.
Wolf's Bane
Sat, May 21, 2011 : 11:36 a.m.
Another sign of the Rapture? Really, this is news? I have a revised title, "IQ point falling at A2.com a sign of the Rapture?"