Sean Comey Quotations

Unless international tensions ease to the point where the cost of crude oil drops significantly, there's nothing to suggest that consumer fuel prices will be falling anytime in the near future.

With what's going on with the aftermath of the hurricane, I would expect prices to go up rather than down in September.

September will probably be an extremely unpleasant month at the pump. This goes to show that even if you're far away from where the hurricane hit, there's a ripple effect.

People who buy hybrids also want to support the innovative technology to spur a technological answer to the challenge of high fuel prices and dependence on foreign oil.

Fuel consumption rises two percent every year in California; yet we haven't built a refinery in years and a number of them have even closed. But no one wants a refinery in their backyard.

It costs more to make and it protects your air quality.

It is a tough crowd to try to convince. The message about what will happen, as far as how much money it will cost them and how they will lose their driving privileges if they get busted, seems to have more of an impact than (the message of) saving lives and preventing injuries.

Supply and demand are so related, if we all just save a couple gallons here and there it will have a dramatic effect on price.

I would not be surprised to see continued price increases at least in the short term. September could be an unpleasant month when it comes to fuel prices.

Typically, our prices are higher. But the effects of the hurricane were much more extreme in other parts of the country. So as bad as it was here, it was worse there.

We often see price increases in January. What's particularly troubling for consumers is that the average price for the first month of 2006 is starting at a much higher level than it did a year ago.

When California switched to ethanol, it was cheaper than the gas it was being mixed with - there was such a glut on the market. Now the demand for ethanol is way up.

We are entering the time of year when historically gas prices have tended to rise because consumption increases. We are starting out this season at a level that is much higher than last year, and last year was certainly no bargain at the gas pump.

We wish we could tell you there's light at the end of the tunnel, but it's probably an oncoming train.

Even though the hurricane was a long way away from us, it's still having an impact.

Crude oil is more expensive than it was after Hurricane Katrina. And we haven't had a natural disaster that is causing these high prices.

Drivers don't seem to be as concerned with current prices as they would have been in the past. Perhaps it's human nature. Once you've been through root canal without anesthetic, getting a filling doesn't seem nearly as scary as it used to be.

Drivers are now paying an average price that is 27 cents higher than a year ago. And last year was no picnic.

It would make sense that we'd start to see prices fall now that the storm has had less impact than was feared.

Prices are high -- the question is why? We have enough crude oil and gasoline to meet current demand, and yet the cost of fuel continues to cause budget concerns for many consumers.

Normally, that happens. There's no normal right now.

Young, inexperienced drivers are much more likely to be in fatal crashes at this time of year.

This is a reminder for pedestrians that they need to take an active role in protecting themselves. Some behave as if their status as a pedestrian envelops them in a magic force field that will protect them from an oncoming vehicle. Just because drivers are supposed to stop or swerve or yield doesn't guarantee they will.

This is not a lot to reassure the consumer. The only upside to high prices is that it should ensure a steady supply because there is an economic incentive to produce and ship it.

They're having a very good year, and that money is coming out of your pocket.

They're making as much money selling you a cup of coffee and doughnut as they do a tank of gasoline. They stay in business selling soda pop, cigarettes and lottery tickets.

It's been brutal. We saw an unprecedented increase in the cost of gasoline, pushing past the $3 per gallon level, but we are starting to see prices creeping back down again.

It's a pattern. Prices go up, consumers get angry, politicians investigate, nothing changes.

It's not like the government is going to come in and set price controls. (Fuel) is a commodity that's governed by the free market. Gasoline is like anything else; (corporations) will charge what people are willing to pay.

It's only inexpensive compared to an all-time, record-high price.

It's a very loaded term. The actual definition is determined by state governments, who define what taking 'unfair advantage' of a crisis is. Attorneys General monitor these situations closely.

Consumers are numb to these high prices. Some of this is what the market will bear. Part of the problem with higher prices is we set a new benchmark in our mind and $3 is the new record.

It's standard reasoning. When you have a commodity that's increased dramatically (in price), then it would attract the criminal element.

I've heard some alarmist predictions, but the industry is still taking stock of the damage caused by the storm and how long it will take to repair the infrastructure.

This is just the beginning. People tend to drive more as the weather warms up, and the resulting increase in consumption triggers higher fuel costs.

If somebody is an experienced car thief and they want to steal your car, they're probably going to get it. The key is to make your car more difficult to steal than someone else's.

If you put a meter on your dashboard that showed you how much it was costing you per mile, I think most people would be shocked.

If you're on the wrong end of a disagreement of road rage, it can be frightening. It's about swallowing your pride. Often, if you don't engage an aggressive driver, the situation will diffuse.

In the short term, the best bet is to conserve gas where you can. I don't mean sell your car and buy a bike. But maybe take public transit once a week, or carpool once in a while. Modest steps. If everybody did a little bit to save gas, it would have a big impact.

If you work in San Jose and live in Modesto, it might not be such a good deal (compared with) five years ago.

By making price predictions, it can become a self-fulfilling prophecy. I don't want to be a part of the problem.