This isn't an efficient use of resources. It's a waste of my time, the station's time (where, when gassed, most are ad-libbing line-up systems of tape and cones that appear to require extra staff), the government's time (where state governments now seem committed to investigate hundreds of cases of "gouging"). It's a waste of gas, since it takes gas to cruise for gas.
It's also risky. A shortage of gas could become a shortage of trucking capacity, which becomes a shortage of food, which becomes a shortage of emergency services when there's a surplus of riots.
The simple cure for shortages are market prices. However, even as Hurricane Ike lined up offshore, southern governors and officials lined up on T.V., with promises of punishment for "gouging". They were always much more clear that gouging should be reported and prosecuted, than they were about what it actually was-- certainly from the tones of voice though, whatever it was, it sounded pretty bad.
Certainly it's not fun to have a price double or triple overnight. But I can now tell you from direct experience that it's even less fun to obsess over your gas gauge as you pass empty gas stations one after the other.
There's also the potential that while price spikes are short term, price fixing shortages are forever.
If prices can go anywhere, they generally only have to test the upper limits once, and it's over fast. Exploitable profit opportunities get filled, if you don't block them. We may not know exactly how they'd materialize, but they always do: more storage at the refinery or the gas station (or somewhere in between); more trucking capacity lined up when there's a storm; more spent on storm and disruption modeling by industry; new refineries built in different locales. Users may also decide to store a little emergency fuel for next time-- a positive "hoarding" effect.
Without the price mechanism, it's a different story-- we get stuck-- in this case, potentially literally.
On Saturday, as I was passing out of gas cars, I also saw lots of game day college road trip football flags. Important, certainly. But I would have liked to see that proven case by case at market prices-- gas money can also be used for beer kegs at a T.V. party-- a well known college substitution effect that a good governor, if there are any, would do well to remember.
I cut my Saturday driving short, but I'd promised to watch a junior tennis match on Sunday, and probably would have paid pretty much anything for a few gallons of gas. A promise to a teenager may pass unnoticed or disdained, until the one time it mysteriously becomes tragically important. So I found my early morning gas station. The station unlit-- it didn't need lights to do brisk business at 6 a.m. at $4.39 per gallon. Regular gas only, but my car seemed grateful.
The ease with which a relatively minor storm of populism can sweep away simple lessons of economic common sense, apparently permanently, is disturbing.
To put it in Sesame Street terms-- prices are our friends. They need to move around in order to help us. We also need to keep in mind some pretty simple business facts. A demand that a station not "gouge" will most often be a demand to lose money. Selling a week's worth of fuel at yesterday's profit margin in one morning blaze of glory, and then going dark for a few days until you hope to get more-- that amounts to making a "fair" profit for a few hours, and then losing money for a few days-- repeat that often enough, and it's a recipe for going out of business (and perhaps making the shortage worse next time.)
Copyright (c) 2008 Les Lafave
Of course the price tag might be free, but that should not be the only consideration when getting a horse. Often the actual purchase is the cheapest part of horse ownership.
The first thing to consider when you see a horse offered for free is why the owner has decided to offer it as a give-a-way. It is very rare to find a sound, young horse for free. Most free horses are either older, unsound, untrained or have some other factor that makes them valueless.
One common scenario is the horse who has been injured in some way and can no longer be ridden. Sometimes the lameness is temporary and with time and treatment the horse may return to soundness for light riding, or even possibly for more serious work. Other times the lameness is permanent and renders the horse a pasture ornament. Either way you are likely looking at vet bills, supplements and sometimes stall rest to bring the horse back to a reasonable state of comfort. A lame horse costs just as much to keep as a horse who can be ridden.
Another possibility is that the horse is older and is no longer capable of doing what the owner wants to do. Sometimes you can get an excellent horse this way. If the horse is sound it could be an excellent schoolmaster for a rider who is learning to ride. Many older horses are wiser in their ways and can be good babysitters for young riders or riders with confidence issues. The biggest issue is that with age many horses benefit from supplements to maintain their health and soundness. They may be limited in how much work they can do. You also need to consider that there is no guarantee how long the horse will live, so you might be searching for a new horse sooner than expected. If an older horse does become lame it is very difficult to place it in a new home and there is no resale value in the long run.
Many free horses have training issues or are virtually unhandled. While for an experienced horse owner this can turn into an excellent deal, for the average horse person an untrained horse is a recipe for disaster. A horse with issues under saddle could be reacting to a pain-related issue, which can cost a lot of money in vet bills. If the horse is not even halter trained it often takes a long time to fix the bad habits it has learned from not being handled which can be far more difficult with a full-grown horse than with a baby that is still small enough for a human to outmaneuver. Often colts are left ungelded and need a veterinary visit to remove the necessary parts to make them good equine citizens.
As long as you carefully consider the background of the horse and keep in mind that an unrideable horse costs just as much to keep as a sound, well trained horse a free horse might be worth considering. But, if you do not have the experience to retrain a horse, the money to rehabilitate one or the heart to cope with the loss of an older companion you should steer your attentions elsewhere. It is far more sensible to spend a few thousand dollars on a sound, sensible horse who is well trained for your discipline than to get a free horse who may cost you far more in the long run.
Both Les Lafave & Phil Wiskell are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Les Lafave has sinced written about articles on various topics from Politics, Niche Marketing and Politics. Les LafaveHow the term "free market" became history's biggest oxymoron.. Les Lafave's top article generates over 18100 views. to your Favourites.
Phil Wiskell has sinced written about articles on various topics from Pets, Horse Racing and Pets. Philippe Wiskell is a writer for HorseClicks, classifieds of ,. Phil Wiskell's top article generates over 18100 views. to your Favourites.