The average price of gasoline in the US in 1970 was 34 cents including tax. That would be $1.88 in 2008 dollars. Local prices are running $3.73 here in Missouri. So, in real terms the price of gasoline has gone up almost 100%. During that time, average real wages have gone up about 18% according to the the Chicago Fed. I have seen studies that show real wages have remained nearly flat since 1976 but let's give the Fed a break. So, we are earning 60% as much gasoline per hour of work ... on the average compared to 1970. In real terms (adjusted for inflation) the price of gasoline has risen significantly more than the average wage. Your mileage may vary, Steve Brooks Right on Ron. I think that when you consider the wages of 40- 50 years ago, and relate it to the price of gas. We were getting a really good deal. I think the wages have risen, relatively more than the gas. -- "The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary." -- H.L. Mencken
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