Random thoughts about Sam's Club, cars, and the oil industry

I went to Sam's Club today to stock up on the monthly allotment of items we figure are cheaper there, and thus warrants a special trip to a store I don't especially like going to. I think it's stupid that I have to pay for a membership to buy things in any store, first of all. Also, it doesn't make sense to me that you can buy new tires, a steak, socks, and a basketball hoop all in one place. Actually, it's the food part that bothers me. While I was there, I noticed more food sample people were working than usual.

And it got me thinking.

Does anyone else find their food samples disgusting? Today, they were serving Sloppy Joes and chicken and rice soup, among other things. These workers are probably very clean, good people. But the minute you put on a hair net and plastic gloves on your fingers, chances are I am very unlikely to eat food from you. Once, I saw a worker giving out beef jerky in little plastic cups. Sam's little food kiosks have to go.

I had to mail our oil bill today. This month's total was $697, which I hope lasts a few months. When I pulled into the post office parking lot, I saw two identical Buick Centurys parked next to each other. Silver. Four-door. Probably grey cloth seats, but I wasn't sure. An elderly man walked out of one, and an elderly woman owned the other. Anyway, this made me think: Why do older people like Buicks? The next time you're out and feel like it, look around. Buicks are owned by people 60 and above. I am not bashing people in that age group. I am wondering though, what they see in Buicks. What is it about that demographic and Buicks? Buick does not produce stylish automobiles. They are not the most reliable cars, either, according to Consumer Reports. Accords and Camrys are. So... is it the bench seat? The old-fashioned needle spedometer? My parents had three Buicks - two Skylarks and a Regal. None were fantastic cars. I suppose they were the best of what General Motors had to offer. Maybe it's still that way.

Back to oil. Prices have hit record highs this year, soaring past $100 a barrel. Media report that it could get even worse. There is talk about a lack of oil reserves internationally. There is an energy crisis. Our utility bills go up. All of this craziness and what did I see today on the highway? A brand spanking new oil truck. It was shiny steel, pretty sweet-looking, from some company in Stafford Springs, didn't catch the name. This wasn't the first new oil truck I've seen lately. If the oil industry is so bad, how can oil companies afford to buy new trucks? Aren't they hurting, too? The answer, of course, is no, at least not like the consumer. The consumer gets screwed. This reminds me of the beautiful glossy pamphlet I got last year from my oil company, complete with a very humble letter from the company president, thanking me for my business, saying something like he wished he could do more about those darn oil prices. I didn't remember ever getting a glossy pamphlet the previous years I had been with the company. Maybe it's me, but it seems that oil companies are jacking up the per gallon price - not to mention service contracts - and pocketing more than ever. They're taking advantage of a firghtened public and charging them even more. This makes me want to convert to gas, or even electric, heat - just to avoid having to deal with an oil company.

Lastly, also along the lines of transportation, I have a problem with minivan drivers. Not every one, but a lot of them. Does it not seem that they are in a hurry whenever you see them? Minivans were the 1980s answer to transporting a family efficiently. They were the new and improved station wagon. But I think the minivan has become symbolic of families actually losing control of their lives. I am by no means a speed demon on the highway - I drive between 65 and 80, depending on my mood - but it always seems that, when I'm in the left lane doing 75 or 80, a minivan is riding my back bumper. It is actually entertaining seeing minivan moms (or dads) trying to drive and hold a Dunkin' Donuts coffee (or perhaps Starbucks) and talk on a cell phone (which is illegal in Connecticut) while their kids are screaming from the 3rd, 4th and 5th row seats. Much is made about senior citizens and teenagers being awful drivers, but I think a strong case can be made for minivan drivers, regardless of their age. I have heard all the excuses about owning minivans - they are "functional," according to one person I know - but I think minivan drivers need to reevaluate what's happening to their lives. Having a minivan just means you're going to drive more. Rush around more. Buy more gas. It's a vicious cycle, a serious, serious problem.

Unless you own an oil company.