People Around World Share Angst on Oil

Pricey oil this year has left Thais in the dark. It’s also drawn German drivers to Polish gas pumps, kept cars parked in the United States and fishing boats moored in New Zealand.

Japanese government officials have been told to forgo neckties to help cut the use of air conditioners, while Chinese bars and karaoke parlors have been ordered to simply shut the air conditioners off.

Oil prices near $60 a barrel have bred frustration shared by presidents and peasants, companies and commuters. Consumers are grumbling at U.S. gas pumps, on the German autobahn and in the teeming streets of India’s major cities.

New York Times