Gas prices causing pain at the pump

Posted: Feb 20, 2011 7:28 PM by Danielle Lerner
Updated: Feb 21, 2011 8:09 AM

The pain at the pump is getting worse as gas prices skyrocket across the nation. Over the past two weeks the average price of regular gas in the U.S. has gone up more than five cents per gallon. It now stands at $3.18.

That is not only a hike from two weeks ago, it is also 49 cents more than we were paying at the pump in late September. As the numbers continue to rise, some drivers are scrambling to find the best deal in town.

"If I'm kind of halfway on the highway and I know if when I reach my destination it's about ten cents cheaper, then I'll fill up over there and maybe just put enough in to get there," said George Rauchwerger, who lives in Sunnyvale.

Others are just going with the flow.

"Us little guys, it's not like we can do anything about it anyhow, so why worry?" said Lew Johnson, who lives in Pasadena. "All you can do is roll over, that's it."

However many local drivers are worried. According to AAA, the average price of a gallon of unleaded gas in San Luis Obispo County will run you $3.61, that is up from $2.97 a year ago.

In Santa Barbara County it will cost you $3.56, up from $2.99 this time last year.

"It goes up so high, then it comes back down, everyone thinks it's a bargain, but it comes back down to where it was," said Johnson. "Everything that goes up comes down doesn't it?"

It is true that gas prices have been higher, both San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties topped out at about $4.70 a gallon in June of 2008. Still drivers say enough, is enough.

"I just wish they would stop, I mean every day the gas prices have been going up about three, four cents and its kind of scary so when is it going to stop?" said Rauchwerger.

Right now the cheapest gas is in Billings, Montana at $2.95 a gallon.

To find the lowest gas prices in your area just visit the Traffic section of ksby.com and click on Gas Buddy.