Less travel expected as gas goes up
By GENE ZALESKI, T&D Staff Writer Friday, July 03, 2009Orangeburg resident Fred Thompson was enjoying a sausage biscuit Thursday morning at the Shell gas station on the corner of Broughton Street and John C. Calhoun Drive.
The biscuit is just about all Thompson has a chance to enjoy these days with a fixed income and gasoline prices hovering around $2.28 a gallon.
“It has really impacted my traveling,” Thompson said, while standing by his Ford Taurus. “I was going down to Georgia to see some of my people who have I have not seen in about 40 years. But I can’t afford the gas.”
With the biscuit in one hand and the other scratching his head, Thompson says he does not see any rhyme or reason in gas prices.
“I don’t know why the gas is going up so,” he said. “It went down and now it went right back up. It is right in time for the holidays. I will stay right here and enjoy Orangeburg.”
Branchville resident Charlene Negron said, “They always jack the prices up for the holidays.”
“That is why they make billions in profits every quarter. When everybody else is going broke, they are making billions. Go figure,” she said.
Orangeburg resident Darlene Buck says she is going to Savannah, Ga. to visit friends. She originally wanted to travel to the mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee.
Gas prices, “are better than what they were,” Buck said. “But it is still ridiculous. Where is the money going? It is making the rich richer and the poor poorer.”
Gas prices on top of other expenses, plus a cut in hours at work, are creating the perfect storm.
“It is really bad,” she said.
Those hitting the highways for the traditional long summer holiday weekend can expect to see regular gasoline prices in The T&D Region averaging about $2.37 a gallon, according to a Thursday morning survey of 32 area service stations.
Last year, gasoline prices in The T&D Region were averaging $3.86 a gallon.
The least expensive self-serve gasoline in the T&D Region on Thursday sold in Orangeburg for $2.289 at several service stations. A little over a month ago, Orangeburg gasoline prices were averaging $2.15 a gallon.
Statewide, gas prices are averaging about $2.44 a gallon for regular unleaded. Myrtle Beach has the highest reported average price of gasoline at $2.55 and Greenville the lowest at $2.42.
AAA Carolinas says travel is still expected to be 2.4 percent lower than last year despite the lower prices.
“Economic uncertainty, combined with the recent 62-cent increase in gasoline prices over 52 days and the July 4th holiday falling on a Saturday, have all helped weaken motorist travel,” said David E. Parsons, president and CEO of AAA Carolinas.
If the prediction is true, it will be the second straight year that July 4th holiday travel has declined.
Statewide, the average price of gasoline last year at this time was $3.86.
More people on the roads can often mean more danger on the roads.
The state suffered seven fatalities last July 4th. There were no fatalities over the 2008 holiday within The T&D Region.
Oil rose above $71 a barrel earlier this week following a large drop in crude inventories in the nation and output disruptions from militant attacks in Nigeria.
Crude oil inventories have fallen due to higher refinery runs ahead of the holiday weekend.
AAA officials expect gasoline prices to remain stable or fall slightly through the summer months as consumer confidence remains low and unemployment remains high.
T&D Staff Writer Gene Zaleski can be reached by e-mail at gzaleski@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5551.
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