Recent surges at the gas pumps are setting record prices across Los Angeles, and the effects aren’t pretty.
With gasoline now topping the four-dollar mark, many LA residents are worried that this upwards trend won’t stop, and are concerned that eventually, these prices will be too high.
“When I first came to America in 1985, gas was at 75 cents a gallon,” says Carol Kang, a longtime Koreatown resident, “now it’s at four dollars a gallon. This is getting hard to deal with.”
Many residents agree, stating that rising prices at the pump are putting too much strain on their wallets. However, among the hardest hit are LA teenagers, who struggle to manage gas prices on top of schoolwork.
“I used to look forward to driving,” says Andy Park, an LA junior, “now it’s a nightmare, because gas prices are too high. It’s way to difficult for me to pay for gas, especially because I don’t have time to work for money.” Many students agree, arguing that price increases are too unfair.
Gas prices have been rising steadily over the past few years, and the national average has surpassed $3.50 per gallon. Many experts believe that this upward trend was inevitable, and a few speculate that the worst has only begun.
As we consume gasoline at faster rates than ever before, Mother Nature has much trouble trying to keep up with our rate of consumption. Couple this with the recent trend of hybrid and electric cars, and a supply-and-demand vacuum occurs. On one hand, gas demand is increasing, but supplies are limited. On the other hand, popular movements are veering away from gasoline consumption. The overall effect seems to be that the confused gasoline companies have chosen to increase gas prices, a trend highly unusual for this time of year, when gas prices usually fall twelve cents.
Many LA residents are now turning to different methods of transportation to and fro. Some have chosen to take advantage of Los Angeles’s well-designed public transportation system, and others have chosen to ride bikes or carpool.
“I kind of like this new arrangement,” stated Brian Lee, an LA sophomore, “instead of asking for rides everywhere, I now ride my bike, which helps me stay in shape.”
However, others are less flexible, calling for a change in policy.
“I refuse to pay four dollars for a gallon of gas,” says Sharon Madison, a senior, “I could by a sandwich with that money, burn it, and get more fuel.” Madison, like many other high-schoolers, have been forced to take part-time jobs to pay for transportation fees. Almost all agree that this price hike is ridiculous and harmful to their academic schedule. Students like Madison now have to study later into the night to juggle jobs and schoolwork.
Either way, it seems as if these prices are here to stay. As one student puts it, “I’ve grown up with gasoline constantly going up. I might as well get used to it.”