Hollister
– Local residents and commuters are seeing record-high gas
prices, but few are undergoing any lifestyle changes to reduce
their gas usage.
Hollister – Local residents and commuters are seeing record-high gas prices, but few are undergoing any lifestyle changes to reduce their gas usage.
Gas prices have reached an average of $3.42 for a gallon of regular unleaded gas in Hollister. This is up nearly 10 cents from a month ago, when gas prices in Hollister ranked at $3.34 per gallon. Residents say their pocketbooks are hurting from this steadily increasing price – but most said they haven’t decreased their driving.
Hollister resident Joe Munoz said he has tried to cut back on his gas usage because of the increase in gas prices, but has had no luck doing so.
“It’s too hard – you have to drive no matter what you do,” Munoz said. Munoz filled up his van on Tuesday. Many people chose to fill up their tanks, despite an online push for a nationwide boycott on buying gas on that day.
A widely-circulated e-mail asked people to refrain from buying gas on May 15, to protest the rising cost of gasoline.
According to the American Automobile Association of Northern California, the average price of gas per gallon was $3.47 per gallon in April – the highest cost of gas in more than a year.
Several gas station attendants questioned in Hollister said they saw a slight decrease in the number of customers Tuesday, but they seemed unconcerned.
“Maybe there was small decrease, but people still need gas,” said Frank Ruiz, who works as an attendant at Union 76 gas station.
The one-day gas boycott received skepticism from most economy experts, who say it is not an effective mode of decreasing the cost.
AAA Spokesman Sean Comey said the only real benefit of the protest was in making the consumer feel better.
“If you are unhappy with the current situation, the best way to send a message is to buy less of the product, rather than shift your purchase from one day to another,” Comey said.
Comey urged those concerned about the cost of gas to reduce usage by telecommuting or using mass transportation.
This idea was echoed by Veronica Lezama, transportation planner and coordinator of Bike Week for San Benito County. Lezama said that with gas prices as high as they are, residents should start thinking of ways to save gas – and money – by using their vehicles less.
Lezama said she thinks a lot of people in the county are not changing their driving habits because many are commuters and they don’t know that there are fuel-efficient alternatives.
According to the 2000 Census, 10,000 Hollister residents work outside of San Benito County.
“When gas prices go up, I get a lot of calls,” Lezama said. “If people really want to protest, they should be changing their lifestyle.”
While few Hollister residents questioned said they were changing their driving habits, some did say they were changing their buying habits.
Hollister resident Ray Wood said he would only put $50 of gas into his truck, rather than filing the entire tank.
“I’m thinking about budgeting for the next two weeks,” Ray Wood said. His wife, Denise Wood, said that she thought the prices were outrageous and hoped there would be a decrease soon, but she had not made any efforts to drive less.
“You can’t afford to get to work and you can’t afford not to,” Denise Wood said.
Alice Joy covers education for the Free Lance. She can be reached at 831-637-5566 ext. 336 or at
aj**@fr***********.com
.
