Texans Going To Pawn Shops To Get Extra Gas $$

[rainbow4321]

http://cbs11tv.com/local/local_story_110231803.html


High gasoline prices are causing some people to take desperate measures.
Pawn shops say their business is increasing, with some customers saying they're selling things to buy gas.


"We just have customers come in and have to tell us that they need money ‘till the end of the week, for gas to get back and forth to work," said pawn shop owner, Gerald Costner.

Everything from high end jewelry, to name brand purses, and televisions… pawn shop owners say they are seeing it all come in. They say customers are frustrated and have no place to go to get extra cash for gas.

“We've always had a clientele of the young kids, or middle age kids, and now we’re getting an older generation. Which, it just seems wrong that they have to pawn things just to get gas, or ya know, to make ends meet on things like that."

[5X]

1. I find it very interesting that exact same kind of story was shown....

here, Tulsa area, and lots of other cities around the nation.
Just a little too coincidental.

[havocmom]

2. Perhaps there are working people all over whose wages not keeping up

with what it costs to get to work?

[shraby]

4. Those people have probably maxed

out their paycheck with a high mortgage, high car payment, credit cards, and don't have any leftover. They've got their finances figured to the penny and when gas jumped like it has, that causes a major problem.

[rainbow4321]

5. Not necessarily...

I know my Chevy Tracker now takes $40 to fill up..that is a whole day's pay to some people..luckily for me everything is within a 4 mile radius of my house (work, kid's school, grocery store) and one tank gets me 300 miles so I can go a full 2 weeks on a single tank.
Depending on how often someone has to fill up, they could easily lose 1 or 2 days' pay per week..no matter how well one budgets that can be painful to the finances.

[johnnie]

3. Yup

Same story here in Cleveland

http://news.yahoo.com/s/wews/20060422/lo_wews/3418029

People Turn To Pawn Shops To Pay For Gas

"As gas prices continue to skyrocket, many people are digging deeper into their wallets to keep up, NewsChannel5 partner ONN reported.

While some businesses are reporting sales slumps, pawn shops are reporting a sales boom as people desperate to maintain gas in the tank are pawning their possessions.

Linda Bress says business at her shop has doubled since gas prices have been on the rise. Bress says from CDs to jewelry, customers are looking for just enough cash to keep from running on empty."

[Redstone]

6. "High-end jewelry?" Excuse me? If they could afford "high-end

jewelry," why can't they afford a tankful of gasoline, even at three bucks a gallon?

Something's really screwed up, right there.

Redstone

[Horse with no Name]

7. Not necessarily

They could be family heirlooms--which is even worse.:(

[debbierlus]

8. That is what I thought

Many people have their mother's diamond ring, or a grandfather's pocket watch!

[kevinbgoode]

9. It really is outrageous! ! !

It now costs me $30 to fill my little Mirage - and while I get great gas mileage, that is a big dent in a graduate student budget. I've taken to making trips to the gas station now when I've only burned 1/4 tank - partially because the price keeps going up, and partially to try to keep my gas tank full without having to scrape together $30.

I know that if my car takes $30 to fill, there are likely MANY people spending $50-60 now for a tank of gas. . .and anyone commuting from the suburbs, or in small towns with no public transportation, can run through a lot of gas pretty quickly. One of my friends has a smaller Dodge Truck - her fillup now is about $38. . .geez. . .

[Blue_In_AK]

10. Used to be, people pawned their stuff

for their next bag of rocks. I guess we really ARE "addicted to oil."