SF Bay Area gas prices soar 26 cents a gallon to $4.22

[Newsjock]

Source: Contra Costa Times

Siale Paongo's husband was laid off last year, leaving her the sole provider for the couple and their four children. Five days a week she commutes from Sacramento to San Mateo, and now that gas prices have soared 26 cents a gallon in one month, she is spending $500 a month just on gas.

"I don't remember the last time we have been to the movies or eaten out," said Paongo, who is a home health aide, as she filled up at a gas station on east Hillsdale Boulevard in San Mateo on Tuesday.

As gas prices soar, Bay Area drivers are cutting back on driving, movies, eating out and even groceries. The average price for a gallon of regular is now $4.22 in the Bay Area, thanks to instability in the Middle East and North Africa, auto association AAA reported Tuesday.

... Along those lines, "We're taking fewer weekend trips and coordinating with other parents to carpool our kids to school," said Jim Strandberg of Oakland, who has four children. "We're spending more on gas than groceries." Strandberg tried to fill up at an Emeryville gas station off Interstate 80, but the pump stopped at $99 worth of gas, short of the amount needed to fill his SUV's tank.

Read more: http://www.mercurynews.com/top-stories/ci_17828965

[trumad]

1. And Wall Street gets richer and richer.

[OhioChick]

2. As Main Street gets poorer and poorer n/t

[Ramulux]

3. Its only gonna get worse

and sadly we dont have a president who understands how serious our energy situation is. Obama seems to think off-shore drilling and natural gas is going to save us and he couldn't be more wrong. If gas prices continue to rise there is no possible way in which Obama wins re-election, you would think he would want to do something on energy policy simply for that reason.

[AsahinaKimi]

4. Glad I got rid of my car...

Having the added gas price would be insane.

[Historic NY]

5. Thank a commodities speculator.