Oct. 24, 2004
By Mary Toothman
The Ledger
mary.toothman@theledger.com
LAKELAND
Jenny Whitaker has a 1983 Chevy Caprice with a V-8 engine, and can't afford to get another car that might be better on gas. With prices skyrocketing to all-time highs in Florida, this retired Lakeland woman said she doesn't even venture out much anymore. "Gas is out of sight," she said. "Everything is going up."
And so the 72-year-old's gas guzzler sits in the parking lot outside her apartment most of the time. "This thing drinks gas," she said. "So I pretty much stay home."
Whitaker's not alone. Drivers are changing their habits to cope with pricing that just stretches budgets too far.
Joseph and Lee Cristodero of Lakeland have a 2000 Buick Century with about 50,000 miles on it, and lately the couple hasn't put many extra miles on the odometer.
"Being on a fixed income, we don't even go to the south side of Lakeland anymore," Joseph Cristodero said. "No more weekend trips, either. You can't go too far on $1,400 a month, when you pay $18 for nine gallons of gas."
According to the Web site www.floridastategasprices.com, the average cost of unleaded gas recently has been about $2.08 per gallon. A week ago, it was $2 per gallon; a month ago, $1.89. A year ago, the average cost was $1.52.
Chances are, things are not going to get better anytime soon, said AAA Auto Club South Community Relations Director Randy Bly. He said said gas pricing hit an all-time high in May.
Many factors contribute to the high prices, he said. Political factors in the Middle East, global security, Iraq and the huge increase of demand from China enter into the picture, he said. India and Pakistan also have higher demand.
"This is not good because it's going to tighten the world's supply of crude oil," he said. Oil pricing is also market-driven, he said, and when traders get edgy, the price goes up.
"Right now, the outlook is not all that good for gas prices," Bly said. "I don't know that we will ever see low gas prices again."
In Polk County, prices in May were at about $1.91 a gallon, according to a Ledger survey of nine gasoline stations. On Friday, regular unleaded was $2.05 at the Citgo on East Bridgers Avenue in Auburndale. At the Marathon on South Florida Avenue in Lakeland, it was $2.07 Friday.
Bob Rodgers, a retired manager with Ford Motor Co., said Americans need to stop wasting gas. The 86-year-old Winter Haven resident said he hopes consumers can wake up and smell the gas waste.
"People in this country don't have their tires inflated properly, signal lights are not timed properly, people need to check their spark plugs. They need to change the speed limit from 70 mph to 65 mph."
Rodgers said he drives a 1991 Buick Park Avenue and takes great care to conserve gas. "The oil situation is affecting the whole economy of the United States," he said. "People really need to watch their driving habits."
For Susan Skelton of Winter Haven, skyrocketing gas prices have meant a big change in the way she does business. The 49year-old Realtor said she thinks twice before getting behind the wheel of her 1999 Grand Marquis. "I love the car, but the only problem is, it's a total gas hog," she said. "At $2.02 per gallon, I'm going to have to go out and buy another car.
"I drive around a lot, but I am changing the way I do business. What I'm doing is I'm weeding out people until I find out if they're really serious. I used to drive people all around. Now I weed them out. Unfortunately, though, in our business, you really can't afford to do that.
"I try not to make frivolous grocery store trips either. I'm old enough where I do remember the gas shortage."
Bill Cox of Lake Wales isn't going to wait around until gas prices ruin his budget. He's planning to buy a gas/electric Toyota Hybrid Prius, touted to get 60 mpg. "I'm on a waiting list, though," he said.
His Chevrolet Impala is getting about 25 mpg, he said. "I've cut way back," he said. "I don't drive into town so often. I used to go at the drop of a hat if I needed something, and I enjoy driving."
The gas prices are even keeping family members from seeing each other as often. Pamela Hampton of Lakeland said visits to relatives who live in another county are not made as frequently these days because gas costs are too high. "In fact, we haven't seen them since April. We've changed a lot of things," she said.
"We only go grocery shopping once a week now, and we try to make the most of fewer trips."
Some vehicles have just been let go because it costs too darn much to pump that gasoline. Ed Jeffords of Lake Wales said he and his wife sold their motor home because they can't afford to fill it up anymore.
The couple once enjoyed lots of trips in the 30-footer, but those are over. Now they still have a Mercury Grand Marquis with a V-8 engine and a 2004 F-150. "The car really isn't a problem, I get on the interstate and put it on cruise control," Jeffords said. "But that pick-up truck, boy, that thing hiccups gas now. When I pull up to the gas station in that, it's a $100 bill." His truck has a reserve gas tank.
The 69-year-old also has two boats and loves to fish, but the cost of gas has curtailed that pastime as well. "I used to fish four or five times a week, but now I just go once," he said. "I retired to enjoy life and fish. I worked all my life for this."
He blames politics for a lot of the problem. "We're the little people, though," he said. "And the little people suffer."
Mary Toothman can be reached at mary.toothman@ theledger.com or 863-802-7533.
TOP 10 FUEL TIPS
# Avoid high speeds. As your speed increases, your aerodynamic drag increases in an exponential fashion. Driving 62 mph (100 km/h) versus 75 mph (120 km/h) will reduce fuel consumption by about 15 percent.
# Do not accelerate or brake hard. By anticipating the traffic and applying slow steady acceleration and braking, fuel economy may increase by as much as 20 percent.
# Keep tires properly inflated. Keep tire air pressure at the level recommended by your vehicle manufacturer. A single tire under inflated by 2 PSI, increases fuel consumption by 1 percent.
# Use air conditioning sparingly. When the air conditioner is on, it puts extra load on the engine forcing more fuel to be used (by about 20 percent). The defrost position on most vehicles also uses the air conditioner.
# Keep windows closed. Open windows, especially at highway speeds, increase drag and result in decreased fuel economy of up to 10 percent.
# Service vehicle regularly. Proper maintenance avoids poor fuel economy related to dirty air filters, old spark plugs or low fluid levels.
# Use cruise control. Maintaining a constant speed over long distances often saves gas.
# Avoid heavy loads. Pack lightly for long trips.
# Avoid long idles. If you anticipate being stopped for more than one minute, shut off the car. Restarting the car uses less fuel than letting it idle for this time.
# Purchase a fuel-efficient vehicle. When buying a new vehicle examine the vehicle's rated fuel efficiency. Usually, choosing a small vehicle with a manual transmission will provide you with great fuel economy.
Source: FloridaStateGasPrices.com
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