YOUR TURN: Do Higher Gas Prices Impact Your Labor Day Travel?
Gas prices have climbed 22 cents this month across Rhode Island, and 32 cents nationwide. How will this impact holiday travel?
As folks gear up for Labor Day weekend, local gas prices continue to creep up.
According to AAA Southern New England, the average price of a gallon of gas in Rhode Island is currently $3.86, up 22 cents from this time last month. That is 7 cents, on average, more expensive than what motorists pay in Massachusetts, but 17 cents less expensive than pumps in Connecticut.
The local spike is not as bad as the national average, which has seen an increase of 32 cents per gallon this past month.
Prices in the area range between $3.67 a gallon and $3.85, with the cheapest price currently at Stop and Shop at 70 Pulaski Boulevard in Bellingham, Mass., next door.
Before heading out for Labor Day fun, get traffic alerts and gas prices for Malden in our Commute section.
According to AAA, gas prices should go down after Labor Day.
Will the spike in gas prices impact your Labor Day plans? How do you change your driving habits when prices climb?
Mary A
1:17 pm on Saturday, September 1, 2012
Yes gas prices inhibit Labor Day travel along with increased living costs, insurance costs and the fact that I have a family to support without a raise in two years due to the economy. Holiday celebrations as a whole will not involve present shopping of any kind.
Meggle
1:44 pm on Saturday, September 1, 2012
I ended up with a ~130mi commute round trip, so I bought a car that gets a lot more miles to the gallon. The change in gas prices doesn't really bother me that much now, I travel about as much. I think if gas went way over $4 I might change my habits again.
When I had a less efficient car, I would opt to take the T a little more often.
Sanford
2:42 pm on Saturday, September 1, 2012
Keep voting for Obama
Meggle
2:52 pm on Saturday, September 1, 2012
Do we really need to bring politics into this?
Sanford
2:58 pm on Saturday, September 1, 2012
Yes we do
Meggle
4:17 pm on Saturday, September 1, 2012
Okay...then I was paying over $4 a gallon when Bush was in office... so it doesn't really matter who I vote for for president, and that really has no bearing on whether or not gas prices will affect my travel plans.
Mike G.
3:31 pm on Saturday, September 1, 2012
No US President, Democrat or Republican, has any control over gas prices.
Try again.
Mr Iamnottheteacher
11:02 pm on Saturday, September 1, 2012
Try again Michael. If they gave the OK to drill here we would not be dependent on Saudi oil. So the fact is, we can blame Obama.
Meggle
1:32 am on Sunday, September 2, 2012
We actually import the greatest amount of oil from Canada. We also import from Norway, Mexico, Venezuela and countless other countries.
Drilling in the US won't stop oil prices from being set based on the global marketplace, though. The prices will still be affected by global issues. It also doesn't stop the vast majority of oil resources being based in the Middle East, unfortunately. Drilling in the US also did indeed increase under Obama by about 4x as much, and gas prices didn't fall.
The best thing we can do is ditch oil as much as possible, meaning true independence from foreign energy sources.
Mr Iamnottheteacher
11:17 pm on Saturday, September 1, 2012
Osama said he would drill in the USA during his run for president. All he drilled was his head in the ground.
DannyBoy
11:29 pm on Saturday, September 1, 2012
I don't have any travel plans this Labor Day weekend, so higher gas prices don't affect me.
mr lightbody, I'm guessing you made a typo and you meant to write President Obama, correct? The other guy Osama is dead. IMO, domestic drilling is a very short-sighted formula for energy independence.
Mr Iamnottheteacher
11:49 pm on Saturday, September 1, 2012
Yes, no disrespect to the president. I am sorry.
paul surette
3:15 am on Sunday, September 2, 2012
Of course buying oil from our own reserves will lower the prices somewhat, Meggle. Don't be naive. Oil is worth ONLY what someone is willing to pay for it, just like everything else. Are you in shock that the Labor Day weekend, (the last hurrah of summer) is more expensive? And to Danny Boy, would you rather continue financing the Saudis?
Meggle
8:53 am on Sunday, September 2, 2012
Oil is worth what we're willing to pay for it, kind of. We're willing to pay upwards of $4 a gallon without impacting how often we use oil. It's simple economic sense. Oil companies aren't going to drop prices enough to make a big difference, even if they drop somewhat.
Oil prices are set by speculators, and they'll drive prices up if we are willing to pay more or if there's global conflict. We don't pay different amounts for oil from different areas of the globe, even though oil in the Middle East is cheaper to extract than oil from Canada. They all get paid the same amount per barrel, though. US extractors will, too.
Mr Iamnottheteacher
4:31 pm on Sunday, September 2, 2012
So drilling in the USA will not help our prices?
Meggle
6:26 pm on Sunday, September 2, 2012
It doesn't look like it will, if you're interested here's an article about it: http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/green/news/2012/02/29/11091/more-drilling-wont-lower-gas-prices/
We've already increased drilling by four times as much since Obama took office, and while gas prices aren't at the peak they reached under Bush (~$4.11/gal), they're still high.
DannyBoy
4:49 pm on Sunday, September 2, 2012
paul surette: nowhere in my comments did I say we should continue financing the Saudis. Don't attribute statements to me where none were written.
mr lightbody: domestic drilling might help in the short run with prices, but oil is a finite natural resource, and I would rather not pollute our environment to pursue this end.
Mr Iamnottheteacher
6:39 pm on Sunday, September 2, 2012
Thank you. I will read that website after dinner.
Mr Iamnottheteacher
6:43 pm on Sunday, September 2, 2012
Urine fuel? I like this idea. Henry Kissenger admits he drinks his own, why not put it to good use.
BIG FISH LIL BROOK
5:28 pm on Monday, September 3, 2012
There is a shortage of refineries is why not oil. Plenty of Oil but not enough Refineries to produce Gasoline thats the problem. Does anyone remember the phoney Gas crisis 1971 ? $5.75 a gallon was the highest from 32 cents a gallon. That makes some good reading to look up. There were over 11 ships a day in Boston Harbor full with oil and no place to put it. Oil comes in #3 Bunker Oil gets refined to #2 Deisel then to Gasoline.
BIG FISH LIL BROOK
5:31 pm on Monday, September 3, 2012
No the Price of Gas did not affect me cause I stayed home and enjoyed my week end. Let the Rookies out their have the roads not me.