By By LYDIA GRIMES – Features writer
Statewide, the average price of self-serve, mid-grade gasoline is averaging $2.71 per gallon.
According to AAA, the increase is due to strong demand and sharply higher crude oil costs, but the steady climb of gasoline appeared to have stabilized on Tuesday. Nearly one month ago, the price of gas was reported to have hit $2.43. Some residents in Brewton remember when gas was a whole lot cheaper.
Roland McLain is not happy about the price of gasoline, but said Tuesday he will still drive if prices continue to rise, even if it tops $3 a gallon.
Will consumers of gasoline opt to purchase more fuel-efficient automobiles, or will they ditch an automobile and consider another mean of transportation? Some individuals are considering doing as much as they can to reduce the amount of fuel they use.
Sammie White of Flomaton says that he is coping the best he can.
While some residents might consider setting aside a portion of their paycheck to pay for gasoline, others take the rising prices one day at a time and tend to take note of the amount of driving they do throughout the week.
"I'll just buy it and go where I want to go," Claude Moton said. "I can remember when gas didn't cost very much. Back in the 1940s, I can remember it costing about 43 cents a gallon."
With a town as small as Brewton, using too much gas shouldn't be a problem. However, not everyone works in the town they live in; a lot of people commute and have to purchase the hefty price of gasoline.
Kenya Gresham of Flomaton was pumping gas in East Brewton and she agreed with other customers.