By Kayla Pagan –
Gas prices have reached a peak of $3.87 to $4.04 a gallon. Pocket money for students is dwindling because of this economic catastrophe.
At $4 an average per gallon, many kids are paying $48 to fill their tanks according to AAA.
For students at Penn Manor High School, who work for minimum wage, their paychecks are not cutting it with these gas prices. A majority of their pay checks are going toward filling their gas tanks.
For senior Jackie Schmalhofer, who works at Denny’s on a $2.83 per hour salary, not including tips, she spends about one third of her pay check on gas.
“I get paid twice a month, including tips my pay checks are around $300,” she said. “It took me $47 on Saturday to fill my tank, which I don’t usually do. I usually just fill it half way about twice a week.”
“I work at Willow Valley making minimum wage,” said senior Olivia Rineer. “I drive a Jeep Wrangler, which is a complete gas hog. Just last week I spent fifty dollars on gas, not even filling my tank. Prices are getting ridiculous.”
Many Penn Manor student drivers can’t afford to fill their gas tanks. It is simply too costly.
Senior Alexis Russel explained that she only puts $20 worth of gas in her car about twice a week, which only gets her half a tank.
“It isn’t really an issue for me, my car is pretty good on gas, and I don’t do as much driving around as others,” said Russel. “But to fill my tank it would take about $40, that’s still up there compared to prior gas prices.”
“I am employed at Arby’s working for $7.45 an hour,” said junior Maddi Eckenrode. “I drive a Ford Taurus. The last time I put gas in my car I spent $59 to fill my tank.”
Eckenrode makes anywhere from $250 to $350 bi-weekly and gets gas once or twice a week. On this pay and with how much gas costs her, she spends roughly two-fifths of her pay check on gas.
“I’d say that a lot of my pay checks go towards gas money for my car, especially with how much I drive,” added Eckenrode.
It won’t go down before Memorial Day, That’s Fact.
Maybe people could get beyond “gas prices are too high, and all i am going to do is just sit here and complain about it, and keep driving and driving.” If kids were really concerned with paying too much for gas, they would seek alternative forms of travel and fuels. Email your senators, boycott gas consumption in general, brake out the bike. Lower demand means prices will lower because the supply remains the same, until we literally run out. If you’re sitting there complaining about how high the prices are, then you are part of the problem, how are you changing the prices by acting like your 12?
I am currently unemployed, but I think I’m going to get a job so that I can afford to drive to work.
I spend 30-40 to fill my car up and it last a week, but what makes gas so high? the work to get the oil hasn’t changed its only gotten easier for the workers with new machines. all we are doing is paying the CEO’s paycheck
It’s a good thing my girl friend drives me all over the place because I don’t wanna spend that kind of money on gas!
$4 a gallon isn’t even that much. they spend millions to get the oil, refine, ship, drop off. so $4 isn’t that much. also gas prices drop and increase. oil is an inflation in the stocks. you can’t rely on this. so stop complaining about gas. in retrospect $4 isn’t that much.