Gas Prices: June 2008 Archives

My first cell phone resembled a black, plastic brick that, I believe, weighed more than the neighbor's dog.
Unlike many of today's belt-hanging mini computers, my phone didn't "flip" anything, unless you count the telescoping antenna that snapped off in a light breeze.
During the last 15 years, mobile communication, like most technology, has jumped forward with nearly every shiny gadget that has hit the retail market.
However, not every advancement has discovered the same profit niche as cell phones.

I was driving past a Citgo gas station right off Route 30 on the east side of town today and saw regular gas for $4.02. This is the first time I've seen regular gas jump past $3.99.

Has anyone else seen it over $4 per gallon anywhere?

I drove Northeast, Northwest and South from York this weekend, no farther than about 2 hours from the city in any direction. And I had some fun near DeHart Dam in Dauphin County fishing, in State College for a bachelor's party and with my in-laws in Towson.

So what was the cost? It was $80 in gas. And droopy eyes from being on the road so much. There really was no rest time because of the driving time.

Living and working in York is like the converse of living somewhere close to family or with decent entertainment a 5-minute drive away (personal preference of course, a nearby stream with more than a few hundred yards of fly-fishing only - and fish still alive - and a bar district you feel safe walking in past midnight are big ones for me) and commuting to a job.

Instead of the long drive to compliment the long workweek, the long drives compliments the end of the week. I pity the people who live up here and commute to Baltimore, then travel on the weekends, too.

Is being 2 hours from everywhere (probably the biggest selling point York has) still worth it when one weekend alone costs $80 just for gas? Are you worried gas prices are going to sink all the hard work people have been putting into the city over the past 5 years?

Everyone asks that question in terms of "when" it will happen, like how close it is on the calendar. But it also matters how close it is geographically, because most of us drive outside of York County, Pa.

I paid $4.04 at a rest stop on the Pennsylvania Turnpike somewhere between Reading and Philadelphia on Saturday.

Excuse me for a second. AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!

OK, better now.