Drivers see spike in gas prices
Howell "Howie" Dennis is the news editor for The Crowley Post-Signal. He can be reached at howie.dennis@crowleytoday.com or 337-783-3450.
Louisiana drivers are used to the frustration of rising gas prices during summer months as they plan their vacations.
Add the the recent turmoil in the Middle East to the equation and the result is a one-day increase ranging from 15 to 19 cents a gallon at gas stations across the parish.
Needless to say south Louisiana motorists had plenty to say on the price jump.
“Blame it on the crisis in Iraq,” said Chris Manuel of Indian Bayou. “I’m in the industry and it’s going to get a lot worse. People should brace themselves.
“That, plus the gas goes from a 9.0 to a 7.8 — a lighter gas — in summer time. It costs more to make,” Manuel added. “The end of it is no where in sight.”
Robb Landry said that despite the extra money travelers will be spending there is a silver lining.
“It is rare that natural gas prices and oil prices are both on the rise simultaneously,” he said. “Other than feeling the pinch at the pump, that’s good news for those in the oil industry.”
Scott resident Bobby Cooper, a Lafayette Parish resident who frequently travels to the Middle East for work, suggested that speculators have a history of knee-jerk reactions.
“They always jump the gun and raise prices anytime something goes bang in the Middle East,” he said. “We were already dealing with a steady rise in natural gas prices ever since China announced a 20-year commitment to supply Russia with natural gas.”
While the average price per gallon hovered around $3.41 at Crowley gas stations, it is still nowhere near the $4 range that had people cancelling vacations due to long distance trips in 2008.
Renee Chastant of Crowley seems to have made up her mind which mode of transportation she intends on using this summer.
“That’s why we travel by airplane,” she said.