> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smdp.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Gas prices are exploding - URL: https://www.smdp.com/gas-prices-are-exploding/ - Published: 2007-11-21T16:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-24T04:03:41.000Z - Author: Kevin Herrera - Tags: Business, Downtown, #archive-import *Americans expected to pay $520 million more on travel expenses this Thanksgiving* DOWNTOWN As the numbers on the gas pump continued to climb higher, John Kohn’s eyes seemed to grow wider, while his wallet got thinner. “It’s absurd,” Kohn said about the rising gas prices, which have hit $3.69 per gallon for regular at many gas stations on the Westside. “If the prices keep rising like they are, soon only rich people are going to be able to afford to drive.” Kohn, who spends roughly $50 every time he fills up, isn’t the only one complaining about the high price of fuel. Other motorists and local business owners are also taking a hit. “It’s definitely out of control, but what can you do? You have to get to work s o m e h o w,” said Joey Spanjiers, as he filled up his c l a s s i c Firebird 350 at a Mobile gas station at Lincoln and Santa Monica b o u l e v a rd s. “Luckily, my work pays for my gas, but if it didn’t, I’d be hurting.” Average pump prices kept marching higher in California, but eased in some other parts of the nation, as oil refused to give up its assault on the historic $100 milestone, according to the Energy Department. California motorists paid an average of $3.395 for a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline, up 2.9 cents from the week before, according to the Energy Department’s weekly survey of service stations. The state average was 83 cents higher than at this time last year. Prices also edged higher in the Rocky Mountain states and parts of the East Coast. The U.S. average gasoline price actually slipped 1.2 cents, to $3.099 a gallon, led by a 5.7-cent decline in the Midwest. The national price for regular gasoline is up 86 cents from this time last year and just over 12 cents away from the all-time high of $3.22 set last May. The previous week, the average jumped 13.5 cents in California and 9.8 cents nationwide. Gasoline prices could hit a new high in coming weeks as soaring crude oil prices near $100 a barrel trickle down to the pump. The Energy Department predicted last week that gasoline prices could rise 20 cents more over the next few weeks. “I can’t believe how high it’s getting,” said Katherine Sawyer, a Santa Monica resident who recently moved out West after spending years in New York and Washington, D.C. “I’m used to riding public transit, so this has been a real shock to me,” Sawyer said of the high price of gas. “I wish I could take public transit more, but it’s really not possible here. So, I guess I’ll just have to pay whatever it costs.” The high cost of gas has hit many workers hard, especially those who do deliveries. At The Slice pizza parlor on Wilshire Boulevard, one delivery man said he has watched more and more of his profits go towards gas and isn’t sure how long he can hold out. “I’m trying to cut back on other things just to get by, but Christmas is coming and I’ve got to have some money to buy gifts for my family,” said the delivery man, who did not want to give his name because he did not have permission from his employer to talk to the media. “It’s tough right now.” Jonathan Fleck, owner of A-1 Courier in Santa Monica, a delivery service with clients in the entertainment and medical industry, said he raised the company’s fuel surcharge last week by 2 percent in response to the increase in fuel prices. It was the first increase in several months. “It’s really tricky,” Fleck said. “You want to be competitive, but you want to be compensated fairly. It’s all about what you think the customers will be willing to pay.” Fleck said the increase has been hardest on his drivers, who are paid on commission. “The people who do get hurt directly are the guys lower on the totem pole,” Fleck said. There is some concern amongst retailers that the high cost of fuel will deter shoppers. Economic consulting firm LECG, LLC issued a study Tuesday that said Americans will fork over $520 million more this year than last year on their Thanksgiving travel. “That is money that won’t be spent at Wal-Mart or online as the holiday shopping season begins in earnest,” said John Urbanchuk, an analyst with LECG. Some said the gas prices haven’t affected them at all. They said paying for gas is just part of life and those who don’t like it should find other means of transportation, such as taking the bus or riding a bike. “Yeah, the price is high, but you’re talking about a limited resource and high demand. Of course it’s going to go up,” said Gerald Conroy, who spends roughly $60 a week to fill up his SUV. “I guess you just have to grin and bare it.” *Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on November 21, 2007.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/112107.pdf?ref=smdp.com)