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St. Cloud State University
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Gas prices are here to stay, so deal with it
By Ryan Henry
Published:
Thursday, April 22, 2004
As anybody who drives an automobile realizes, gas prices over the past two months have jumped to record-breaking levels. The days of $1.25 per gallon are over and we are, unfortunately, becoming used to paying $1.70 per gallon, if not more in some locations. I remember, several summers ago, paying $.88 per gallon and driving around just to waste gas because it was so cheap. Ah yes, those were the days.
I admit, when I see gas prices jump 5 cents in one day, I mutter curse words under my breath, and rightly so. When you live 240 miles from St. Cloud, you begin to wonder if you can even afford to drive home. Furthermore, there is no relief in sight. Attribute it to whatever you want; the war in Iraq, a floundering economy, or just that the peak driving season is nearly upon us. Whatever the reason may be, the fact remains that we are paying more at the pump than ever before.
But if you really stop and think about it rather than throwing a fit after a 10 cent increase, you might just realize that this is not that tragic of an event. Most small vehicles, mine included, which I base every car statistic off of, have 13-gallon tanks. If you're bone dry and put in 13-gallons, that 10 cent increase amounts to $1.30 extra that you'll end up paying. If you're really into penny-pinching, to make up that difference, don't buy that bottle of Pepsi that you slam everyday in class. That's $1.25 right there. You've basically made up your difference.
See people, it really isn't that bad. Sure, I'm not saying that I don't care that prices are on the rise. It sucks. I'm saying that we have to look at this in perspective. Eventually, prices will come down and everyone will be happy again, but in the meantime, we have to put up with it. True, we may have to sacrifice our bottles of Pepsi, but looking at the big picture, I think most of us will survive. We just can't drive around and waste gas like we used to.
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