Expensive gas is an understatement for California drivers as the cost per gallon is close to reaching four dollars.
Thalia Ocelotl is a local sales representative, she does a lot of driving from client to client throughout the desert.
She said the $60 she spends weekly on gas are hurting her wallet.
Ocelotl said, “If you think about it in two-weeks that adds up to $120 and then in a month that equals to $240, that’s a lot you can do a lot of things with $240.”
But like many drivers, she has no other choice than to fill the tank.
The average cost of a gallon per gas is about $3.90, one month ago the cost was $3.30.
The Southern California American Automobile Association explains part of the gas hike comes as six out of the 10 major refineries in the state are out of service.
It is a ripple effect that is now felt at the local gas pump at a time when hundreds of thousands of drivers flood the valley.
In La Quinta, the price of a regular gallon of gas ranges from $3.89 at Arco to $4.29 at Chevron.
But even if it hurts the bank account, driving is how most Californians get around and there are no plans to change that anytime soon.
Ocelotl said, “It sucks because a lot of us use our cars nowadays and we need the gas.”
Unfortunately, AAA said the trend will continue and Riverside County will likely see an increase of nearly a quarter per gallon of gas within the week.
