One year ago, drivers in the U.S. were experiencing an emotional setback, including myself, because of the rising gas prices. I found myself riding the bus and carpooling in order to avoid the obvious confrontation of filling up my gas tank. What normally took only $15 to fill; it was now double that amount. Then things suddenly began to change.
The light at the end of the tunnel was finally in sight as I noticed the prices declining. I would fill up my gas tank, roll the windows down, and put the music the loudest it could get. I felt free and it was imperative that the world witnessed my ecstatic emotion.
I milked it for what it was worth but, unfortunately, it didn’t last very long.
I was snapped back into reality when I noticed the prices gradually rising once again.
According to TallahasseeGasPrices.com, the most expensive gas in this area is $3.38 on the Florida/Georgia state line in Havana, Ga. The thought of having to pay nearly $4 a gallon for gas makes me cringe, but that is the reality of the time we live in.
“I drive a lot so most of the time I’m in my car if I’m not at work,” said Corey Lubin, 23, a biology student from Miami. ” When the prices began to rise, I would sacrifice food.”
I, too, have had a massive “emotional fit” because I didn’t want to spend a lot on gas. I wanted to have more to do whatever I pleased. And being that many of us have grown up in this country, we are stuck in a bubble without realizing that we possibly have it better than most. Everything strikes us as unfair. Or is it that we are simply spoiled?
After doing a little research myself to compare our gas prices with other countries, I came to the conclusion that although we hate paying over $3 for gas, we should appreciate it! According to CNN.com, Amsterdam is on the top of the list paying the most per gallon at $6.48. Venezuela, on the other hand, pays the least per gallon at $0.12. Of course we all would rather pay $0.12 but you have to admit that we don’t have it as bad as they have it in Amsterdam.
So next time you go to fill up your tank on an angry stomach, think about how everyone in Amsterdam must feel.