By By KATHIE HEMPEL / Niles Daily Star
Gas prices rising are now a part of daily life. Leave the house in the morning and the price is a mere $2.59 – go out for lunch and it's $2.69.
People out and about Niles Friday afternoon for the most part, reluctantly accept their lack of control in the situation. They have cut back about all they can.
"I just don't believe it is possible to change our driving habits. It's not like the good old days. We used to grow a lot of our own. Now it is 12 miles to the grocery store and back," Alvin Wetter said.
He and wife Emily stopped for coffee at Martin's. Their doctor is in St. Joseph and they are not going to give up going to church.
"We like to take trips, but you do think twice for even short trips with the prices the way they are," Mrs. Wetter said.
Billy Hughes is a company driver with Willis Shaw Express out of Elm Spring, Ark. His company has a strict rule against drivers leaving the trucks idling. It can mean severe reprimand.
"Because I drive the company truck most of the time, it just doesn't cost me personally the same as if I had to drive my own vehicle everyday. If that were the case this would be a whole different interview. Then there would be teardrops on the page," he said.
Hughes doesn't worry about cutting back on personal driving time. He will still take a vacation with the family this summer.
"Ridiculous. The gas prices are ridiculous. I live in Dowagiac and it costs me about $40 to fill up the tank, Lashandra Jones said.
Jones was heading into Wal-Mart with son James, 7, and daughter Nijah, 4 months. With a family she likes the larger department store for the low prices as long as the gas price doesn't completely offset any savings.
W.A. Quinn has just decided he has to accept the prices. He isn't really cutting back.
"Give or take a bit it probably costs me $50 a week for gas. I only run one vehicle so it's not so bad," he said.
Quinn works for Niles Marathon Petroleum. He has no more explanation for the rapid fluctuations in prices than anyone else.
Aina Quaye, 16, has a very busy life. She drives to school, picks up sister Lydia, 13, from practices, works and goes shopping.
"I use about a tank a week. It costs me about $55. There is absolutely no way for me to cut back. I've already cut down a lot," she said.
Dave and Linda Reynolds are from Chicago and have a second home on Barron Lake. They arrived last Saturday and plan to head back to Illinois today.
"When we left last Saturday it was $2.48 in Chicago. We count on gas being cheaper here in Niles. Not this week," Mrs. Reynolds said.
"It's crazy. When we got in last Saturday gas was $2.37. By Monday it was $2.59. Then last night we saw it at $2.53 and thought we would fill up there for the trip back. Now it is $2.69. I think the only explanation is the gas companies can get away with it," Mr. Reynolds said.
Steve Schmidtke takes the philosophical view. He accepts there is nothing we can do about it.
"Adjust to it. Time goes by so fast. Enjoy vacations and summertime trips. Do things rather than just watch the pumps. We still need to enjoy the time with family. You don't get this time back," he said.
Schmidtke wants to remind others it is not the clerk's fault. He imagines just how many times a day they hear complaints when they can do nothing about it.
Some interviewed added they are bracing for the next increases. They know predictions of prices over $3 per gallon have been made just in time for summer.