Locals React to Near-Record High Gas Prices

In light of recent near-record high gas prices, Bayport Blue-Point Patch interviewed customers at the  located at 640 Montauk Highway in Bayport to gather their reactions as to how the dramatic increase has affected their driving and shopping habits, home budget and general quality of life.

The average price of gas on Long Island was $4.12 per gallon as of Monday, about an eight cent increase from the week prior. Nationally, gas prices averaged $3.83 per gallon, an increase of just 2.8 cents in the same week.

Driving for pleasure is largely a thing of the past. Many residents have cut their driving down to the bare minimum.

"I only drive when necessary. I work from home, so I'm lucky," said Roger Grosser, 42.

He predicts that next season is when the grim reality of higher gas prices will really sink in, since the cost of flying and boating has also soared.

"I just don't drive as much. Summertime is when we'll see the effect of people not doing things: There will be no vacationing or boating," Grosser said.

Several businesses have been adversely affected by this recent turn of events.  Bayport resident, Pete Labusohr, 58, said the exorbitant gas prices have not only curbed his recreational activities, but also changed how he schedules his appointments for work.

"It's killing me. It certainly has made us think twice about discretionary spending, things like eating out," said Labusohr. "I'm in the real estate business, so I drive a lot. I just came from the Bronx on business. It's affecting my customers. We're in a business where we have to drive, so we have to try to cluster real estate showings all at one time. People can't come out Saturday and Sunday."

Rex Scanlon, a driver for McLane Trucks out of Syracuse stopped to speak to Patch as he was unloading groceries, candy and water bottles.

"I blame the government for higher prices. The higher the prices, the more taxes and the more money they make. We get six miles a gallon for this. We go 850 miles to come down [from Upstate New York] round trip," he said.

Scanlo said the company he works for has cancelled and consolidated a lot of truck loads to make sure they are traveling full.

"If they're not traveling full loads, they cancel the loads," said Scanlon. "It's affected us tremendously. It's not good for anyone. It's not good for business."

Bayport resident Teresa Yuksel and her family have also been deeply impacted by the steep price of fuel.

"My husband owns a limousine company. It's dramatically, very much ruined business. He can't make money with gas prices," said Yuksel.

For Donald Jackson, supervisor of the Hess Gas station, it's pretty much been business as usual.

"People still come in; they still get the same amount of gas, [but] there are a lot of complaints."

In answer to the near-record high gas prices Rep. Steve Israel, D-Huntington requested on Monday that President Barack Obama tap into the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, an action which he said would help to mitigate costs at the pump almost immediately.

The SPR contains 727 million barrels of oil, and is the largest quantity of government owned emergency crude oil amassed worldwide.

Israel informed that the gas would hit the market in under two weeks once released.