U.S. Gas Average Hits $4; Californians Cringe

by Richard Gonzales, NPR

Nationwide, the average cost for a gallon of gasoline has just broken the $4 mark. But in California, that price seems cheap — many motorists there are worried that $5 gasoline is just around the corner.

After all, in California, the price of regular broke $4 last April.

Huge gas lines might actually be a good thing, says painter Ron Hill. Maybe that would force something to change, he said at a gas station in Oakland, Calif. Hill drives an old Dodge ram van, which he says drink gas. But maybe it's time for a boycott, he said.

"Everybody should not drive for a week all around the country," Hill said. "Just don't drive and see what happens. Something's got to be done, we have to be smart. We have to beat them at this."

But even as Hill spoke, an attendant nearby changed the station's posted price of gas. In the blink of an eye, regular went from $4.43 a gallon to $4.53. Hill turned in disgust.

"What is there to think?" Hill asked. "Man come on. We're being worked over."

Broadcast Dates

• All Things Considered, June 9, 2008