Queens residents have been feeling the effects of inflation — rising prices and a loss of purchasing power — all without wages matching the increase in the cost of living.
The price of gas alone has gone up about one dollar this year. Gas station owners are scared, drivers are budgeting and no one knows who to blame.
Tasos Drivas opened a Mobil gas station in Long Island City nearly 30 years ago, and he told QNS he worries every day about losing his business.
“What will I do if I lose this [business]?” Drivas said. “I already lost two-thirds of the business I had, and at my age now, it’s not the time to start again. The businesses have been struggling after the government stopped giving out checks. Now, over 90% of people use credit cards at my station. It’s a problem. It’s very tough for everyone.”
According to AAA, the national average for a gallon of gas is $3.44, over one dollar more than it was a year ago. There are a lot of different factors to blame for this surge in prices. First, AAA says that cold weather increases the demand for heating oil. On top of that, foreign affairs and the concern that Russia will sanction and withhold crude oil in the already tight market puts pressure on prices.
“This shows how events on the other side of the globe can have a noticeable impact right here in the U.S.,” said Andrew Gross, an AAA spokesperson. “And unfortunately for drivers, they are reminded of this by higher prices at the pump.”
