GAS PAINS: Reports over the long Labor Day weekend demonstrate
that Bradford has apparently resumed its position as the most
expensive place, at least in this region, to buy a gallon of
gas.
From our correspondence, it appears that the rest of the
immediate world had settled down to a “low” price for unleaded fuel
at $3.18 or $3.19. Bradford? During the same time period, we were
running at $3.48 or thereabouts.
Glenn Baker of Franklin wrote Tuesday: “While in Bradford
visiting relatives, I was appalled at the gas prices. Coming from
the Franklin area where gas was $3.19 as well as at Titusville.
When I saw the price here at Tops, Country Fair and Kwik Fill, I
went into shock!
“Who in this area sets the fees for this outrageous prices? Come
on, Bradford, wake up! Who is getting gouged?”
Another motorist who had traveled to Ridgway and Johnsonburg
observed their prices also at $3.19.
Mike Madden of Bradford had traveled to downtown Pittsburgh and
back where virtually all the prices on the trip – except ours, of
course – had dropped back to $3.19.
Richard Young of Custer City writes, “I was in Erie visiting my
parents on Labor Day and noticed that gas was $ 2.99 a gallon. When
will it reach here?”
We also heard from Marlene Long of Rixford who offered a
different point of view:
“I wonder if the editors and staff responsible for Round the
Square think that Bradford is somehow entitled to cheaper gasoline
than the rest of the country (and/or world)?
“My son in Chicago called a few weeks ago to say that gasoline
had reached 3.00 a gallon at some stations there. I don’t like
paying high prices either but I have decided to drive less. (I
would get rid of my SUV but I don’t have one.)
“As a country we need to stop thinking that somehow we are
entitled to cheap gas and begin to work on ways to reduce our
dependency on fossil fuel. It seems to me that Bradford of all
areas should know we can’t depend on oil forever.”
Just as a point of clarification: People in Bradford do not
think we should get gas cheaper than everyone else in the
country/world. We just think we shouldn’t always have to pay
substantially more than everyone else in the country/world.
