Hand Cramps and an Empty Wallet at the Gas Pumps

Talk about adding insult to injury.

With gas prices quickly climbing to nauseatingly high levels and gas pump handle clips now banned for safety reasons, we have to stand there and watch our wallets get drained while our tanks get filled up.

I recently left my favorite station at Bernal Corners $75 lighter in the ATM card with my right hand cramped into the shape of a gas nozzle handle.

According to a report from AAA Northern California, Bay Area residents are paying an average of $3.23 per gallon for regular, unleaded gasoline, up 5 cents from last month.

On Friday I paid $3.29 at the Shell for regular/unleaded, and the premium stuff was going for about $3.50. Great! Just in time for the holidays, when many of us are going on road trips or trying to save a few dollars for presents.

At least has its gas deal going again (discounts of up to 10 cents a gallon based on how much you spend). Unfortunately, there's no Safeway gas station in Ptown, so that means driving all the way to Dublin to save a couple dollars on gas. Sigh.

California's average price of $3.14 per gallon, which has increased by 4 cents since Oct. 12, is the third-highest among all 50 states. At this time last year, a gallon of gas cost an average of $2.99, according to AAA.

At least we're not like those poor souls who live in Wailuku, Hawaii, where a gallon of regular unleaded costs $3.92. Oh wait, I guess I don't really feel too sorry for them. I've never even been to Hawaii.

AAA offers a text alert service to notify subscribers of low gas prices in their area. More information can be found at www.aaa.com/gas.

Bay City News contributed to this About Town.