How Ordinary Americans Are Coping with Rising Gas Prices in the U.S. 0 15

According to AAA, as of May 18, the average price of a gallon of regular gasoline in the U.S. was $4.52 compared to about $3 before the war with Iran began. According to an Ipsos poll conducted on April 28 and published by the Washington Post and ABC News, 44% of Americans said they have been driving less. This trend is noticeable across the country. In Maine, passenger traffic in the Bangor bus system has increased by 21% since January, local transit service administrator Lori Linscott told Reuters. The largest spikes in ridership occur during peak hours, she added.

At the same time, some are finding new opportunities in these economic difficulties, Reuters writes. According to an article, on one recent Thursday, drivers waited more than an hour at a gas station in El Segundo, California, where the travel agency Visit Las Vegas was giving the first 100 motorists up to $100 for gas to encourage trips to Las Vegas.

Thirty-year-old handyman Mali Hightower from Georgia found a solution to rising gas prices in someone else's trash: he pulled out a broken pink Barbie Dream Camper Power Wheels — a children's electric car less than five feet tall — and installed a two-gallon single-cylinder engine from a pressure washer on it. Just pull the cord like a lawnmower, and he's off to the supermarket — knees almost to his ears, wearing a motocross helmet.

In the editorial's view, the fuel crisis in the U.S. is gradually changing the daily habits of millions of people. While authorities and businesses seek ways to mitigate the impact of rising gas prices, Americans are forced to adapt to the new reality on their own — from switching to public transport to the most unusual ways of saving fuel.