Holiday Travel Slows As Gas Prices Level

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

By ALEKSANDRS ROZENS, AP Business Writer


NEW YORK - Labor Day traffic slowed around the country as drivers lucky to find gas stations open paid over 30 percent more than before Hurricane Katrina disrupted Gulf Coast refinery and pipeline operations a week ago.

Pump prices are starting to level off, but analysts say the dramatic rise in gasoline costs has forced consumers to begin rethinking everything from vacation travel plans to how much they can afford to spend for food, clothing and restaurant meals.

Drivers paid an average of about $3.20 a gallon for unleaded regular on Monday, up $1.35 from a year ago, and 75 cents more than they did before the hurricane, according to Randy Bly, director of community relations for AAA Auto Club South.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050906/ap_on_bi_ge/katrina_gas_prices_hk3



:hurts:

[Kolesar]

1. Is that your "pump and dump" DU smilie?...eom

[CountAllVotes]

2. I live in an area where many tourists come this time of the year

and guess what? It is like a ghost town out there. I drove down the main street here (so to speak) yesterday and noted very few cars to be seen. It was the same with the freeway system, only a few cars on the road. The gas stations were all at $3.27+++ ----> a gallon and no one was at any of them either; same story with the stores around here - fairly empty and the general vibe I was picking up was a very depresssed and grim one.

I think that "Labor Day" weekend has been a bust, at least for this part of California. How very sad for our country.

:kick:

[NYC]

3. I expect it to get worse.

The Bush economy.

[CountAllVotes]

4. yep it will and it will hit areas like this very hard

being there is really not much work to be found. Tourism is a big part of the economy where I live.

*sigh*

Thanks GWB! I hope you are impeached very very soon if not sooner!

You are ruining lives and killing people all over the world!

:kick:

[ForrestGump]

6. The Vegas Strip was dead this weekend

At least in comparison to what it should have been on a holiday weekend or on pretty much any other weekend. I'm sure that people who flew in kept the reservations they'd earlier made, but I bet a lot driving in from places like Los Angeles and Phoenix decided to stay at home because of the cost of fuel.

[aquart]

7. Does Bush hate vacations for everyone but himself?

The travel and tourism industry has been strangled by one Bush policy after another.

[JABBS]

5. What Bush Should Do

Read this posting.

[fasttense]

8. Yeah, we are near the Smoky Mountain National Forest and though

there was some traffic, it wasn't the huge surge of tourists they were expecting.

[unhappycamper]

9. Cape Cod traffic was VERY light coming off Rt. 28 yesterday.

It's normally backed up 3 ~ 4 miles, moving at a walking pace.

[TheCowsCameHome]

11. Restaurants on Cape Cod say weekend was lousy. Guess why?

People weren't out driving as in previous years. And those that were skipped the dining-out.

[TheCowsCameHome]

10. When it starts to affect the economy Bush's ratings will tank quickly

Bye-bye, George.