No end in sight at gas stations

Deepa Bharath

Gas prices in the area were well above the $2 mark on Tuesday.

The prices are likely to climb even higher in the next few days,

said Carol Thorp, spokeswoman for the Auto Club of Southern

California. There are a “number of reasons” for the price hike, she

said.

“There are problems with refineries in Texas, California and

Washington state,” Thorp said. “There was also a pipeline rupture in

Arizona that worsened the situation.”

Although the problem in Arizona has been fixed, the pipeline

cannot be reopened until it gets federal approval, she said.

Summer travel, which typically ends with Labor Day on Sept. 1, has

also fueled the rise in gas prices, Thorp said.

“With more travel, there is more demand,” she said.

Thorp said the price of unleaded gasoline the same time last year

in Orange County was $1.67. On Tuesday, the average price was $1.91.

“We don’t know exactly what would happen,” she said. “But it looks

like it’s going to go higher for the next few days.”

Consumers in Newport-Mesa said they are frustrated with the “up

and down” trend.

“When I see it jump up and down, I get really mad,” said Natalie

Dimayo, who commutes daily from Costa Mesa to Anaheim. “It may not

seem like much of a commute. But it all adds up. It kills you after a

while.”

But Dimayo added that she has learned to “deal with it.”

“I try not to take too many long road trips,” she said.

Edwin Young, who works for a Unocal 76 gas station on Fairview

Road, said he has seen the prices go up and down for a long time.

“I don’t know why,” he said. “But I haven’t heard too many people

complain about it this time.”

But Alexis Schwarz, who drives more than 80 miles one way from

Costa Mesa to Hesperia every day, said she is “trying not to think

about it too much.”

“I’ve totally given up trying to figure it out,” she said. “It’s

definitely a concern for me because of my long commute. But what can

you do about it?”

Rusty Graves of Tustin said the prices were lower in Costa Mesa

than in his city.

“I’m not going to drive all over for two cents,” he said. “But I

was passing by and saw it was cheaper. So I stopped.”

Graves said he feels helpless.

“You can’t do anything about it,” he said. “So why get all mad

about it?”

* DEEPA BHARATH covers public safety and courts. She may be

reached at (949) 574-4226 or by e-mail at deepa.bharath@latimes.com.