Running on Fumes: The Forgotten Challenge of Gas Prices For Commuters

In recent years, gas prices have risen to unheard of prices in New Jersey. Some places even hit over five dollars a gallon—let’s not even mention the absurd prices in California. In the past few months, prices have dropped down to a range of $3.50 to $4.50 a gallon. 

Here at Centenary, we have roughly 300 commuters. That's roughly 43% of our student population that has to deal with these rising gas prices. For some commuters, it's not the end of the world.

“I only live down the street, so I don’t have to fill my tank as much as other commuters. Although my commute is short, I still wince every time I make a stop at Wawa to get gas,” said Samantha Swayze (2.2 miles daily). 

Other commuters with longer commutes face the horrors of having to refill their tanks more frequently.  

“I send my boyfriend to fill my tank because everytime I see the price I have a f***ing heart attack,” said Brittany Wrigley (11 miles daily)

You might find yourself wondering how you can avoid spending money on gas; the sad truth is you can’t.

Many people have resigned to just saying “oh wow” and filling their tank anyway, because what else can we do in an area that has hardly any public transportation options? Uber and Lyft are always options, but they’re more expensive than gas and will break the bank even more.

“Yeah, gas is literally so expensive it's nauseating but like what am gonna do? Not put gas in my car? Unfortunately not an option,” said Ava Battle (60 miles daily). “I guess just try to get gas when it's low—whatever that means now—and pray my account doesn't overdraw!”

But that doesn’t mean there aren’t some quick and easy ways to save yourself a few cents. Many people scope out the gas stations they choose to go to. 

“I once saw three stations right next to each other, each had at least 10 cents difference between their prices,” said Elizabeth May (30 miles daily). “The first station was $4.25 a gallon, the second was $4.05, and the third was $3.95. Obviously, I went to the third option and willingly waited in line, instead of the empty other two stations.”

On top of eyeing locations to go to, you can also look into signing up for rewards apps from chain places like QuickChek. The free QuickChek rewards will eventually build up enough to save you money on food in their convenience stores. 

Commuters can also make the choice to stay on campus and hang out in Centenary’s Commuter Lounge, located on the second floor of Lackland, instead of making the drive home during their gaps between classes, which would double their amount of driving daily.

Outside of those two options, you can also walk to campus if you live close enough or possibly even carpool with another commuter. 

The horrible truth is that these spiked gas prices are our new normal. While Centenary’s resident population may not face gas prices the same way commuters do, we all have to deal with the pang of panic that happens when we see that price continue to rise. 

Drive safe.