Falls Church, Virginia: The war on Iran has propelled US gasoline above $4 per gallon, igniting frustration among drivers facing pinched budgets and potential spending cuts.
Jeanne Williams, 83, halted at a Falls Church Liberty station after a 100-mile (160 km) trip from Richmond to see her sister. Staring at the LED board, she said: “That is horrible. I’m not angry. I’m just bewildered, confused, unhappy. Because we didn’t ask for the war.”
AAA data confirms Tuesday’s national regular gasoline average (3.78 liters/gallon) crossed $4.00 – up 35% since US-Israeli strikes, as reported by The Economic Times.
Cancer-fighting retiree Williams views her pension as “fairly decent” but draws o
n savings amid rises. “Luckily, I have no children. I don’t have a spouse, so it’s just me and whatever I have I help my sister with.”
Inflation has fallen from 9.1% pandemic highs yet stays elevated, battering households in the top economy.
New Yorker Luis Ramos, 26, vented at a New Jersey pump: “It’s ridiculous, honestly. Seeing these gas prices skyrocket, it’s incredible. The cost of living is already skyrocketing,” he told AFP.
Bloomberg economist Eliza Winger detailed impacts: “We estimate that 10 percent increase in oil prices reduces real consumer spending by approximately 0.2 percent.” Fuel is up over 30%.
David Lee, 39, an anesthesiologist filling twice weekly: “I feel like every time I fill it up, I probably filling up at least $10 more than what I used to pay.” Peers cut miles.
Joseph Crouch, 77, Vietnam veteran, said: “The prices are so high. I don’t think government is knowing what it’s doing. We are paying the price of the war. They trying to say it’s something else, but it’s definitely a war.”
Fred Koester, 78, slammed a “stupid war” that was “totally unnecessary.”