Chris Kemp

That’s it! I give up! I’m sick of the whole driving thing. It is quickly depleting my funds, and I just don’t want to deal with it anymore.

I’m going to the store tonight. I’m buying bright orange “For Sale” signs, and putting my car on the market.

My head starts to throb when I think about how much I am paying for gasoline. I limit how much money I spend at the pumps – only once have I spent more than $20. It really takes away the pain I would feel if I had put in a full tank of gas.

I know I don’t have it so bad. I drive a 1996 Saturn, which, compared to many vehicles on the road, has great gas mileage.

Sometimes, just for laughs, I ask people on average how much they spend at the gas station.

Last week, I had to stop at Saturn of Eau Claire to get something minor checked out with my steering. Don’t worry, it’s nothing, and won’t affect the sale of my car. I started talking to the mechanic, who mentioned he bought a ’94 Saturn and put his truck in storage because he couldn’t afford to drive it.

So naturally, I asked why, and he told me it was because a tank of gasoline cost him $100.

Ouch.

Have you noticed every gas station in Eau Claire has the same gas price?

I don’t think that is common. Last weekend I was in Minnesota, and gas prices varied from station to station. The prices ranged from $1.99 to $2.09 in Brooklyn Park, Minn., according to twincitiesgasprices.com.

The same also holds true for parts of Wisconsin. According to wisconsin gasprices.com, Appleton has gas prices ranging from $2.29 to $2.35.

I’m not saying the prices are great, but at least you get a choice. I would definitely drive the extra mileage through Appleton to buy less-expensive gasoline than pay $2.35 a gallon.

Saturday’s Star Tribune had a story about a gas station in Anoka, Minn., that offers gasoline at lower prices with a 10-cent discount per gallon.

The group, based out of Shawano, has faced lawsuits by competitors for illegally undercutting Wisconsin’s minimum price for gasoline.

I’m not saying gas stations should lower their price so much that they break the law, but making other gas stations compete for customers can only benefit the consumer.

Don’t think I’m completely ignoring the fact that Wisconsin has the highest gasoline tax in the United States. But when I looked at the 31.1 cents per gallon that Wisconsin pays, compared it to the 22 cents per gallon Minnesota pays, the 9-cent difference is nowhere near the actual price difference of up to 20 cents.

Now, normally I would not be this obsessive over a few pennies, but I think competition is good.

If one Eau Claire gas station dropped the price just a few cents, I think everyone could benefit. People like me, who would drive the extra bit for cheaper gasoline, would show that gas station more profits with their patronage.

So, I believe there is some room for competition in Eau Claire, since we know we’re not getting gasoline for the cheapest amount they could charge. In fairness, if one gas station would decide to lower its prices, I think more people would choose to go there, and the station would see greater profits because of it.

Dakins is a junior print journalism major and photo editor of The Spectator.