Mainers change driving habits in an effort to save

Gas prices around the state have cruised above $3 a gallon, prompting many residents to change their driving routines.

“I try to consolidate my trips so I can come to town,” said Linda Williams of Glenburn. On Thursday afternoon, Williams filled up her red Ford Taurus with regular unleaded fuel at $3.14 a gallon at Queen City Exxon on State Street in Bangor.

Mark Mogan, a fuel attendant at Queen City Exxon, said business has been slower than usual since gas prices topped $3 a gallon.

“There’s been a big drop-off in fill-ups. People come in and only want $20, $25 worth of gas,” Mogan said.

Mogan said he recently sold his Jeep Grand Cherokee and bought a more fuel-efficient compact Toyota. He said he went from spending $10 a day for gas to only $3 a day for his commute from Newburgh.

Mike Crandall of Hampden stopped in to fill up his Volvo V70 and winced when he was asked how he feels about the price of gas.

“Not very good,” he said. “It’s not gonna surprise me when it hits four bucks [a gallon]. They say there’s a shortage. I don’t believe it.”

At the Veazie Mini Mart on State Street, Chris Chaisson of Lincoln spent $27.44 filling up her Subaru Forester.

“I don’t like it, but what am I gonna do?” Chaisson said. She said she seeks out gas stations with the lowest prices and avoids trips to Bangor on weekends.

The Kev-Lan gas station on Broadway in Bangor was nearly deserted Thursday afternoon, but operator Cheryl Noyes said she had not noticed a difference in business before and after gas prices rose above $3 a gallon.

Noyes said she and her father, Bud Grant, owner of Kev-Lan, try to keep prices near or below those at the other gas stations on Broadway.

“By the time we take out the cost of gas, credit card fees and taxes, people don’t realize how little is made on a gallon of gasoline,” Noyes said.