Armin Najadi just bought a new car, but he’s trying not to
use it much.
In fact, the fourth-year history student leaves his car behind
when he goes to school, preferring to walk to classes in order to
save money on gas.
“I had a four-cylinder, and now I have a (bigger car), so
the price is that much more for me,” Najadi said.
He now mostly uses his car to drive home on the weekends to
Westlake Village, which he said costs at least $10 at the pump.
Like Najadi, many other UCLA students and nearby residents have
been affected by climbing gas prices, though some continue to drive
as much as they usually do.
Gas prices have been going up recently due to the rising cost of
crude oil, which briefly reached $75 a barrel, about 33 percent
higher than it was a year ago.
After falling for four consecutive days, oil prices were under
$72 a barrel Thursday.
As of Monday, the average price of gasoline in the United States
was $2.91, 68 cents higher than it was a year ago.
But the average price of gas throughout Los Angeles County was
$3.081, because of state environmental requirements and a local
sales-and-use tax of 7.25 percent.
At the nearest gas station to UCLA, a Chevron located on the
corner of Le Conte and Gayley avenues, the price of one gallon of
regular unleaded was $3.319 Thursday.
“It’s too expensive, right?” said Bumhwan Cha,
a third-year computer engineering student. “It’s too
expensive.”
Cha does not drive much because he lives on campus, but he said
he still feels that gas prices are too high.
But other UCLA students, including second-year marine biology
student Katie Ogden, said the price of gasoline has not had a
significant impact on their driving habits.
“My mom pays for my gas,” Ogden said. “I
noticed that (the price has) increased but it doesn’t really
affect me that much.”
Though she sometimes takes the bus, she said higher gas prices
have not made her more inclined to use it to get around. However,
Ogden said she tries to find cheaper gas stations.
“I try to go to the hole-in-the-wall gas station (with
lower prices),” Ogden said.
Pacific Palisades resident Rebecca Smith also said the rising
cost of gasoline has not affected her because her parents pay for
her gas.
As a new driver, Smith has not cut back on driving because of
the price of gasoline, though she said prices are “pretty
bad.”
“I love driving, and I need to drive to get places,”
Smith said. “I don’t pay for my gas (but) if I did,
I’m sure it would (affect me).”
With reports from Bruin wire services.