High gas prices change driving habits for some - wistv.com - Columbia, South Carolina |

High gas prices change driving habits for some, others accept them

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Rob Smith fills is gas tank Rob Smith fills is gas tank
COLUMBIA, SC (WIS) -

$3. 63, $3.65 And $3.69 are just of the prices we found for a gallon of regular gas around Columbia.

"I think it's gone up from $3. 40 'till like $3.63 like in the past week," said one customer. 

Refinery fires, pipeline closures, and now Hurricane Isaac are the reasons behind the spike but some drivers need of a sign of relief.

"I now wait until like the empty sign and then like literally I drive until the very last drop of gas instead," said Knox Martin. "Usually I would wait until I had about a quarter of a tank yet."

Martin is putting his travel plans on hold this holiday weekend and even changing his daily habits because of the pain at the pump.

"I do notice that I park my car now and leave it parked instead of hopping in my car and driving from the parking lot to the other end of campus just to go class," he said.  "I just walk now instead of drive."

Across town we found Rob Smith, who just finished filling up to the tune of $78 for a full tank. But surprisingly he's taking the upswing in prices in stride.

"It's kind of like the sun coming up," said Smith. "It happens. And frankly if we had more fuel sources in this country and didn't rely so much on foreign oil, we probably wouldn't be that way."

According to AAA Carolinas, Hurricane Isaac caused the highest overnight increase in gas prices in our area since Hurricane Katrina seven years ago.

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