It's The Little Things: Gallon Of Gas 45 Cents Cheaper This Labor Day
(CBS) -- Chicago area drivers hit the roads on Labor Day, enjoying gasoline prices that are substantially lower than they were a year ago.
But as CBS 2's Mike Parker reports, drivers don't seem to be impressed.
Right now, fuel prices are not cheap. But they're lower than they were on Labor Day 2012. A year ago, the average price for a gallon of regular in the Chicago area was $4.35. On Monday, the price was $3.90 -- a 45-cent per gallon difference.
Yet Florian Depenthal, filling up his tank after spending the holiday with his kids, isn't jumping for joy.
"I don't pay much attention to it because I think I don't have a choice. We need the gas and we just pay it," he says.
Motorist Pete Kugiewicz also shrugged his shoulders, saying everyone thinks gasoline is too expensive, whatever the cost.
Chicago area prices are lower right now because gasoline supplies are up. Midwest refineries have had a glitch-free summer and demand is down.
So far, the threat of a U.S. military strike against Syria has had only a small effect on gas prices across the country, an increase of less than 2 cents per gallon. Most analysts feel that because Syria is not a major oil producer, it would be unlikely that a strike would cause a major price jump.
