Philadelphia Area Drivers React To 'Honestly Ridiculous' Gas Prices
WILLIAMSTOWN, N.J. (CBS) -- As people anticipate even higher gas prices due to the ongoing war in Ukraine, they're doing what they can to reduce pain at the pump. At BJ's Wholesale Club in Northeast Philadelphia, customers are lining up to save with gas prices still under $4 per gallon.
Gas prices in New Jersey jumped 14 cents overnight. Drivers are now questing how much more they can afford to pay.
"I got a 45-minute drive to and from work every day and that $20 definitely ain't 20-ing like it used to," driver DJ Camp said with a laugh.
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Nervous laughter as drivers realize their hard-earned money isn't taking them as far as it used to.
"It's honestly ridiculous," driver Alexandra Barladir said.
On average, the cost for a gallon of regular in South Jersey is $4.23. In Delaware, it's $4.22. In the Philadelphia five-county region, it's $4.40.
Chopper 3 was over at the BJ's Wholesale Club in Northeast Philly Tuesday morning. The prices were $3.99, but by the time Eyewitness News's ground crew got there, it was $4.29.
Eyewitness News spoke with one driver there who is from Ukraine. He says the pain at the pump is necessary.
"As unfortunate as it is for a lot of people, I'm happy that it's like that," a driver said. "Russia needs to pay for what they're doing because it's horrible. They can't just keep doing what they want."
In New Jersey, the least expensive gas Eyewitness News saw was at the Sam's Club in Williamstown. There, a gallon of regular is going for $4.12. Similar to the BJ's in Philly, the cheaper prices are because drivers pay a membership fee.
"At some point, there's no way anybody working a regular job can come here twice a week and come up with $80, $90 a week," driver Mike Marengo said. "It's just not feasible."
Eyewitness News spoke with Dr. Wojtek Wolfe. He's a political science professor at Rutgers-Camden. He says energy is politics and now politics is playing out for the world to see. Because of that, he says he doesn't see prices leveling off any time soon.
"Short of Putin coming to the negotiating table and saying 'I'm willing to cut my losses,' he is cold and he is calculating and he will follow this through," Wolfe said. "This will continue to catch up at the pump."
The professor adds that not only will gas prices continue to tick up, so will the prices of everyday goods and food.
Pennsylvania congressman Brian Fitzpatrick, the co-chair of the Congressional Ukraine Caucus, spoke with CBS3 on Tuesday about what is at stake.
Fitzpatrick said he supports President Biden's ban on Russian oil imports and he acknowledges it may mean higher prices at the pump in the short term.
He said long term, it's both sustainable and strategic.
"We have the resources right here in the United States not only to be energy independent here but to be a net exporter to help our European allies wean themselves off Russian oil," Fitzpatrick said.
CBS3 reporter Jan Carabeo contributed to this report.
