Since the beginning of the United States’ war effort in Iran, the average price of a gallon of gas in San Diego County (as of mid-March) has risen to $5.80.
While bombs may not be dropping on San Diego, this war has certainly hit local pocketbooks. The San Diego Sun spoke to individuals all over downtown San Diego to see how the energy crunch had affected daily life.
Bill Corder wasn’t worried. The Coronado resident commutes to downtown San Diego for work.
“A lot of these conflicts usually right themselves in 60 to 90 days,” he said.
Laura Keller, a downtown Marina District resident, agreed. She noted that gas prices have changed a lot since 2020. The last time they were this high was October 2023. “I just kind of have to accept it, because you need gas to get where you’re going, right?” she said.
Victor Guerrero works at the Shell station in East Village. His commute begins deep in East County in Boulevard. “It used to take me $40 to fill up my gas tank, now it’s over $60,” he said.
Guerrero noticed customers in the past few weeks only filling up with the minimum amount of gas.
Spring Valley resident Samantha Garcia commutes to work in Little Italy. She’s been hesitating to fill her tank because of the rising cost of gas.
“It’s been pretty freaking bad,” Garcia said. “I was like, uh, no way I’m filling it up all the way,” she said. “I’m gonna do halfway, see how far it gets me.”
Jaqueline Torres, a Cortez Hill resident, recently asked her boss if she can work from home for her Solana Beach-based job to save money on gas.
Torres has thought about taking public transit in the past, but is “definitely heavily considering it way more.” She’s not convinced, though.
Several people told The Sun they’re frustrated by gas prices and speculated that gas companies are taking advantage of people by using the war to create profits. Gas prices as high as $9 per gallon have been reported at some California stations.
With a volatile war campaign still in place, downtown residents will have to keep an eye on international news and statements from the White House to try to determine where gas prices will land in the near future.
Vice President J.D. Vance insisted price hikes will be “temporary.”
Some California Democrats have also proposed gas price relief policies in the meantime, and dozens of bills aiming to solve the issue sit before the state legislature. SDSun
