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EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP - Cars lined both sides of the island Tuesday evening, waiting to fuel up at the Garden State service station on the Black Horse Pike in the West Atlantic City section.

But there was something about the drivers that hasn't been seen at the gas pumps in quite some time: They were smiling.

The neon sign promoting a gallon of regular gas for $2.17 probably had a lot to do with those happy faces.

"The trend, historically, is for gas prices to fall at this time of year," said David Weinstein, a spokesman for the AAA Mid-Atlantic.

And the prices are indeed falling.

The average price for a gallon of regular gas Tuesday was $2.34 in Atlantic and Cape May counties, Weinstein said. That's down from $2.41 last week and $2.53 a month ago. Go back a year, and a gallon of fuel cost almost a dollar more than it does now.

The automobile association calculates the average price from credit-card receipts, Weinstein said. Because some stations charge more for the privilege of paying with plastic, it means drivers often pay less if they know where to look.

"People are always happy when the prices come down," said station attendant Khurram Baig. "In bad times, it gives them a little bit of relief."

The Garden State station checks prices on the Black Horse Pike from Atlantic City to Mays Landing every day and tries to sell the cheapest gas on the highway, Baig said.

The drivers filling up Tuesday evening appreciated the effort.

"I always come here because it's cheaper," said Maribel Alverez of Ventnor, putting $20 worth of gas into her SUV.

Declining gas prices are "a big help," Alvarez said. When gas was $4 a gallon last summer, "I think I never filled it up. It was too much," she said.

"I have more money to spend," said Cathy Johnson, of Egg Harbor Township, who does a lot of driving between her job in Atlantic City and visiting her mother in Pomona. "I'm driving back and forth a lot."

Last summer, when gas was going for $4 a gallon, Johnson paid $70 to fill her tank.

"I'm down to about $45 or $50," she said.

The $2.17 price was just fine for Robert Perloff, of Ventnor.

"Not only do gas prices go down, we don't have to pump our own," Perloff said. "We live in a great state."

The lower price at the pump means more money in his wallet, Perloff said.

"I can eat out an extra day," he said. "After all, I have to keep the economy moving."

But not everyone was thrilled with with what they were paying to fill their tanks.

"It's still too high for me," said Joseph Philusmond, of Pleasantville, who thinks a fair price for gas is about $1.50 per gallon. "People can't afford it, no jobs."

But Philusmond admitted the price is a big improvement over last summer, when he drove as little as possible.

"When it was $4, it was $88 to fill the tank," Philusmond said. "It was almost half my paycheck."

E-mail Elaine Rose:

ERose@pressofac.com

6 comments:

• Pvillesfinest (53) posts 8:32 pm

  Should be cheaper. Still remember; JERSEY GIRLS DON'T PUMP GAS!!!

• IzzyStone (307) posts 11:34 am

  No more fossil-fuel "global warming" paranoia anymore, eh? it was always a chimera. No wonder Jersey keeps raising its tolls: a lo-gas tax keeps 'em driving, and donating to Trenton at the innumerable toolbooths. brilliant!

• ratso222 (51) posts 11:30 am

  The usery rules for Mastercard and Visa were that no penalty for using card (i.e. cannot charge more than cash price) and no minimum purchase amount (i.e. you could charge a 50 cent newspaper). It looks like that has changed or nobody enforces the rule. Call your credit card company and ask

• VoiceOfReason (0) posts 10:39 am

  I notice an increase in more and more gas station operators offering the lower price for "cash only" sales in South Jersey. That practice sucks and should be illegal. Do store merchants who accept credit cards offer discounts for cash? Why should it be any different with gas stations? The price should be the same for cash OR credit. Where are our State legislators on this issue?

• Nikynewark (118) posts 9:35 am

  I think the writer missed the point. There never was a reason for gas prices to increase, beyond the oil company's greed. Well let's hope we see $1.99 before Mr. Corzine increases the tax.

• scottoo (1) posts 6:24 am

  "The neon sign promoting" ??? I fear that neither Ms. Rose nor her editor is aware of what a "neon" sign consists. LEd/LCD, perhaps. But, certainly not neon. If the station were to use a neon sign(such as one would see in Vacancy/No Vacancy or Open), it would be out of business in a month with all the changes.

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