Pee Dee gasoline prices falling

MARION — Gasoline prices continue to drop in the eastern Carolinas, following a national trend.

As of Monday afternoon, AAA Carolinas said the national average for a gallon of regular unleaded stood at $3.20. South Carolina’s average was $3.23.

Despite those averages, some local stations’ prices fell below the $3 mark.

At the Shell station on U.S. 76 in Marion, the $2.89 price of regular unleaded attracted a crowd of drivers Monday afternoon. Vehicles lined every section of the station, and pumps were flowing very slowly as many people tried to fill up at the same time.

Jim O’Neill stopped at the station on his way back home to Rock Hill, and said he was surprised by the crowds.

“It’s impressive. I haven’t seen this many people in line for gas ... in months,” he said.

Sandy Jenkins and her family travel across the state often, and when she saw the relatively low price at the pumps, she stopped to fill up.

“I have been pumping for about five minutes now and I haven’t even gotten three gallons yet, so the pumps are quite slow,” she said.

When the price of regular unleaded fell by 20 to 30 cents in many areas, many drivers decided they should fill up before the prices went up again.

For many, the decreasing costs are the exception to what’s shaping up to be a difficult month for the economy.

But for many the question remains, just how low will the prices go?

“They’re starting to come down. They go up faster than they come down, though,” O’Neill said. “I know the open market is around $2 a gallon, so I still think this is a little higher than it should be.”

Many drivers think the rough economy actually brought down the prices and had a significant impact on drivers’ spending habits.

“Right now people are not traveling as much, so the demand is not quite as high, and if the demand is low then the prices are low. If the demand is high, the prices are high,” Jenkins said.

If the crowds at stations around the area Monday were any indication of the level of demand now, many drivers say they’ll be happy to fill up for under $3 a gallon while they still can.