Gasoline prices continued to climb this weekend to another record high Sunday in Santa Rosa and to more than $5 a gallon along the coast, leaving motorists angry but resigned.
"You have no choice, you have to go to work," said Pattie Williams of Petaluma. "It means less food on the table, less for clothes, less for entertainment and cutting back on bills."
Williams filled up Sunday at the Shell station on Redwood Drive in Rohnert Park, which had regular at $4.67 a gallon.
AAA reported Sunday that the average price of regular in Santa Rosa had hit $4.641 a gallon, up 2 cents from Saturday's report and 47 cents higher than a week ago.
Before the latest spike, Santa Rosa's record price had been $4.55, set on June 19, 2008.
Gas hit $5.15 a gallon Sunday at Stewarts Point on the Sonoma County coast, where prices are usually high anyway because of additional transportation costs. It was $4.99 there Friday.
"It is high everywhere," said Chet Richardson, a clerk at the Stewarts Point Store on Highway 1. "What I do notice is that people don't fill their tanks; there are a lot of partial fills."
At Gualala, a gallon of gas was $5.05.
"The locals don't say much, but the tourists have a fit," said Chevron station clerk Sherry Barnes, who said the highest she has seen it there was $5.24 several years ago. "I tell them they are lucky: They just have to pay it once, but we have to pay it all the time."
At the Union 76 station in Bodega Bay, regular was going for $4.63.
North of Santa Rosa, the Chevron station on Airport Boulevard had gas at $4.95 a gallon, but at one point in the afternoon there were no customers.
The 76 station in Larkfield was selling a gallon of gas for $4.53 Sunday, which was low only in comparison to other stations.
"It is what it is," said Steve Manak of Los Angeles. "I don't know what we can do as a state, as a nation."
Jean Ray of Menlo Park, who also was filling up at the Larkfield station, said she hopes this will push people to use alternative transportation.
"The one thing that could motivate them is high prices," Ray said.
The Chevron station on Hopper Avenue in Santa Rosa was charging $4.73, which Justin Brown of Santa Rosa called "completely absurd."
"All in all, I can't think of any reason for it," Brown said. "It makes everyone angry. No one likes to get ripped off."
The price was a surprise for Priscilla Ramirez of Santa Rosa, who last paid $3.99 a gallon.
"Luckily, I just have to fill up once every two weeks," Ramirez said.
At the Valero station at Coddingtown, gas was $4.65.
"I'm not really surprised," said Carlos Soto of San Rafael. "I just came from Marin and gas is 20 cents less here. There is nothing I can do about it. It is just what it is."
You can reach Staff Writer Bob Norberg at 521-5206 or bob.norberg@pressdemocrat.com.
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