Menlo Park, California – In a town in Silicon Valley, California, drivers are paying $7.29 for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline as prices continue to climb across the country. At a Chevron gas station in Menlo Park, the cost is so high that one surprised user on X pointed out it’s 4 cents more than the federal hourly minimum wage. This shocking price led to reactions from others on X, with one user noting, “Geez, imagine working for an hour for 1 gallon of gas! And that’s BEFORE taxes!”
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“Needs fixing,” another said, while a fourth chimed in: “Looks like people will be walkin’ to work!”
To fill a 20-gallon tank at this rate would cost nearly $150. Although California increased its minimum wage to $16 an hour earlier this year, and to $20 for fast food workers from April 1, gas prices remain very high in the state. The average price in California is $5.44 per gallon, as reported by GasBuddy.
Across the U.S., the average price for gas has risen to $3.68 a gallon, up from $3.53 last month, according to GasBuddy, which monitors fuel prices in real-time. This rise in gas prices is a major factor in the ongoing high inflation rates, as reflected in the Consumer Price Index for March, which recorded a 3.5% increase in prices.
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More than half of this significant inflation spike can be attributed to the rising costs of gasoline and housing, based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Despite the steep prices, some social media users believe the gas prices at the Menlo Park station are not as extreme as they appear, considering the local minimum wage of over $16 an hour.
“Most make at least $16 in California. Leave the fed wage out of this,” one user said.
Most make at least $16 in California. Leave the fed wage out of this
— Staceeeeeeeeeeee (@XstacaliciousX) April 22, 2024
“Well everyone drives Teslas,” another added of California residents.
Another argued that residents in the area, known as the “Capital of Venture Capital,” make a lot of money and can therefore afford the expensive price per gallon.
“Normally I’d say this is outrageous and blah blah..but Ayesha, Steph Curry, and all of the other MP/Atherton elites can afford it so not sorry raise it up to 20 for all i care,” another user commented.
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“Shop around,” yet another encouraged, noting that another Chevron station in the Menlo Park area is charging $5.79 per gallon.