AAA

Gas for under $2? Put it down as too good to last. AAA Mid-Atlantic reported Sunday that the average price of a gallon of regular-grade gasoline in Maryland has risen above two bucks after four months below that level. After bottoming out at about $1.70 in January, the Maryland average rose to $2.03 Sunday, according to AAA. Sub-$2 gasoline lingered at some low-cost, mostly rural stations, but most in the Baltimore area appeared to have breached that barrier over the weekend. The consolation is that gas prices remain far below their levels of a year ago, when the Maryland average stood at $3.26.

Ron D. George Membership specialist AAA Mid-Atlantic, Arnold Salary --$35,000 Age --30 Years on the job --One How he got started --George lived in Williamsburg, Va., working at a small airport and helping his mother open a bed and breakfast inn. He then moved to the Annapolis area and began looking for a job. On a whim, he walked into the Arnold office of AAA to ask if they were hiring. Typical day --As a membership specialist, George concentrates on selling and explaining the various benefits associated with the auto club.

The tow truck driver accused by a black state delegate of using a racial slur denied that yesterday, saying Del. Emmett C. Burns Jr. used racially offensive language in their encounter Monday night.Michael Stansbury, 47, said that when he arrived at the Staples store at Old Court and Reisterstown roads in Pikesville Monday night, Burns and his wife were waiting by their blue van.Burns said Tuesday that the two men exchanged words and Stansbury called him "n ....."Yesterday, Stansbury denied that, saying, "That word is not in my vocabulary."

For Timonium housewife Pam Baker -- who car pools four times each day -- it's more money to spend on groceries.For Andy Hoeckel, a 24-year-old carpet installer who logs 500 miles weekly to jobs in Philadelphia and Washington, it's lower expenses.And for commuter Mary Sue Orfuss, the gasoline glut that has pushed prices as low as 69.9 cents a gallon is sweet "comeuppance" for the oil companies."I love the low prices," Orfuss says, while filling up at a Petro discount service station on York Road in Timonium, where fuel is selling for 89.9 cents a gallon.

How nice, exactly, is that hotel you're considering for your summer splurge?You can ask your travel agent, tour operator or even the hotel reservations agents -- it can't hurt -- and you can consult a guidebook from AAA or Mobil. But whether the answer comes back in stars, diamonds or authoritative-sounding adjectives, many hotel rating systems can leave your curiosity unsatisfied. Or, even worse, some make a place sound better than it is.Here's a quick guide to some of this country's most widely used hotel rating systems.

Del. Emmett C. Burns Jr., a Baltimore County Democrat and longtime civil rights activist, said yesterday that a towing contractor, who responded to a call for his disabled van, uttered a racial slur against him.Burns, a delegate since 1994, said that his Dodge van would not start about 2 p.m. Monday while parked in the lot at the Staples store at Old Court and Reisterstown roads in Pikesville.He called the AAA dispatcher and was told the wait for service would be two hours. He canceled the call and went to a 5: 30 p.m. service at Rising Sun First Baptist Church in Woodlawn, where he is pastor.

Many years ago, on a cross-country driving trip with our children, we ended a hot, long day in Amarillo, in the land-of-extremes Texas panhandle.We cruised down Highway 237, looking expectantly at each motel with a patch of grass and swimming pool in front. One after another had posted "No Vacancy" signs in glaring red neon. least it seemed glaring after we had just driven 500 miles in a station wagon with a broken air conditioner and three kids, restless as caged tigers, in the back.We finally stopped at a pay phone, and I thumbed through the American Automobile Association guide for Texas and started calling motels in towns down the road.

Maryland gas prices have risen a penny a gallon since August and are up nearly 8 cents since July, according to AAA Mid-Atlantic.The trend breaks with a tradition of prices declining at the end of the summer travel season. The increases are due to a combination of strong demand in August and record low inventories, AAA said.Maryland motorists are paying an average of $1.268 per gallon for regular self-serve unleaded, up from $1.255 in August, according to an AAA survey of 30 stations in counties excluding Charles, Prince George's and Montgomery.

No place like : A record 44.5 million people plan to travel at least 100 miles from home by land, sea or air during the Christmas-New Year's period, according to a survey by AAA and the Travel Industry Association. Nearly 35 million people will be journeying by car, light truck or recreational vehicle, and the biggest number of those travelers -- 9.1 percent -- will start their trips in the western United States. Many will use the time to go off on vacation.Just ask: Customer complaints can often be difficult and expensive to address.

The authorities agree: As post-recession demand outpaces supply, airfares, hotel rooms, restaurants and rental cars in 1996 are likely to cost 2 percent to 6 percent more than they did in 1995. But there are a few simple investments and strategies, which, if you haven't come upon them yet, could save you hundreds or even thousands of traveling dollars.These ideas are not secrets, and they're not particularly sexy. But they add up. Here are five:The right agentIf you don't have the time to compare airfares and dicker with hotels yourself, find a travel agent you trust.

To soften budget cuts, AFSCME, the state workers union, says Maryland should tap its rainy day fund, which the state has resisted for fear of losing its AAA bond rating. Should we use the fund? Yes 26% No 71% Not sure 3% (1,143 votes, results not scientific) Next poll: : The Justice Department has announced that people who use medical marijuana and their authorized suppliers should not be targeted for federal prosecution in states that, unlike Maryland, allow medical marijuana. Do you agree with this policy?

AAA renewed a call to limit two-way traffic on the Bay Bridge on Monday, the first anniversary of the accident that sent a truck driver plunging to his death in the water below. "Two-way traffic on the bridge continues to frighten a number of motorists," said Ragina C. Averella, manager of public and government affairs for AAA Mid-Atlantic. "We're urging the Maryland Transportation Authority to minimize the use of two-way traffic, to use it only when absolutely necessary, and - most importantly - to find acceptable barrier separation technology that they can use on the bridge."

As the summer travel season begins in earnest this weekend, will Memorial Day find most of us in our own backyards? All signs point to summer getaways close to home, but that doesn't have to mean at home. Yahoo! Travel reports that searches on its Web site were mostly confined to ground travel options for the holiday. Although few people were looking to board a plane to celebrate Memorial Day, the forecast is mixed on summer air travel. While AAA predicts 7 percent more Marylanders will take flight over the holiday weekend, the Air Transport Association, an airline industry group, expects 7 percent fewer passengers on planes this summer.

With gas prices running about $1.50 a gallon less than last year, AAA Mid-Atlantic is projecting a 3.9 percent increase in travel by Marylanders this Memorial Day weekend - welcome news for regional tourist destinations. In a news conference Wednesday on Kent Island, AAA government affairs director Mahlon G. "Lon" Anderson said the organization's survey predicts a robust travel weekend this year - a stark contrast with last year. "Trips by auto are going to be the biggest beneficiaries of Americans' returning wanderlust," Anderson predicted under skies just as sunny as his forecast.

Gas for under $2? Put it down as too good to last. AAA Mid-Atlantic reported Sunday that the average price of a gallon of regular-grade gasoline in Maryland has risen above two bucks after four months below that level. After bottoming out at about $1.70 in January, the Maryland average rose to $2.03 Sunday, according to AAA. Sub-$2 gasoline lingered at some low-cost, mostly rural stations, but most in the Baltimore area appeared to have breached that barrier over the weekend. The consolation is that gas prices remain far below their levels of a year ago, when the Maryland average stood at $3.26.

Free breakfast at Hyatt What's the deal?: AAA AutoClub members can receive a complimentary full breakfast - in addition to the 10 percent room discount that members receive year-round - at Hyatt hotels in North America. What's the savings?: A plateful. Seriously, it's a perk worth maybe $25-$30, but that's nearly half the annual fee for membership in AAA. What's the catch?: You have to be an AAA member and book using the AAA rate, which may or may not be the lowest rate available. Also, the entire family won't be able to eat bacon and eggs free since the deal is only good for up to two adults.

Motorists arrested for drunken driving after Labor Day festivities in Baltimore saloons won't have the excuse that they didn't have another way home. AAA Mid-Atlantic is teaming up with Yellow Cab and the State Highway Administration to offer free cab rides for alcohol-indulging drivers as part of its Tipsy? Taxi! program. Free rides will be available by calling 877-963-TAXI between 4 p.m. tomorrow and 4 a.m. Tuesday. Riders must be age 21 or older and have been drinking at a bar or restaurant in Baltimore.

Ron D. George Membership specialist AAA Mid-Atlantic, Arnold Salary --$35,000 Age --30 Years on the job --One How he got started --George lived in Williamsburg, Va., working at a small airport and helping his mother open a bed and breakfast inn. He then moved to the Annapolis area and began looking for a job. On a whim, he walked into the Arnold office of AAA to ask if they were hiring. Typical day --As a membership specialist, George concentrates on selling and explaining the various benefits associated with the auto club.

While Maryland was basking in sunny spring weather last week, a blizzard hit the northern Plains and left drifts of up to 5 feet of snow in North Dakota. That came just as AAA announced that North Dakota is one of the two cheapest places in the country to take a vacation. There's something about this that just fires the imagination. There are fewer people in North Dakota than there are in Baltimore County, even though North Dakota is more than 100 times larger. Wow, if you think about it. The sad truth is that a lot of us have never been to North Dakota, which is too bad because some of the most striking impressions are made by some of the most unlikely places.

Agencies give state AAA bond rating Maryland has once again been awarded the best possible rating for $300 million in debt it plans to issue next week, state Treasurer Nancy K. Kopp and Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. announced yesterday. The three major bond-rating agencies - Fitch Ratings, Moody's Investors Service and Standard & Poor's - have graded Maryland's bonds at AAA, the highest ranking, Kopp said. The rating means that Maryland can borrow money at the lowest possible interest rate for a state government.