Aaa Mid Atlantic

"Gas prices are outrageous. " Catherine Bell, a 66-year-old Social Security Administration retiree, was not happy Tuesday as she filled up her Chrysler at a Howard Street BP Amoco gas station in Baltimore. "You'll see when you get to retirement and you're on a fixed income. " The Baltimore resident reflects the feeling of a lot of Maryland motorists. Gasoline prices across the state and the nation are climbing fast, and motorists could see $4 a gallon at the pump in the coming months, fueled by demand in China and India and turmoil in the oil-rich Middle East, analysts say. The average price of regular unleaded gasoline in Maryland this month was $3.56 a gallon - nearly 20 cents more than in January and far above the $1.91 average in February three years ago. In Baltimore, the price averaged $3.59 last week, 50 cents more than a year ago, according to AAA Mid-Atlantic.

There are few more joyful sights in the world than a big old dog sticking its head out a car window with a goofy grin, its tongue hanging out and its ears flapping in the breeze. Up until about 15 years ago, that was me in the driver's seat and a golden retriever named Gusty riding behind. A survey released last week brought that image to mind. It showed that dog owners, a group to which I once belonged, by and large do as I once did: They let the animal ride without restraint. After all, who would put a seat belt on a dog?

The Towson-based AAA Mid-Atlantic says 56 percent of drivers responding to a national survey of pet owners said they have driven with their dog at least once a month in the past year - and more than half said they've had some physical contact with the dog while driving, either petting it, holding it on their lap or using their hands to keep it out of the front seat - or even taking the pet's photo. In a statement on the survey, AAA said the results indicate "drivers not only love to bring Fido in the car, but often engage in risky behaviors when man's best friend is along for the ride.

As Maryland drivers cruise into the Fourth of July holiday weekend, they can think of their gas tanks as either half-empty or half-full. By historical standards, the average price of a gallon of regular gasoline here remains high: $3.56 on Friday, up a third from $2.70 on the same date a year ago, according to AAA Mid-Atlantic. But compared with a week ago or a month ago — and especially when measured against the near-record $4.04 registered on May 12 — the current price looks like blessed relief.

"Staycations" will rule this Fourth of July, according to AAAMid Atlantic. The group for motorists predicts that about 760,000 Marylanders will travel this coming weekend, a 2.9 percent decrease from last year. Ragina C. Averella, spokeswoman for AAA Mid-Atlantic, said that although travel by Marylanders is down from last year, the numbers are still promising overall. "Despite what may appear to be less than a stellar forecast for the July 4 holiday, overall travel is robust, reflecting the second consecutive year of healthy travel figures after declines for the 2008 and 2009 holidays," Averella said.

In meetings with members of Congress and their staffs this month, I was very clear about my reason for being there: AAA Mid-Atlantic is strongly opposed, on behalf of its members and all motorists, to any increase in the size and weight of tractor-trailer trucks. The trucks we see every day on I-95 and the Baltimore Beltway are plenty big already. I am supported in this position by a December 2010 Maryland public opinion poll, commissioned by AAA Mid-Atlantic. The poll showed 85 percent of Maryland drivers opposing any increase to the size or weight of tractor-trailer trucks, with 70 percent of respondents stating they are "strongly opposed" to any such move.

Even with gasoline prices at near-record levels, Marylanders are expected to travel during Memorial Day weekend in the same robust numbers as last year, AAA Mid-Atlantic predicts. But to make sure potential visitors aren't discouraged by the price at the pumps, some Ocean City hotels are offering vouchers good for up to $50 in gas for guests who book for multiple days. Judging by its forecast Tuesday, AAA doesn't think Marylanders will need much of a push to get on the road. AAA predicts that 719,400 Marylanders will go on vacation this holiday weekend, roughly the same number as last Memorial Day. Of those expected to travel 50 miles or more, 644,000 people will be on the road, a decline of 0.7 percent, attributed largely to gasoline prices.

The Easter weekend has brought rising gasoline prices — and many Maryland drivers are hitting the brakes. Home health care aide Jennifer Wofford has limited the number of patients she's seeing. Maeghan Thomas is cutting down on going out. More people are using mass transit. And AAA Mid-Atlantic is receiving more roadside calls for assistance from drivers who have run out of gas. Over the past week, prices continued what looks like an inexorable march toward the $4 mark. Maryland prices rose 3 cents to match the national average for a gallon of regular of $3.85 — a dollar more than last year at this time.

For her last spring break next week, Morgan State University senior Tenisha Duke planned a road trip to Florida with friends, the eight of them packed in two cars. That way, they could split the cost of gas. But when violence broke out half a world away, sending gas prices here soaring, even that strategy wasn't frugal enough for Duke. She will be spending her break at her District of Columbia home instead of the beach. "I'll be home," said Duke, who spends $80 a week on gas to commute to Morgan State's North Baltimore campus.

The average price of gasoline in Maryland has climbed to a two-year high, mirroring higher prices at the pump nationwide, according to a report Tuesday from AAA Mid-Atlantic. The nonprofit automotive travelers association noted that the rise in gasoline prices could discourage travel during the holiday season. In Maryland, the average price climbed to $2.98 a gallon, while prices in Cumberland and Hagerstown have already surpassed the $3 mark, AAA Mid-Atlantic said. Nationally, the average price of gasoline was $2.96 a gallon, a 777-day high.