Gas prices: How low will they go?

Even with the recent drops in the price of gas, it's still big news when you can get it cheap — which is why people get really excited when a gallon shows up for close to $2. That's what happened at a couple of stations at Yale and Crosstimbers yesterday: A Valero station at the intersection was selling gas for $2.16 a gallon, while it was going for $2.14 at a nearby Conoco. It's still not cheap — Houstonist remembers when we were learning to drive and you could pick up a gallon of gas for about 9 cents — but compared with prices near $3 not that long ago, we'll take it. (No, we didn't really learn to drive that long ago, but we do remember when gas sold for well below a dollar.) At any rate, drivers lined up at the stations to fill up when they heard about the deals yesterday:

"We're traveling, so I saw the price and pulled in because at home, we're paying $2.47 and $2.48 a gallon. So, $2.14 seems to be a pretty good deal," driver Maria Barrow said.

"We drove all the way from Dayton to get $2.14 because there ain't no gas prices going on there like that," another motorist said.

Indeed, we ain't seen no prices that low in our neighborhood. And they may be getting better: Mike Qureshi, an attendant at one of the stations (KPRC didn't say which), said he expects prices to fall below $2 in a couple of weeks. We don't recommend holding your breath, though.

According to HoustonGasPrices.com, there are several area stations selling gas for less than $2.20 a gallon. The cheapest reported price is $2.13 (with card) at the Citgo station at Beltway 8 and Spencer Highway in Pasadena. And while you're out there, you can sink your gas-pump savings into barbecue at Gabby's. Now that's a deal.