Gas nearing $3 a gallon

Houstonist remembers the point when gas went over $2 a gallon and oilman T. Boone Pickens said that was no big deal — what we should really worry about is when a gallon gets up to $3. And guess what? We're getting there. This week's AAA Texas gas-price survey reports that the average price of a gallon of regular unleaded in Texas is now $2.79 — an increase of 6.8 cents over last week.

So where will it go from here? No one's sure, apparently. "Motorists are expressing concerns about the possibility of regular gasoline averaging $3 a gallon," AAA Texas spokeswoman Rose Rougeau said. "The volatility associated with supply and demand, world events and profit-taking in the market place make it impossible to know whether prices will continue to go up or will start coming down. Motorists can help contain their own fuel costs by keeping vehicles maintained, combining trips for errands, carpooling and using public transit if available." Carpooling? Public transit? We're writing those words down to look up in a dictionary later.

This week, Houston matches the state average exactly: The average price of a gallon in the Houston area is $2.79, up 6.8 cents from a week ago. But there is some cheap gas to be had, according to houstongasprices.com — as low as $2.60 at the Citgo at Highway 249 and the Beltway, for example, or $2.65 at the Citgo on the North Freeway between North Main and Patton. As always, if you want to blow unnecessary cash on gas, head over to Chimney Rock — prices along Chimney Rock near Richmond and the Southwest Freeway are as high as $3.08. Break out the American Express Black!