Shooting up like a rocket, gas prices have increased substantially. According to the Consumer News and Business Channel (CNBC), gas prices are the highest in the last seven years in the United States.

As gas prices continue to rise in America, citizens of the Florida Keys (Keys) have become upset with how much is coming out of their pockets to fund their transportation.

Robert Allen, who works in Professional Standards at the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO), spends seventy-five dollars twice a month on gas. “I am unhappy with the steady increase of gas prices.” Allen shared. Many others agree with this sentiment.

John Searcy, a junior at Key West High School (KWHS), also expressed his frustration. “The increase in gas prices is bad for me because I rely on gas for transportation, I can’t reliably walk or bike to school or on athletic trips.” Searcy fills up his tank every three weeks for about sixty dollars every time. 

However, Jessica Wood, an advanced biology teacher at KWHS, lives up the Keys and travels a total of about forty miles a day to get to and from work. She gets gas about once a week. 

Wood disclosed, “I think that gas prices reflect the political climate and supply/demand. Since the presidential change it has [gone] up about $15 from $45-$60.” For Wood, gas prices have tripled and even quadrupled at times

Similarly, Emily Bracher, a senior at KWHS, lives in Cudjoe Key. She commutes  twenty-three miles to school and twenty-three miles back home every weekday. Bracher stated, “I drive a truck, which is a gas guzzler, so I fill up my tank about twice a week, which is fifty [dollars] each time.” She finds that spending one hundred dollars a week, simply to get to and from school, is upsetting. 

Another junior at KWHS, Devan Bittner, revealed why she believes herself and fellow students are especially bothered by the expenses of fueling their vehicles. “The steady increase of gas prices really angers me and pretty much any other teen, or even adult, you might ask. Most teens don’t have very much money, myself included, and spending over one hundred dollars a month on gas doesn’t help… it’s still very frustrating.” 

The increase in gas prices irritates everyone, and as much as the prices rise, people will continue to purchase it. It is a necessity in society. People need gas in this day and age, it will always be in demand,  even if they have problems with petrol prices.