High fuel prices force Californians into hybrids, or off the road

LOS ANGELES (AFP) – Faced with surging gasoline prices, a growing number of car-crazy Californians are ditching gas-guzzlers for hybrids and avoiding the road in a state known for its traffic jams and scenic routes.

Like many Americans, Jorge Montijo and his wife once had two cars in their Los Angeles garage.


But with gas prices between 3.8 dollars and 4.3 dollars a gallon — four times the cost a few years ago — the environmentally-conscious couple recently sold their two vehicles and replaced them with one hybrid car in February.

In addition to fuel costs, the pair had to worry about paying for parking and car insurance.

“Frankly, gas prices are ridiculous. I remember paying a buck for gas not so long ago. It’s four times that right now. I don’t even know how people with large cars are coping,” Montijo, a television and film sound editor, told AFP.

Montijo now uses the metro to go to work while his wife drives to her job as a school teacher. They also use the car in the evenings and weekends, but they have reduce the amount of times they go out to parks, restaurants or concerts.

AFP