Young Drivers Getting A Lesson in Economics

Teens say they are all eyes for which gas station has the best prices: A few even give their parents tips on where to fill the tank. The average price of a gallon of unleaded gas in the Washington region topped $4 last month. A year earlier, the national average was almost $1 a gallon less.

Logan Lawrence, 16, a rising junior at Gonzaga High School in the District, said he bikes to his lifeguard job in the Maryland suburbs and has cut back on trips to 7-11 and Chipotle. "I just don't drive as much as I want to," he said. In spite of help from his parents, he said, "A good bit of my paycheck goes to gas."

Feeling the economic squeeze, Michelle Lewis, 17, joined two friends at a mall recently to look for jobs. Lewis has a part-time position, but her hours were few. She had cut back on outings with friends and even trips to see her grandmother in Laurel.

"Me and my friends are mostly sitting home watching movies now," said Lewis, a rising senior at Richard Montgomery High School who shares a car and gas costs with her twin sister.

Justin Osorio, 19, who lives in Aspen Hill, said that with gas "pretty much going up every day," the idea of getting a car has lost much of its allure. "I was thinking of getting a moped instead," he said.

Aly Massey, 18, of McLean, a college-bound student whose parents pay for her gas, has been inspired to cut back more by environmental concern than financial necessity. "I used to like to drive around and think and listen to music, but I don't do that anymore," she said.

Many teens are considering whether their commutes to jobs and colleges are as feasible as they once thought.

Josue Flores, 19, said the price of gas leaves him wondering whether he will be able to stay enrolled in Montgomery College or have to move back to Honduras. In just two days, he points out, he paid $70 at the pump, largely to support his commute to a painting job in Bethesda. "You cannot even shop," he said. "It's hard to get the things you need."

Michael Johnson, 19, said that when he thinks about the cost of gas, his modest pay at a mall clothing store and how many miles he travels to get there from his Gaithersburg home, he can see that the commute costs more than 30 percent of his earnings. The Montgomery College student says it almost makes him want to take a job closer to home.

Laurie Johnson of Olney said that her eldest daughter, Kathy, 19, will be living on campus at the University of Maryland's School of Pharmacy in Baltimore rather than commuting there as the family had planned.

"We really thought she would save money by living at home and driving every day," Johnson said. But as prices climbed, the economics shifted entirely.

Now Johnson is bracing again, with a second daughter, Allison, 16, on the verge of getting her driver's license. "At this point, with the cost of gas, there are going to be new rules," Johnson said, pondering a 50-50 split to cover the burden.