Published: November 20, 2008 08:59 pm      

Remember when?

PRINCETON — When was the last time gasoline was less than $2 a gallon? It’s a bit of history that eluded most people as the holiday travel season approached.

On Thursday a gallon of regular gasoline was selling for an average of $2.15 in West Virginia and $1.90 in Virginia. The national average for self-serve regular gas was $2.07, according to the American Automobile Association’s Daily Fuel Gauge. Thursday’s price was 88 cents less than a month ago and $1.03 less than a year ago.

Prices in southern West Virginia and southwest Virginia were at or below state averages. Calls to local service stations show that the lowest prices were found in Bland, Va. where regular gas was selling for $1.73 a gallon. Tazewell County prices ranged from $1.86 in North Tazewell to $1.89 in Richlands. West Virginia prices varied from $2.09 in Princeton to as low as $2.19 in Bluefield.

Laura Gooch of the Bluefield AAA said she could not remember exactly when gasoline was less than the $2 mark.

“We know it’s been at least a year,” she said.

Area residents searched their memories when asked if they could remember the last time gasoline cost less than a couple of dollars.

“I was trying to think about that the other day,” said Beth Miller, a former Princeton resident now living in Florida. “I can’t remember.”

“I think it was September 2007,” said her friend Linda Mills, another Princeton person who later relocated to Florida. “We drive up for the Hokie games. I think it was $1.99 then.”

When Miller and Mills left Florida, regular gas was selling there for $1.95 a gallon.

A Richlands person thought for a moment about times when gasoline was well away from the $4 mark.

“I’m thinking it was that it’s been about two years ago,” said Paula Slate, 45.

For a few area people, the point in time when gasoline prices started falling at the pump is especially interesting.

“It’s been a while,” said David Duncan, 55, of Bluefield. He thought for a moment. “It’s better than it was a year or so ago. I can’t understand why it dropped all of a sudden after that election. Makes a man wonder.”

— Contact Greg Jordan at gjordan@bdtonline.com