Are things really as bad as ?they? claim that they are or are we just use to having things easier?

In 1975 the average vehicle got around 15 miles to the gallon. Even with the prices as low as they were at the time, it was still not cheap to drive. Gas was $.53 per gallon so a 300 mile round trip would have cost $10.60 at that time. Now if you figure in inflation the price in today's market would have been $42.33.

In 2008 the average vehicle gets around 25 miles to the gallon (some way more and some slightly less). Gas prices are reaching close to $4.00 in many markets. That same 300 mile round trip will cost about $40.00. Much of the relief comes from the extra mileage most vehicles get today.

If you look around the globe you will find that people are paying much higher rates for gasoline than even the highest markets in America. At the end of 2007, many of the European countries were paying around $10 for a gallon of gas. In Brazil the price had reached into the double digits.

Things may seem bad in America, but that is because it's being compared to a down time for prices. If you look at history and around the world you will see that the price at the pump is not as bad as it might seem.