SEATTLE, Wash — California is no longer the state with the highest average gas prices in the nation, even though they have held the undesirable title for much of the last few years. Washington now takes the top spot, according to AAA.
The cost of gas in Washington has shot up by 32 cents over the past month. And with prices this high, desperate Washingtonians are going to new lengths to steal it.
Tuesday morning, Beverly Read walked out of her Seattle condo on Greenwood Avenue North and North 120th Street to find an empty plastic milk jug near her 2011 Kia Sorrento, and a strong odor.
“I’m smelling the gas, and I drive away and the gas gets stronger, so I thought, ‘Okay there must be a leak,’” said Read.
She then drove to her dealership on Aurora Avenue.
“I said, ‘You know, my gas is leaking.’ He says, ‘Yeah! It’s dripping right there… there’s a hole drilled in the gas tank… how stupid is that?”
Now, the bill to replace her gas tank is more than $1,300 with tax.
“I would be happy to buy somebody a gallon of gas, just don’t drill my gas tank,” said Read.
In fact, Read says she has paid it forward at the pump before.
“I was at a service station, and there was a guy there, and he asked me, ‘Will you fill my tank?’ and I did!”
That’s just the kind of person Read is.
“We are in hard times, we’re in inflationary times,” she said.
Read is now trying to help out her neighbors.
“I posted on Nextdoor,” she said. “We need to be vigilant… I’m a senior citizen. There are many more senior citizens out there.”
Just two weeks ago a driver in Everett said the same thing happened to him.
Read is now calling for more community policing and for smarter crime policies from Washington leaders.
“I really want to work to take our neighborhoods back,” said Read.
One reason the gas prices are so high is because Washington has historically had high gas taxes, relative to the nation. That tax goes towards maintaining Washington roads.