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The gas-pumpin' blues Motorists vent their gas-price frustrations on station workers Photo by Drew Fleming Bruce Franklin cleans the windshield of a motorhome while it fills up Sunday afternoon at an Exxon station on Barnett Road in Medford. Franklin and other service station employees say motorists aren't too pleased with the spiraling price of gasoline. By DAVID PRESZLER Bruce Franklin spends most of his workday hearing about the high gas prices. "A lot of the locals are very much upset about it," says Franklin, who pumps gas at an Exxon station on Barnett Road. Franklin's favorite comment came a few days ago when a regular customer said: "I just went to rob a bank so I could fill my tank up." He thinks she was kidding. The average price of gasoline around Oregon is $1.66 a gallon, according to last week's survey by the American Automobile Association. That gives Oregon the fifth-highest prices in the nation. Rogue Valley prices are a bit higher. Most stations Sunday, including the Exxon on Barnett, were offering regular unleaded for $1.71. Prices at discount stations ranged from $1.65 to $1.69. About the only thing that's kept pace with the rapidly rising gas prices in the past few weeks is the level of complaints that the people pumping it hear all day. As powerless to change the situation as anyone, attendants are on the front lines of frustration. "They usually end up screaming at us," says Kyle Hackworth, an attendant at Witham Chevron Truck Stop on Biddle Road. "It's not our fault the prices are so high," says co-worker Jess Bigham. As you might expect, attendants say the loudest complaints come from those getting the biggest bills, such as truckers, RV owners and sport-utility and pickup drivers. The exception is those just entering Oregon from California where prices are even higher. "If they come from California," says Hackworth, "they don't say anything at all because it's cheaper." Still, things can get ugly when attendants get the phone call from a manager or corporate office ordering them to change the prices. Franklin says he's had people honk and yell obscenities at him. Another attendant says he's even had rocks thrown at him while he was changing a signboard. Attendants say they're as unhappy about prices as anyone. "Everybody complains, I complain," says Dave Lawlyes, who works at the Astro station on South Riverside Avenue. "All I do is agree with them." Though Franklin thinks prices are still headed up as summer approaches, he just listens and tells people he hopes the prices fall. "I try to give them a few words of encouragement," he says. Empathy isn't hard to come by. Though motorists may not realize it while they gripe, attendants are also drivers trying to stretch their gas money. "It hurts me, too," says Bigham, a Witham Chevron Truck Stop attendant. Even with the 3-cent discount he gets at the station, he spends about $37 to fill his Toyota pickup with quality gas. And many attendants, including Franklin, don't get a discount. "We don't get any break or anything," he says without complaint. It costs about $70 to fill up the two tanks in Franklin's full-size pickup. The Cadillac his wife drives gets a little better mileage. "We just bought a little (Geo) Metro the other day," he says. "We're going to park them both and drive around in that." Attendants say the higher prices have changed customers' purchases some. They say more drivers are using credit cards to handle the pricy fill-ups and they've noticed an increase the number of $5 and $10 purchases. "I haven't put more than $10 in," says Lawlyes, who only drives his Chevy Blazer from work to home and catches a ride when he can. Bigham says he noticed a decline in the number of fill-ups and he's been playing the buy-a-little-at-a-time game, too. "It seems cheaper to spend $5 a day on gas," he says. Today's Edition : News | Sports | Business | Weather | Tempo | Classifieds Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA