Apr 20, 2006 11:16 pm US/Central
Texans Going To Pawn Shops To Get Extra Gas $$
DALLAS (CBS 11 News) ―
High gasoline prices are causing some people to take desperate measures.
Pawn shops say their business is increasing, with some customers saying they're selling things to buy gas.
Gas prices are climbing again, with most stations prices hovering at, or just below $3.00 a gallon. For some people the high fuel prices are overwhelming.
"We just have customers come in and have to tell us that they need money 'till the end of the week, for gas to get back and forth to work," said pawn shop owner, Gerald Costner.
Everything from high end jewelry, to name brand purses, and televisions… pawn shop owners say they are seeing it all come in. They say customers are frustrated and have no place to go to get extra cash for gas.
"Some of the construction people tell us they are having to pawn their tools to buy gas, but when they pawn their tools they can't go out and work in the construction business 'cause their tools are in pawn. So it kind of a catch-22," Costner said.
Mary Rodriguez has worked at the Casa View Pawn Shop for five years. She says she's seen people of all ages coming in looking for help.
"We've always had a clientele of the young kids, or middle age kids, and now we're getting an older generation. Which, it just seems wrong that they have to pawn things just to get gas, or ya know, to make ends meet on things like that."
As prices continue to rise at the pumps, many motorists say they don't see things getting better anytime soon, for the consumer.
"It is frustrating, but the thing is they know they can get away with it, because people need gas," Rodriguez said.
At Casa View Pawn, the owner says they've seen the increase in numbers over the past couple months.
(CBS 11 News)
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