CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) – Tyhien Fielder, owner of Yum Yum Dawgs, has been serving up tasty hot dogs along Sunset Road in north Charlotte for a few months now.
He takes great pride in what he does.
“I strap on my shoes. I strap on my loafers every day and I get out here and I sell hot dogs,” said Fielder. “Everybody in the city is talking about it. The best dogs in the city, Yum Yum Dawgs!”
Like other business owners in Charlotte, he has paid close attention to gas prices. Not only does he work right across the street from a gas station, he also drives a truck so he can haul the equipment needed to run his hot dog operation.
“The beginning of this year I invested in a truck before the gas prices started going up extremely high,” Fielder said.
Unfortunately, Fielder is now paying the price when it comes to the gas pumps in Charlotte. He said it currently costs him about $100 to fill up the tank in his truck. According to AAA, the average price for a gallon of gas in North Carolina is $4.36.
“It’s like, how do we live? You have to work two to three to four jobs just to get by. You have to work one job just to pay for gas. If I had to commute many different sides of town, I don’t think I would be driving a truck because gas prices are extremely high,” noted Fielder.
Gas prices are even more expensive in other parts of the country. In California, some gas stations are selling gas for more than $8 a gallon.
Related: US gas prices jump to record highs
Patrick De Haan, a petroleum analyst from GasBuddy, tweeted Wednesday that the national average for the cost of a gallon of gas hit $4.72. He also tweeted that it appears the national average could soon be $5 a gallon.
According to AAA, crude oil has become more expensive because of fear surrounding the European Union’s ban on Russian oil exports and gas demand in the United States could climb if more drivers travel in the summer months.
President Joe Biden was asked about the rise in gas prices after a virtual meeting Wednesday. He too mentioned that the war in Ukraine is impacting the oil industry, but he didn’t offer up much hope for relief at the pumps.
“The idea we’re gonna be able to click a switch and bring down the cost of gasoline is not likely in the near term,” said Biden.
Fielder said he would like to see government officials do more to help ease the burden of rising gas prices.
“Me personally, I just feel like the government needs to think about the citizens more because we’re hurting and we’re hurting at the pumps and it’s sad that you have to kind of budget your lifestyle or whatever’s going on as far as your living situation with gas,” said Fielder.
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