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While the frustrations and struggles inflating gas prices are creating among everyday people are both glaring and boundless, the hardships placed on many local businesses — notably small businesses — pack a more powerful punch.
It’s something Hinsdale Transportation Company hasn’t been able to fend off, even though the business has found a way to avoid increasing its limousine service rates.
Melissa Daugher, a secretary at Hinsdale Transportation, said while rising prices may seem like the best way to make up for the rising costs of gas, it’s not so easy.
“Money is tight for everyone,” Daugher said.
Not only do limos use more gas than the average car, limo drivers typically work during rush hour — a time when they often use up the highest amount of gas per mile. And the drivers pay for the gas out of their own pocket.
“I don’t know how they do it,” Daugher said. “(Gas costs) have affected their pay.”
One of Hinsdale Transportation Company’s limo drivers, Jim, who didn’t want to give his last name, said his pay has dropped about 25 percent in recent years.
“It’s not only gas,” he said. “Everything else has gone up — the cost for repairs, oil changes.”
In order to save money, Jim said he’s always looking for the cheapest gas, trying not to let his car idle and limiting use of air conditioning in the summer and heat in the winter.
These factors are forcing other limo drivers to change their habits, too, Daugher said.
Rather than drop someone off at the airport and then drive back to Hinsdale, these days, drivers stick around the airport just in case another person calls.
“They don’t drive around anymore,” Daugher said.
As a taxi driver for 30 years, Jim remembers when gas was $1.25/gallon. Now he pays about $50 every work day for gas.
“Basically, there’s nothing you can do about it,” Jim said.
But Jim, while upset, maintained that it’s worse for others who may not have job at all.
“I’m not getting rich but I’m still able to eat and survive,” he said, adding that he has not considered changing careers.
For others, though, it’s been a different story, he said.
“There’s a lot of people who have dropped out of the business,” he said.
Regardless, Jim said he’s optimistic about the future.
“For every problem there’s a solution,” he said. “You got to try and stay as positive as much as you can in life.”
While the frustrations and struggles inflating gas prices are creating among everyday people are both glaring and boundless, the hardships placed on many local businesses — notably small businesses — pack a more powerful punch.
It’s something Hinsdale Transportation Company hasn’t been able to fend off, even though the business has found a way to avoid increasing its limousine service rates.
Melissa Daugher, a secretary at Hinsdale Transportation, said while rising prices may seem like the best way to make up for the rising costs of gas, it’s not so easy.
“Money is tight for everyone,” Daugher said.
Not only do limos use more gas than the average car, limo drivers typically work during rush hour — a time when they often use up the highest amount of gas per mile. And the drivers pay for the gas out of their own pocket.
“I don’t know how they do it,” Daugher said. “(Gas costs) have affected their pay.”
One of Hinsdale Transportation Company’s limo drivers, Jim, who didn’t want to give his last name, said his pay has dropped about 25 percent in recent years.
“It’s not only gas,” he said. “Everything else has gone up — the cost for repairs, oil changes.”
In order to save money, Jim said he’s always looking for the cheapest gas, trying not to let his car idle and limiting use of air conditioning in the summer and heat in the winter.
These factors are forcing other limo drivers to change their habits, too, Daugher said.
Rather than drop someone off at the airport and then drive back to Hinsdale, these days, drivers stick around the airport just in case another person calls.
“They don’t drive around anymore,” Daugher said.
As a taxi driver for 30 years, Jim remembers when gas was $1.25/gallon. Now he pays about $50 every work day for gas.
“Basically, there’s nothing you can do about it,” Jim said.
But Jim, while upset, maintained that it’s worse for others who may not have job at all.
“I’m not getting rich but I’m still able to eat and survive,” he said, adding that he has not considered changing careers.
For others, though, it’s been a different story, he said.
“There’s a lot of people who have dropped out of the business,” he said.
Regardless, Jim said he’s optimistic about the future.
“For every problem there’s a solution,” he said. “You got to try and stay as positive as much as you can in life.”
As contractors, most taxi and limo drivers pay for their own gas, according to Max Abimora, owner of Bolingbrook Taxi.
One of the issues for Bolingbrook Taxi is that the company’s fees to passengers often fall short of the amount of gas that must be purchased to transport the person.
“All (the drivers’) money is going into gas,” Abimora said. “It’s really a big deal.”
As of last week, the company was charging $47 for a ride from Bolingbrook to O’Hare International Airport. Abimora said his taxi-drivers would much rather see that price at $60. However, in a competitive market, Abimora says that’s not an option.
“Customers want to pay the lowest price,” he said, adding that competition in the west suburbs is tough.
Abimora said some of his drivers have quit in recent years to look for other work. He once had 15 drivers; now he is down to under 10.
With no end of high gas prices in sight, Abimora said he has yet to find a way to offset gas costs. He looked into purchasing hybrid vehicles, but that’s not a cost-effective route, he said, because of the high price of hybrids.
“It doesn’t match at all,” he said.
Other businesses — they make up the minority — are actually seeing an increase in sales due to the rising gas costs.
Andrew Almazah, a mechanic at Hartley's Cycle Shoppe in Hinsdale, said his employer has seen an increase in bicycle sales in the last five years. With that has come an increase in needed repair.
“People are bike riding more to save a little more at the pump,” Almazah said, adding that he expects another uptick in business this summer. “I have had customers specifically ask for a bike to use to and from work for commuting.”
Another business capitalizing on fuel costs is the scooter industry.
According to a report from USA Today, scooter sales across the nation jumped 50 percent comparing the first quarter of 2011 with that of 2010.
Dennis Rowley, president of Vespa Downers Grove, confirmed that sales have been robust since the scooter dealer opened last July. Since Jan. 1, the dealer has sold 97 scooters, he said.
“We're selling lots of them our first season ... Saturdays are crazy,” Rowley said. “People are just tired of putting $20 or $40 a day in their gas tank.”
The Downers Grove dealer sells a wide range of scooters from the Vespa and Piaggio manufacturers. They range in price from $3,199 to $6,899, and can net as much as 100 miles per gallon, Rowley said.
Still, while some industries benefit, they remain a strong minority.
And for all the other businesses left in the tank, many end up passing the added costs onto the consumers.
Turnabout Pizza — a family-owned pizza place in Lemont — has been forced to hike its delivery fee to $3 from $2 in recent years, according to one of the restaurant’s delivery drivers.
“Any little bit helps,” Milli Leimetter said, adding that the drivers keep the delivery fee. “We’re doing a lot of driving.”
