Karapet Galajyan is angry. 'This is crazy,' the Armenian-born taxi driver complained as he rushed his passenger from the Los Angeles International Airport to a glitzy Beverly Hills hotel.
While navigating the congested six-lane Highway 405, Mr Galajyan recalled his latest painful experience at one of the city's countless petrol stations. The 42-year-old had just filled the tank of his minibus taxi, paying US$3.19 per gallon - 16 per cent more than he paid a month ago.
The average price for regular unleaded petrol in the US is now US$2.91, and over US$3 per gallon in Washington DC, Los Angeles and New York, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA). 'How am I supposed to feed my family?' asked Mr Galajyan. 'Each time I stop at a petrol station, the prices have gone up again.' After oil prices reached an all-time high of more than US$75 per barrel on April 21, the 'pain at the pump' seems to have reached a climax for the oil-addicted Americans.
Escalating prices have sparked public outrage, prompted a mud-slinging match between Republicans and Democrats in Washington, and put oil executives back in the hot seat. US news channels are dedicating almost as much coverage to the public outcry as they did to the Iraq war in the early stages.
Incidents of consumer anger have made headlines across the country, including the killing of a petrol station owner in Alabama last week by a driver attempting to steal US$52 worth of petrol.
Across the country, drivers are scouring the internet for the cheapest petrol stations. The online competitive intelligence service Hitwise reported that, in the past month, searches for petrol-price-related terms have risen by 300 per cent.
