Fort Myers drivers frustrated by unpredictable gas prices at the pump

GATEWAY, Fla. (WINK)—Drivers across Southwest Florida may finally see relief at the pump after weeks of fluctuating gas prices.

AAA says gas prices ticked up slightly on Monday, but falling oil prices could help bring costs down in the coming days. The slight increase was expected, as it typically happens every other Monday when fuel retailers adjust prices.

For many drivers, the constant changes at the pump have become frustrating.

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"If one bad thing comes out on the news, then it jumps 40 cents, but then good news comes out and it slowly, slowly inches its way back down," Paul Arehart of Fort Myers said.

For Arehart, it's not just the price of gas that's frustrating—it's the unpredictability.

"Just kinda been watching it high level and funny enough trying to guess when would be a good time to buy gas," Arehart said.

According to AAA, the average price for a gallon of regular gas is about $3.88 in Charlotte County, $3.92 in Lee County and just over $4 in Collier County. The state average is $3.91.

"I would like to see it go back down as quick as it went up," Arehart said.

For some families, those savings can't come soon enough.

"It's a four-member family, and I can't afford it right now," Henri of Fort Myers said. "Even I work every day, I make money, but it's so expensive, for you know, to keep up with everything to take care of the family."

Henri drives between Fort Myers and Venice almost every day for work, making every change at the pump hit harder.

"It's really hard to keep up with the business, because I'm not a corporate and I'm a small in a business, and because it's always, it's been very hard," Henri said.

AAA says lower oil prices could help bring some relief to drivers this week, but with tensions in the Middle East continuing to impact global energy markets, the outlook can change quickly. For now, drivers are hoping prices start moving down faster than they went up.