Soaring oil prices drive gas costs up even more across the country.

Lawmakers in Washington questioned oil company executives about the record profits in light of a struggling economy.

In the past 12 months, crude oil has doubled in price and drivers are in sticker shock.

The national average at the gas pump is a record 3.81 a gallon a 19 percent spike over last year.

Prices have shot above four dollars a gallon in parts of Pike County and they're around $3.90 in most of the region.

WYMT's Dara Rees talked to one Perry County gas station owner who says he's turning off his pumps until prices drop.

As gas prices edge closer and closer to the four dollar mark, some say they've had enough, including the owner of the Bubby Combs BP Station.

Combs says he doesn't want to see his customers paying an arm and a leg for his gasoline, so he says he's stopped selling gas until the prices go down.

BP Owner and Perry County Magistrate Bubby Combs says he stopped selling gas when it hit $3.75.

“It's just hard on people paying this price and a lot of people kept buying gas from me, I know they couldn't afford to pay the price, but they were doing it just as a friend. I figure if I quit selling gas they can go to Smitty's or Wal-Mart or somewhere they can get a good price,” Combs said.

Though many of his customers don't seem to mind!

“I really don't blame him. Gas prices are ridiculous and people can't afford it,” Candice Combs said.

Customers say they are proud that Combs is making a stand against the high gas prices.

They say they don't want to pay the high prices either, but now they have to find somewhere else to go fill up.

Combs says he still sees a lot of customers coming to his store, most of them having to cut back on their own due to the rising costs.

“All my money goes to gas I can't afford anything else. It takes every penny I have just to get around,” Candice Combs said.

“People always bought off of Bubby because they liked him, but if he can't make no money, he can't sell it,” J.W. Hurt said.

“That's what we need to do, quit selling gas, maybe we'll get everybody to bring it down some,” Bubby Combs said.

Until the prices go down, some say they would rather saddle up than pay the price.
Bubby Combs says he will consider selling gas again when he can sell it for less than $3.50 per gallon.