By VANESSA WHITE
PLATTSBURGH — Area gas prices have risen about 20 cents since October.
Despite the increase, employees at some local gas stations noticed a strong increase in customers around the Thanksgiving holiday.
"It was really busy from Wednesday through Sunday," said Andy Harrington, an employee at Westport Mobil.
Michelle Duto, an employee at Cadyville Gulf, said her station had not wavered in traffic volume since October except around Thanksgiving.
"We were pretty busy," she said.
Jacob Black, an employee at Nice N Easy in Tupper Lake, said plenty of people were at his station fueling up the day after Thanksgiving.
He said that before the holiday, there hadn't been much of a change in patron flow, but it seemed the quantity of gas that customers were buying had decreased.
Last Thursday was the first Thanksgiving for Jeff McKenna as an employee at Byrd's Country Store in Willsboro. He said the flow of customers buying gas has been rather steady over the past couple of months.
Plattsburgh State student Felicia Cavallaro drove to New York City to visit with family and friends for the holiday. She said that because she carpooled with other students, her gas expenses were less, and the passengers benefited as well.
"People pitch in. It's also cheaper in the city."
Shannon Pelkey, an employee at Fuel and Fare Between in Ray Brook, said she does not know why gas prices have increased.
"The gas company just calls and tells us to raise it," she said, adding, "We're a busy station."
Not all gas stations saw an increase in customers over the holiday.
Dawn Clark, a night employee at Mountain Mart in Malone, said she usually sees her regulars and some travelers from out of town.
"I wasn't as busy this Thanksgiving," she said, comparing last week to Thanksgiving 2008, when she also worked.
It could be that people weren't traveling as far to celebrate the holiday.
Arshad Nazir, an employee at Sharkey's Store in Ticonderoga, noticed there have been fewer customers since October and a low customer count over the Thanksgiving holiday, as well.
Kristy Coti, an employee at Buck's Discount in Plattsburgh, said that when she works, she sees mostly local clientele and that her customer traffic has been about the same since October.
Because Cavallaro has to travel back and forth to college, she said that she constantly thinks about gas prices, regardless of the time of year.
"Gas was cheaper in the summer. I don't understand why."
