ANDERSON — Gas hit $4.19 a gallon through the area Thursday, and commuters are facing some tough decisons.

Jamie Castor loves her job in Daleville and her Cadillac, but gas prices are hitting her, as most Americans, pretty hard.

“It costs me $84 to fill up my car every week,” she said. “And I just come straight to work and home. I can’t afford to go other places.”

The southside resident said she had considered getting a more cost-efficient and gas-efficient car, but it would only add more expenses, she said.

“That would just have me buying an additional car,” she said. “It’s a classic, and it was my father’s.”

Her job at Two Men and a Truck as a customer service representative also is irreplaceable, she said.

“I really like my job, and jobs are hard to come by,” she said, noting it might not be worth it to get a job she didn’t like closer to home.

Commuters are facing a hardship during a time when the economy is down and personal expenses are high. Jerry Bridges, executive director for the Madison County Council of Governments, said thousands of people commute into and out of the county each day. Most people in the county who commute go to Marion County, he said, citing 2006 tax records from Stats Indiana. More than 7,100 people commute to Marion County from Madison County for work. Delaware County residents bring in the most commuters to Madison County with 1,963 people, according to the 2006 tax records.

Anderson resident Sheri Hayden said she also feels the pinch when gas prices go up.

“I bought another truck, and it’s been broke down more than I’ve driven it,” she said. “But if it were working, I couldn’t afford to fill it up anyway.”

The housekeeper at the Flagship Enterprise Center said she had not seen her horses, which are located on a property on the Henry County line, in almost a month.

“I can’t afford to drive out there,” she said. “I have two horses, and I wish I could put them in my backyard and ride them to work every day.”

Hayden has even tried using a taxi to get to work.

“It’s $13 to ride to here by taxi,” she said. “I can’t afford that five days a week, twice a day.”

Jamison Landey, 21, is a student at Anderson University and works for a company in the Flagship. His Mustang GT gets decent mileage, but the $4.19 at the pump hinders his trips to places other than work.

“I don’t tend to drive too far for extra things,” he said. “Like anyone else, too, I try to combine trips.”

Landey uses some techniques to keep his mileage high, such as maintaining proper tire pressure and accelerating slowly.

Sharon Stohler drives her van twice a day to Indianapolis’ west side to take her son Shaun to aviation school. He’s learning to build planes. The drive is 112 miles, round-trip.

On weekends, her 18-year-old son works part-time and brings home $225 every two weeks.

“It all goes to gas,” she said, while waiting in line to top her tank at $3.96 a gallon at Swifty, 605 E. Eighth St. “With the $40 I’m putting in today, I’ve spent $180 this week.”

She added, “You can’t win. There’s no way.”

Features Editor Scott Miley contributed to this story.

---------

Closest five counties Madison County residents commute to:

7,107 commute to Marion County

4,830 commute to Hamilton County

1,666 commute to Delaware County

753 commute to Hancock County

804 commute to Grant County

Represents 18.3 percent of work force in the county

Commuters to Madison County from the closest five counties:

774 commute from Marion County

1,546 commute from Hamilton County

1,963 commute from Delaware County

1,377 commute from Henry County

536 commute from Grant County

Represents 8.4 percent of work force in Madison County

Source: Stats Indiana, based on tax returns for 2006