Full disclosure: I am among the privileged people who have given up la auto vita, so for me, rising gas prices are mainly an excuse to cluck and talk about the days when I could fill my old Civic for under ten bucks, like an old man going on about nickel candy. I realize, however, that many people are in a powerful bind over pump prices, like those who 0% financed themselves into an Excursion, but also including the poor woman featured in today’s Post, who pays for five dollars worth of gas only to watch the pump cut off after giving her enough juice to roll down the hill to the next station. Seriously, I’m trying to empathize here.

But if we can’t feel your pain, exactly, then we can try to alleviate it, as a source dear to our hearts guides us to some online tools for reducing, however slightly, the price you pay to fill up. The good folks at MSN have put together this page for drivers, which allows you to search for the cheapest and most expensive per gallon prices in your zip code and includes a map feature for the results. Washingtondcgasprices.com provides a more comprehensive look at the Metro area, but requires you to register and log-in if you want to see station details or maps. The latter site also includes links to gas price news stories and general information on the state of our national petroleum plight.