The Price of Gas, 2008 versus 2011 

When I collected messages in 2008, one of the most popular topics across the country was the price of gas. As prices approached $4/gallon, Americans from California to Alabama pled for the president to dom something to relieve the pressure on their pocketbooks. "It's getting so bad I can't afford to drive to work," said one woman.
I saw prices peak in September of 08. I was walking through northern Alabama just weeks after Hurricane Ivan had disrupted the supply line. I saw cars waiting in long queues, gas stations impose gallon limits, and pumps run clean out. Then, it seemed almost overnight, folks stopped writing about gas. Words like "Bailout" and "TARP" were taking over the headlines, and people began to realize there was something big going on with the economy.
Anyways, the gas prices fell that autumn (like they usually do) and stayed relatively low for the next few summers. I snapped this photo of petrol prices in Maryland in November '11. While gas prices were such a hot topic in '08, I took exactly zero messages on this topic in '11.