costs commuting How we're coping with rising fuel prices

Marlene "Marc” Pankow couldn't get $25 worth of gas in the tank of her gray Mercury Sable when she bought it a few years back.

"It wouldn't hold that much,” she said. "Now, $50 won't fill it.”

The coordinator of horse shows for the Oklahoma State Fair commutes 96 miles round-trip, five days a week from her home at Purcell.

Recently, Oklahoma City finished last among 50 U.S. cities in a study about areas best able to cope with high oil prices, according to an article in CNN Money.com.

The study, published by the economic development group Common Current, contends that "cities with strong public transit systems will likely remain competitive in the face of soaring gas prices.”

Public transportation isn't an option for Pankow, and she said carpooling wouldn't likely work because of where she lives and her work schedule.

The horse enthusiast is like many who responded to The Oklahoman's call for commuters of 45 miles or more each way: They like where they live and where they work.

Home and away

The former barrel racer lives at Jim Frazier Quarter Horses on the southeast side of Purcell. Working with the horse industry through scheduling shows for the State Fair is the perfect fit between interests and work.

"I love my job,” she said. "The facilities are so exciting, and I work for the greatest people in the whole world. I have chosen where I live and where I work.

"Prices are high, but you make sacrifices.

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