When Mary Kaye Bredeson of Everett bought a Lincoln Navigator four years ago, it was primarily for safety reasons. She didn’t know that in a few years she would be paying $72 to fill her gas tank.

“I love that I feel safe in my vehicle, but the cost of filling the gas tank now is a major consideration,” Bredeson said. “When I start back to work, I will definitely look into taking the bus.”

She responded to The Herald’s Reader Network about coping with gas prices, which have skyrocketed to about $3 a gallon in recent days.

Others said they were thinking more seriously about using mass transit.

“As a senior, I can ride Sound Transit Express for 50 cents each way,” said Beverley Funk of Bothell. “Why, I can’t even start my car for that.”

Others, including Rebecca Boyd of Marysville, are taking a more creative approach to getting around.

“My husband and I do quite a bit of biking as it is, given the chance, and everyone in our family has a bicycle,” she said. “This weekend, we will stay close to home, and if we have to go somewhere, we will pedal to get there.”

Catherine Wilson of Monroe said she has been trying to carpool ever since gas prices hit $2.50.

“The government really needs to step in and do something,” she said.

For some, driving is still the only way to go.

“It is impossible to revise our driving habits,” said Loretta Storm of Sultan. “They are created by necessity. We live three miles north of the closest transit service in the rural hills of Sultan. My 62-year-old husband must be at work by 5:30 a.m. in downtown Seattle before bus service even begins.”

But as Bredeson found, driving a Lincoln Navigator – or any other vehicle that uses a lot of gas – is getting expensive. Some Herald readers said they might shop for hybrids the next time they are in the market for a car.

“I may consider purchasing a hybrid vehicle next year if this keeps up,” said Paul Ecklund of Everett. “I hope the American auto manufacturers are opening their eyes to the real need for better fuel-efficient vehicles.”

Some readers commented on how U.S. gas prices still are relatively low compared to prices in Asia and Europe, where gas is often several dollars a gallon higher.

“I lived in Germany for almost five years some time ago, so I have seen much higher gas prices than $3 per gallon,” George Hadley said.

Dan Harrity of Lynnwood agreed that things could be worse.

“We’ve been spoiled rotten for a long time, but I think those days are clearly over,” he said.

“Until we get with the program and start seriously exploring alternative options to petroleum fuel, my fear is that it will only get more expensive from here on out.”