barbara, california, where drivers are forking over $3.41 a gallon. for some it s crossed the threshold where we begin to make sacrifices elsewhere. well, maybe i don t go out tonight because i have to spend money on gas. reporter: some experts are comparing today s prices to hies elly 1 oy s prices to gasoline by the end of 2012, which they also fear could trigger another recession. all food that s delivered by truck, by plane, by train becomes more expensive. reporter: and then they re the question of egypt. oil industry speculators notoriously hate uncertainty, so instability in egypt, which controls the suez canal, isn t helping. some analysts believe we could be looking at $5 a gallon gasoline by the end of 2012, which they also fear could trigger another recession. rob and vinita? an investigation is already under way following a huge fire at a petroleum plant outside of