But also: we've seen swings of +95% within the past 3 years -- so at the peak, people were complaining about an effective 5% pay cut.
And not everyone complains. I have a tiny commute, a professional job, and live in an expensive city where housing costs dominate -- so even double the gas price is a curiosity ("OMG I've never seen a tank cost that must") rather than a serious pain-point.
On the other hand, many people are far above that 4.8% average spend. They have long commutes and fuel-inefficient cars. Poor people, especially, tend to spend relatively more of their income on gas.
So when the price of gas goes up 95% (as it did from Jan-2006 to Jun-2008), and you have an older car and above-average commute -- you may have just taken a 10%-plus pay cut, when you may have been living hand-to-mouth already. Such people are honest about higher gas prices "killing them".