Created: 4/24/2006 7:53:02 PM 
By Angela Williams First Coast News
JACKSONVILLE, FL -- Finding gas money is no easy task, and First Coast pawnshops say people are flocking in stores to pawn their personal items for fast gas cash.
In order to fill up, you have to be able to shell out. Ramon Diaz is the store manager for a Value Pawn and says he's constantly paying out to customers in need of gas money.
"They pawn their jewelry, their work tools, play stations, that sort of thing, it varies," says Diaz.
Diaz says he expects that as long as the numbers on the sign go up, so will the traffic of people inside his store.
"They just say I need money for gas, for lunch money, and in between I need to go home. I live in Middleburg, or Ocala, wherever they live."
He says the pump price hits his pocket as well and he understands what his customers are facing.
"Gas is rough on everybody, and I can understand, but that's how it is, just part of what's going on in our country."
Store owners say they usually see between 15-20 people a day who want to pawn items strictly for gas money purposes.
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