The MarketWatch report highlights singles weighing drive times against fuel costs, yet overlooks the upstream policy architecture driving those costs. Primary data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration's Weekly Petroleum Status Report documents sustained retail gasoline averages above $4.50/gallon in key markets through mid-2022, directly tied to OPEC+ production quotas and sanctions on Russian crude following the Ukraine invasion. This creates a measurable compression in non-essential travel, including dating, that secondary lifestyle coverage rarely quantifies against commuting or freight baselines. A second lens emerges from Department of Energy consumption surveys showing discretionary mileage declines first among lower-income cohorts, patterns that intersect with dating-app geolocation data indicating 20-30% radius reductions in high-price states. Policy responses, such as SPR releases, offer temporary relief but do not address structural import dependence, leaving individual decisions exposed to distant supply shocks without domestic refining flexibility. Multiple framings coexist: one emphasizing strategic reserves as consumer stabilizers, another stressing long-term transition costs that further elevate mobility expenses.