Tuesday, May 13, 2008

The Great Gas-Up Adventure






When I left my house yesterday morning, Mother's Day, the gas station on the corner had gas for $3.599. When I got back in the evening it was $3.639. When I left for town this morning it was $3.699. So I decided to wait till I got to town to gas up.

When I got to St Cloud, I was on empty, so I started looking for a gas station. When I saw the station in ...

1) I just had to pull over to take a picture, not only of the sign, but also the empty station. I left there and went one block west and found the woman in ...

2) about to change the "3" to a "5" so I kept driving west, then I saw ...

3) this station with a price of $3.649, but as I was turning to get to the station I saw ...

4) this station almost directly across from it. I took the photo of the $3.649 station, then went across the street and gassed up for $3.549. After I pumped my gas, I took the photo of the sign, then went inside to ask the attendant what was up with gas prices today. He told me he was wondering as well, because the station across the street was owned by the same company, but he set his prices according to the emails he receives, and the last one said $3.549!

These four stations are less than a mile apart, and the difference is .22 per gallon!

There is something wrong in paradise.

12 comments:

Carletta said...

My stepdad said Sunday when he came by the station here it was $4.01. I haven't been out yet to see.
Sadly there may be less tourists in paradise this summmer George.

I'm glad you shopped around for us - good shots.

Small City Scenes said...

Yep! Same thing out this way. It makes you wonder how the prices can differ so much. I do believe it is only the oil companies making any money though. MB

Uma por Dia said...

Welcome to real world.

Ben Nakagawa said...

Our petrol (Gas) price up 5 cents in last couple of days. It's very close to the NZ$2.00/Litter now (NZ$1.9395).

George Townboy said...

Carletta: $4.01 is outrageous. I know it's going to affect tourism for sure, and that just trickles down to everything local. All of my customers are feeling it right now.

MB: They have all the money.

Uma Por Dia: Glad to be here, now that I know you're a part of it!!

Ben: Does NZ import most of its oil?

Uma por Dia said...

I'm part of it for a long time and I dont like it at all :(

Uma por Dia said...

I will publish our prices later on

Chris said...

This is funny that we did the same post. That said, however, the whole thing drives me crazy.

Daniel J Santos said...

In Portugal all station have the same price, all hight prices.

Ali ao lado Espanha, a diferença de cá para lá é enorme.

Anonymous said...

Sorry but your petrol is still so cheap compared to everywhere else. Hard to sympathise

George Townboy said...

Uma Por Dia: Thank you for posting so I could see the difference. Your prices are so much higher!!

Chris: It is a frustrating situation, and relatively new I think, right?

Daniel: Thanks! Are the prices higher in Spain?

Mo: I know prices are higher elsewhere, this post is more about the games they are playing with the prices, rather than a complaint about the high price, if that makes sense.

Janice Thomson said...

Good observations George! Makes one wonder doesn't it.