Yesterday, I was completely unaware that any of this was taking place until Kathy came home for lunch and asked me if I had heard anything about the gas prices... She said that it was practically the only thing anyone was talking about at work, with rumors of $5 and $6 prices locally, and that several people were even being let off early to go get in line for gas.


Later, on my way to work, I stopped by a local convenience store, where I know all of the employees, and asked for the 411... Here's what I learned:

Yesterday morning, they & their competition (two stations located just across the state line, in Virginia) were both selling regular gas at $3.69 a gallon. --- About 10am, station #1 got a call from Company HQ to up their price to $3.99, and #2 followed suit within an hour. --- Then, after long lines had formed at both stations (clogging traffic in all directions), station #2 raised their price to $4.29... and within minutes, station #1 got another call from Company HQ to match that price.

As if the situation wasn't bad enough, in-and-of-itself -- I really feel sorry for the folks who were next in line at the pumps when those prices went up again.


And yet crude oil dropped as low as $99.99 yesterday, and closed at $101 a barrel.


Nahhhhh... they're not gouging <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif" alt="" />

<img src="/forums/images/graemlins/angry.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/angry.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/angry.gif" alt="" />