Gas prices in my area

**Ducky** · 09-12-08, 11:13 AM

Gas prices have shot up around here, supposedly because of hurricane Ike. They went up 50 cents overnight, and there's a rumor going around that they may go up by another dollar. Can anyone say gouging????

http://chronicle.augusta.com/ystorie...t_473102.shtml

http://www.aikenstandard.com/0912gas

**dapples** · 09-12-08, 11:26 AM

Gasoline price gauging during Katrina was unreal.....Gustav was moderate for us a 30 cent jump over night...

This may help some folks

http://www.naag.org/attorneys_general.php

**jmur5074** · 09-12-08, 11:51 AM

Yep I believe it.

What a bunch of assholes.

**Xiphos** · 09-12-08, 02:07 PM

Is it gouging when everyone suddenly wants to fill up every gas tank and generator in the region? Increased demand with a constant supply is going to raise the prices. It sucks but that's economics.

**Ducky** · 09-12-08, 04:37 PM

Originally Posted by Xiphos

Is it gouging when everyone suddenly wants to fill up every gas tank and generator in the region? Increased demand with a constant supply is going to raise the prices. It sucks but that's economics.

Originally Posted by SC Attorney General

"Therefore, as of this notice, price gouging for gasoline and other commodities constitutes an unfair trade practice and a criminal misdemeanor. 'Price gouging' requires the charging of an 'unconscionable price' not attributed to additional costs or market fluctuations. An unfair trade practice violation carries a civil penalty of up to $5,000 per violation 39-5-110. In addition, the criminal penalty is a fine of up to $1,000 and imprisonment of no more than 30 days 39-5-145 (K)."

And for clarification:
"Unconscionable price" means an amount charged, which either represents a "gross disparity" or "grossly exceeds" the average price available for those items and services in the same area thirty (30) days immediately before a declaration of a state of emergency."

So... yep. If someone comes in and buys the hell out of my books, I restock at whatever the wholesale price is, and sell for retail. I do NOT inflate the cost of the books to whatever I want. If I'm not happy with the profit margin of books, then I need to get into a different business with a higher margin. Greed shouldn't enter into the equation. The state attorney general stepped in this afternoon because some parts of the state have jumped up to $5.25 a gallon. Supply isn't a concern, panic is.

**Autumn2009** · 09-12-08, 04:46 PM

Yeah they jumped 20 cents over night here too. Ugh.

I wish my paycheck would have that sort of quick percentage increase.

**pgg** · 09-12-08, 05:50 PM

Still going down over here... I payed 4.09 for diesel when it was 4.29 a week ago

**Xiphos** · 09-12-08, 05:50 PM

Demand is demand it doesn't matter if it's panic induced or not. The fact that government is willing to step in and call it gouging does not make it gouging.

All the lemmings here are packing into the gas stations and paying out the nose. Why? Because they're idiots. On Monday the prices will be where they were this morning.

**Five-0** · 09-12-08, 06:41 PM

Xiphos nailed this one.

**Ducky** · 09-12-08, 09:15 PM

Originally Posted by Xiphos

Demand is demand it doesn't matter if it's panic induced or not. The fact that government is willing to step in and call it gouging does not make it gouging.

All the lemmings here are packing into the gas stations and paying out the nose. Why? Because they're idiots. On Monday the prices will be where they were this morning.

True, but damn, I hate it that people leave ethics at home when they see a chance to grab money off everyone else.

I think Tuesday I'm going to see about getting a couple of scooters.

**Terminator** · 09-12-08, 09:24 PM

It jumped about 20 cents here too. It's $4.19 a gallon for the cheapo 87 unleaded, and the gas pumps are packed with lines out into the street with cars filling up.

**Five-0** · 09-12-08, 09:41 PM

The higher prices will allow more people to get the gas they "need". The jump in price is due to the run on the pumps. A barrel of oil dropped below $100 today for the first time in over five months. The delivery prices have gone up, thus forcing the stations to charge more in order to afford the next tanker delivery of inventory. Stupid people as far away as central AL are doing the same thing.....filling up because gasp everyone else is.

**CTR man** · 09-12-08, 09:49 PM

Originally Posted by pgg

Still going down over here... I payed 4.09 for diesel when it was 4.29 a week ago

That translates to 3.59 a gallon for 87 octane regular gas.

**TXCharlie** · 09-13-08, 01:03 AM

$3.59 here too. It had gotten down to $3.36 before the hurricane.

I heard on the news that gas is $6 in some places along the coast.

**Terminator** · 09-13-08, 01:06 AM

Gas is supposed to hit at least $5.00 a gallon here on Saturday.

**Bicdog** · 09-13-08, 01:09 AM

$3.87 here for cheap gas in the Los Angeles area........

**TXCharlie** · 09-13-08, 01:24 AM

Originally Posted by Terminator

Gas is supposed to hit at least $5.00 a gallon here on Saturday.

What's their excuse for that? Isn't your hurricane over? Wholesale prices haven't risen that much.

**Terminator** · 09-13-08, 01:25 AM

Originally Posted by TXCharlie

What's their excuse for that? Isn't your hurricane over? Wholesale prices haven't risen that much.

The excuse is the oil rigs in Texas are going to be destroyed.

**lewisipso** · 09-13-08, 02:46 AM

Screw gas. I'll walk to the store or ride a bike. They can have their lines and high prices. We had a rumored price hike to $5.00 here also. It sure got a lot of people to wait hours in line for the pumps for no reason. The price never moved. Hello, there is a second storm coming. Buy what you may need before it hits.