by Sandy » Fri Jun 12, 2009 9:49 am
On my way to work yesterday, a 23 mile drive across the western half of the Houston area, I noticed that Shell and Exxon stations were 2.49 to 2.65 while the Valero and Corner Market two blocks from my house were duking it out at 2.38 and 2.39. The Wal mart I pass had it at 2.39 in the morning, but 2.32 when I came home. I wonder how Shell and Exxon can compete. At one corner, where there's a Valero and Shell, the Valero is packed, the Shell hardly has any cars at all. It's a corporate gouge because oil isn't that high, but demand increased when it got down close to 1.50, though I heard yesterday that as it has climbed in the last few weeks, demand is falling off again. I think the rip offs we encountered during the previous high prices finally taught us how to knock down our demand for gasoline and we're doing it.