Reply #43: But, HOW could they manipulate prices... [View All]

[TreasonousBastard]

state by state?

For four years I was living in NJ and regularly driving between Boston and DC on the job. Knowing gas prices was way of life when deciding whether to fill up before crossing a state line. I know about zone pricing, local taxes, and other things, like requirements for gas stations to replace their tanks in some states. All of these affect prices, as does proximity to a highway and the volume a dealer has. And there's always the inflated prices of highway franchises to deal with.

Anyway, while prices rose or fell in tandem across state lines, there was always a nickel or dime that just didn't fall into place. Joisey was always the cheapest place, but sometimes PA was a dime more, others it was 20 cents. Same with Connecticut, Delaware, and Maryland. On the NY Thruway, I could be sure of at least a 30 cent premium over Joisey, and sometimes 50 cents.

In Joisey, btw, while I always got a good deal just before the GW bridge, stations in northern Bergen county that were close to the NY border were curiously 10-15 cents higher than the rest of the state. Same with stations close to the Delaware River and PA.

So, how do some shadowy Republican operatives working with the oil companies actually manipulate this mess of pricing?