Actually I was thinking about this thread today. I am glad it was resurrected.
I have to drive my daughter to school this year and on the way we pass BJ's which advertises the cheapest gas around. There is a Getty station a few yards up the road which is in direct competition on prices. Then, about 2 miles away is a Sunoco station which also has cheap gas. Because this is new for me (driving Hannah) this is not my time-worn route to work...it is also on the outskirts of Portland. I have noticed that prices downtown (a distance of 3 miles) are very different from the BJs/Getty/Sunoco prices.
Over the past few weeks, they have been dropping, dramatically. The lowest I saw was $1.99/gal at the Sunoco, with a purchase of a car wash. $2.09 without.
Lowest at BJs was $2.06/gal.
There was one day last week when the Getty was actually lower than BJs (BJs: 2.11, getty: 2.09).
This week.. prices are creeping back up. Today, BJs was 2.10 and Getty was 2.17. I was amazed....these two stations have never been more than a penny or two apart...today, 7 cents. My daughter noticed too. My answer: "The election was last week."
The Sunoco station was at 2.19/gal and downtown, the Mobil was 2.25.
I am not a big believer in economic theory but watching gas prices, I could become a convert.
Leslie
