Epilogue: remember Bob Oyster? He's the Shell station owner in San Francisco who jacked up his gas prices to protest what he considered Shell putting the squeeze on his profits. On his last day of owning the station, Oyster pulled his other card: he dropped the price of gas to $2.99 -- perhaps the lowest price in the entire Bay area. Oyster said he was going to pump at that price until he ran out of the 6,000 gallons in his tanks, and our tipster said there were cars lined up around the block. We don't imagine he had to wait too long for 'empty' to come. Today he hands the keys back over to Shell, and the saga comes to a close.
But remember a time -- not so long ago! -- when $2.99 for a gallon of gas was considered highway robbery?
Thanks for the tip, Patrick!
[Source: SF Gate]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Gavin @ Jun 1st 2007 5:24PM
Did he drop all the prices to $2.99? Or was it the more typical pricing of $0.10 increments?
Don @ Jun 1st 2007 5:36PM
Take THAT Shell!
James @ Jun 1st 2007 6:36PM
It's still $2.94 around here. KY
Eliot @ Jun 1st 2007 6:41PM
What? $2.99 is still highway robbery.
Viv @ Jun 1st 2007 6:56PM
Where exactly is $2.99 highway robbery these days? As a Georgian we have some the cheapest gas in the country and just yesterday the price came down to $2.99
freonchill @ Jun 1st 2007 7:06PM
I think the final comment - "But remember a time -- not so long ago! -- when $2.99 for a gallon of gas was considered highway robbery?" - was more of a retrospect back to when gas was $1.47-$1.99 and charging $2.99 was "highway robbery"
like back when Katrina happened, gas was $2.11 here (TN) and then during the same day a gas station on the corner raised the price from $2.11 -> $2.55 -> $2.99 -> $3.50 -> $3.99 ALL IN ONE DAY!?!?
the next day it was $2.99 like all of the other gas stations in town - but the 1 day gouging was RIDICULOUS!
paul34 @ Jun 1st 2007 7:20PM
I still remember the time gas was like at $0.80
oh blessed memories...
British_Rover @ Jun 1st 2007 7:24PM
Me too and that was in High School.
freonchill @ Jun 1st 2007 7:34PM
when i started driving (in highschool) i was appalled when it went to $.99
Ronald @ Jun 1st 2007 7:44PM
In Atlanta, gas just went down this morning from 3.29 to 2.99. WHAT A RELIEF. WHAT IS GOING ON IN THESE OIL COMPANIES. I swear. if i was a billionaire for a day, i would buy All of atlanta free gas for a day. Im sure people would bring every empty container, kegs and all, to the pumps and fill up. then the pumps would be empty, and no one would get gas for about a week.
Haha, TAKE THAT OIL COMPZ.
datguy @ Jun 1st 2007 8:07PM
Ha ha here in north texas it's 2.89... and that's too much considering we pump it out of the ground right here. Oh well... Hell when I started driving when I was in Highschool gas was .72 a gallon.. could fill up my jeep for 18 bucks.. 18 bucks today doesn't buy a 1/4 tank
musanti @ Jun 1st 2007 9:14PM
its about 3.30 give or take a few New Haven / Fairdield Counties in CT
Foetoid @ Jun 2nd 2007 12:57AM
Ohhh NOOOO. TOO EXPENSIVE THE FUEL IS!!!! OMG.
Sarcasm aside, after doing all the currency conversions and litre-gallons conversions, here in Australia we pay US$4.20 per US gallon. It costs us anywhere between US$55 and US$70 to fill a tank.
Jeff Gilleran @ Jun 2nd 2007 2:35AM
Looks like bob has created a "Bob Oyster" Cult following.
Pun intended.
Seems like even in his last day, Bob went out with a bang by giving the public a price he felt was "fair".
Which it should be.
The lines to get the lower price gas were reminicient of the 1970's oil Embargo that ive only seen in old film footage.
Big, long lines.
Ill bet Bob saw other odd pricing activities by Shell that most convienence store owners turn a blind eye on and just deal with.
Way to buck the system Bob.
Good luck!
ANdy @ Jun 2nd 2007 3:06AM
Boy do i love subsidies...here in Malaysia, it's US$0.565 per litre, which is about US$2.14 per gallon, if my calculations are correct.
Rommie @ Jun 2nd 2007 3:16AM
What about $8.73 per US gallon? Considering GDP per capita here is 1/5 of US, effective value is $43.6. Moreover, I don't remember a time of cheap petrol, as it has never been the case. So you should stop whining and start walking, as we have to do.
Jeff Gilleran @ Jun 2nd 2007 4:37AM
Rommie,
Walking might be possible in larger cities where convieniences are just a block or so away from the house but in the US the primary suburban and urban drivers have to drive many miles to work and back.
Taking a bike or walking is simply out of the question especially in bad weather.
I really get a laugh at the continuing comments that its so, "spendy" in europe for fuel when compared to the US.
Sure it is spendy in europe for fuel.
However, you also have to factor in the sheer size and distance between major cities in the US.
Our economy is driven by transportation and our inherent lack of mass transportation in smaller cities or isolated towns makes owning your own vehicle the only way to get anything done in day to day life.
Its a serious inconvienence.
$3.00+ a Gallon does have a serious effect in the grand scheme of things because you have to include vehicle maintenance costs and insurance all because you HAVE to own a car or truck or you dont pay the bills.
Sure, some people could do without driving big trucks or SUV's to save money (many are converting back to cars and even carpooling )but they also can drive what they want if they dont mind $100.00 fillups.
My opinion is, whatever "floats your boat"
If you can afford it.
Im certainly not paying $75-100 a Fillup.
For those folks who drive smaller cars and live paycheck to paycheck.. $3.00+ a Gallon is pretty hard to swallow.
Ive cut my own personal driving considerably because most of my general trips average 24 miles and I spend $3.00 each day for 5 days a week.. (minus weekends) I get about 25 MPG and thats just slightly less than $15.00 a week not including any errands or weekend driving which can push that $15.00 to $25.00 a week average pretty easily.
$60.00-$100.00 a month in just gas is money that I could be spending on extra food or whatever else comes up this time in my life.
So, just going to work and I end up eating more Top Ramen.
Lower class citizens get hit the hardest plain and simple.
Sorry, im not going to hoof it or ride a bike and get all sweaty and then have to work my ass off at work, rain sun or snow just to have to ride or hoof it again home for the distances id have to cover.
What about handicapped folks? People on Medications?
Without living here you cannot possibly understand the dozens of variables that make up the effect of high gasoline prices on each individual in the US.
Commoditiy prices for food and other items are causing inflation due to rising transportation costs.
So its not just driving that costs more with increasing fuel costs.
Its everything.
Deezee @ Jun 2nd 2007 5:12AM
I just payed 3.30 for regular in Walnut Creek California (Northern).
I dont understand who's getting rich gouging california but they really need to stop.
Carter @ Jun 2nd 2007 7:34AM
The comedian Kat Williams said recently that people now are making life and death decisions at the pump...pausing and thinking before they fill-up...have I eaten today? Which one will it be...lol
I remember a few years ago when gas went up to $1.50-60 and that was considered high.
I don't understand after decades of pretty stable gas prices here in the US, all of a sudden in the last 2 years things have just gone off the scale.
In the early 90s I paid about $1.17 for gas just at the start of the Gulf War...ah those where the days.
Our economy is not setup for these types of prices considering the size of our cities and the distances people need to drive in daily life. Anyone on here from North Texas knows exactly what I'm talking about.
Galley @ Jun 2nd 2007 8:37AM
I have never had to pay $2.99 for gas in my life (in the U.S., at least). During hurricane Katrina I had a full tank the entire time. It's currently $2.83 here in Greenville, SC.