Gasoline Gasoline!

[Kento]

1000's of gas stations are owned and run by small business families, NOT corpo run franchises. A few are corpo run, many times the large 20+ pump stations are corpo, but not always.

Many have repair shops, car washes, and gas is just a small margin way of steady income. Many added snacks, drinks and beer, wine, liquor (AM/PM style) if they want to hassle the licensing. But those items make way more in margins than gasoline.

The smaller stations run by "mom and pop" are starting to find the hassle of juggling large price swings up or down, more headache than they're worth. Deciding to not offer gas anymore, and go back to only repair, smog, propane, snacks and whatever instead. Locals living and depending on these small town stations are bummed, leaving less options. Selling gas and making a half-way decent profit takes a ton of experience and foresight planning in setting prices daily and staying competitive.

As we see in the more wealthy areas, stations charge WAY more than less desired areas, because the wealthy will pay for the convenience to not shop around a few miles a way for cheaper gas. 25-50+ cents more a gallon doesn't bother them.

In LA, look at the price difference for gas in Malibu compared to Lakewood. A full dollar or more, easily.

Would you believe that it is the major oil companies' goal to stifle these mom-and-pop businesses and bring them under the yoke?

It's not the price swings that hurt so much as the mandated upgrades from single-wall steel to (eventually) double-walled fiberglass, leak detection, the whole nine yards, and guess what you eventually discover in the process. Then there are the costs of assessment and remediation from said leaks - sure they get reimbursed eventually but the major oils have a lot more capital to absorb those costs than smaller mom-and-pops.

And yes, those stations out in Malibu and yes, including the former (?) Jakel menace on PCH/Sunset, have always been significantly more expensive than the norm. Going back at least 40 years.

 

[Surfdog]

So what you’re saying is Brandon needs to raise the prices for them so they can make more money?

WTF, you get THAT out of common every day knowledge for most?

When gas prices on the purchase market swing rapidly, up OR down, it makes it tough to price gas to the consumer in the week or 2 ahead, stay competitive and make some profit, without losing what you paid for earlier, or the next tank truck load.

Sounds like you're a candidate to fill one of Biden's abandoned posts on the economy.

You'd fit right in and hit the ground running.

 

[Surfdog]

Knew somebody whose family owned 3 or maybe 4 gas stations, they were pretty wealthy. Lived in a big-ass house on the riviera.

Owning a gas station or 3 in LA on the coast is a gold mine.

People there will pay whatever it takes to fill a tank, and not bat an eye or look for a cheaper one.

It'd be chit-chat at the next cocktail party how they paid more for gas than the other guy. And just shrug.

 

[Kento]

Owning a gas station or 3 in LA on the coast is a gold mine.

People there will pay whatever it takes to fill a tank, and not bat an eye or look for a cheaper one.

It'd be chit-chat at the next cocktail party how they paid more for gas than the other guy. And just shrug.

Those expensive stations don't get a lot of volume. Almost always empty. Maybe 1 dipshit getting full serve.

Speaking of Malibu, does it even have one restaurant that doesn't suck?

 

[CutnSnip]

Those expensive stations don't get a lot of volume. Almost always empty. Maybe 1 dipshit getting full serve.

Speaking of Malibu, does it even have one restaurant that doesn't suck?

Used to like going to Moonshadows for a bloody mary after a dawn patrol at leo or zuma. Never ate the food though.

 

[Kento]

Used to like going to Moonshadows for a bloody mary after a dawn patrol at leo or zuma. Never ate the food though.

Been there a couple times when I was younger but for the price, the food was not that good; way too garlic/buttery.

When it was still under Japanese ownership, Something's Fishy kicked ass. It was a party in there on the weekends and we were regulars there for a long time. Unfortunately, razed to the ground.

 

[Ifallalot]

You dumb enough to believe Faux give a fook about mom and pop businesses?

Seethe

 

[Ifallalot]

Her? Really? Dumb blonde broads that are way hotter than she is are a dime a dozen in Arizonuh.

I said eat her ass, not marry her. Jeez

 

[Ifallalot]

Those expensive stations don't get a lot of volume. Almost always empty. Maybe 1 dipshit getting full serve.

Speaking of Malibu, does it even have one restaurant that doesn't suck?

The fact full serve even exists in those areas makes me want to join Antifa with the guillotines

 

[mundus]

Seethe

Why did I even ask, your gullibility has been proven beyond a shadow of a doubt.

 

[Ifallalot]

Why did I even ask, your gullibility has been proven beyond a shadow of a doubt.

Your indignation cracks me up

 

[mundus]

Your indignation cracks me up

Just the truth, bud.

 

[Kento]

I said eat her ass, not marry her. Jeez

She probably wipes back to front anyways.

 

[Kento]

The fact full serve even exists in those areas makes me want to join Antifa with the guillotines

They incorporated because they didn't want LA forcing them to get off septic.

 

[CutnSnip]

The fact full serve even exists in those areas makes me want to join Antifa with the guillotines

the people that use those stations deserve the price.

There's a 76 station right here at 6th and La Brea. Its never been under 6 dollars in the last 5 years. The chevron 3 blocks down woiuld be 3.50 - this 76 still 6. Right now its like 6.99 a gallon there and offer full service. To my surprise its not rich looking people with fancy cars getting gas there. mostly people drving some old POS sedan. I think they are just lazy or use that station because of how fast they can get in and out maybe.

 

[Kento]

While we are on the subject of gas stations, why is that almost NO ONE at Costco has their sh!t together?

Is it because Walmart doesn't sell gas (yet)?

 

[$kully]

the people that use those stations deserve the price.

There's a 76 station right here at 6th and La Brea. Its never been under 6 dollars in the last 5 years. The chevron 3 blocks down woiuld be 3.50 - this 76 still 6. Right now its like 6.99 a gallon there and offer full service. To my surprise its not rich looking people with fancy cars getting gas there. mostly people drving some old POS sedan. I think they are just lazy or use that station because of how fast they can get in and out maybe.

I think the people who dgaf and go to these stations are people who have corpo gas cards or mommy and daddy still paying their gas bill.

 

[$kully]

While we are on the subject of gas stations, why is that almost NO ONE at Costco has their sh!t together?

Is it because Walmart doesn't sell gas (yet)?

Not really sure what that means but whenever I drive by the Costco gas line I never feel the need to wait that long to save $3. My time is worth more.

 

[$kully]

I said eat her ass, not marry her. Jeez

Is that allowed on the Squidley diet?

 

[Kento]

Not really sure what that means but whenever I drive by the Costco gas line I never feel the need to wait that long to save $3. My time is worth more.

They are fat, slow, slovenly, and have immense trouble figuring out how to get in/out of their car, pay, pump, and leave in a timely manner. The confusion level is high. And the level of purpose is low.

Then again, they are the same way INSIDE Costco too. Might have guessed that necessary evil that it is (not rolling in $$$$), I hate shopping there.

I bring a book and it makes the $7 savings worth it.