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High gas prices have customers talking

Friday, March 28, 2008
By KEVIN CRAFTON, Staff Writer
Gas prices continue to be high with news of more troubles in the Middle East on Thursday.

Customers in Putnam County have to bite their tongues when they approach the local gas pump.

Gas prices in Greencastle were as much as 15 cents a gallon more than surrounding counties Thursday afternoon.

Crawfordsville, a town only slightly bigger than Greencastle generally has much cheaper gas.

Having the third lowest price in the state, Country Market Express in Crawfordsville is around 10 cents lower than the national average. However, another station in Crawfordsville has the highest regular gas price of $3.49. Why is there so much difference from one station to the next and one town to the next?

Supply and demand and the particular company's pricing policies are the most commonly believed reasons for this discrepancy.

Greg Seiter of AAA travel club in Indianapolis told the BannerGraphic, "There is no real clear cut reason for the difference in prices. Really the only people who know for sure are those in the inner-workings of the oil companies."

Gas customers in Greencastle are rather torn on this issue. Some expressed they have changed their driving habits, while others are complacent and say there is nothing that can be done.

Debbie Davis, Morton, said, "I don't run to Greencastle all the time to get something now. I wait until I have multiple errands before making the trip."

However, Rita Reitzel, Stilesville, explained that she hasn't really changed her driving habits, but does notice the difference in prices between Plainfield and Greencastle.

As of Wednesday evening, the regular unleaded gas price in Greencastle was four-cents above the state average, two above national average.

The small margin of difference between the average and the price may not be enough to constitute price gouging though.

"Price gouging is really defined by the individual," Seiter said. "If a customer feels they are being cheated at the pump, they should report it."

Although the national average is at an all time high, Indiana still has not topped its average high set last year.

For more information on gas price averages visit AAA's Daily Fuel Gauge Report at www.fuelgaugereport.com. To report price gouging, the Indiana attorney general established a hotline (866) 241-9753.

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  • Supply and demand is the demon. It's not our driving that drives up the price of oil, it is industry. Look around you right now and see what is made of petroleum based materials. Anything plastic, the foam in your cushion, ink pens, DVD's,CD's, your computer, blinds in the window, picture frames, eyeglasses, water bottle, shopping bags, styrofoam, toys, tools the list goes on and on.

    Thirty years ago, gasoline was so cheap that an alternative fuel from corn was a joke due to the high cost of manufacturing it. Now with gas prices over $3 per gallon we have plants like Altra popping up everywhere, and they can afford to produce it.

    We now have a tremendous global market for consumer goods. Those goods can be manufactured anywhere on the planet. The most expensive part of manufacturing is labor. Obviously, the country with the cheapest labor is the country that is producing the most consumer products.

    High fuel prices are a by-product of a growing world wide consumer market.

    -- Posted by Xgamer on Fri, Mar 28, 2008, at 5:18 AM

  • Exxon-Mobile had a record profit of over $40 BILLION last year. I think this speaks volumes.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/02/business/02oil.html

    -- Posted by paying attention on Fri, Mar 28, 2008, at 7:25 AM

  • When we are back in the summer,We do all shopping in Crawfordville or Brazal and fill our tank up there. We save up to $40 a week.

    -- Posted by wil8139us on Fri, Mar 28, 2008, at 8:16 AM

  • I will pay as little as possible for gas in Greencastle. Any time I'm going out of town, I fill up and if I'm not going, just get by with as little gas from Greencastle as possible. They (Greencastle stations)can raise the prices all they want but I'm not going to contribute to their profits if I can help it. I know that gas is high all over but when it goes up 15 - 20 cents during one day, it's wrong.

    -- Posted by bannerstuff on Fri, Mar 28, 2008, at 9:26 AM

  • I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY GREENCASTLE IS ALWAYS SO HIGH ON GAS PRICES. BRAZIL, SPENCER, CRAWFORDSVILLE, ETC.,ALWAYS HAVE GOOD PRICES. I GET TIRED OF PEOPLE SAYING "IT'S HIGH HERE BECAUSE IT'S A COLLEGE TOWN." WABASH COLLEGE IS IN CRAWFORDSVILLE....SO OBVIOUSLY THAT IS NOT THE REASON. I WON'T BUY GAS IN GREENCASTLE.

    -- Posted by Michele1953 on Fri, Mar 28, 2008, at 8:56 PM

  • Yes gas is high, but diesel is already close to $4.00 per gallon here and over that in many areas. A lot of us have diesel powered pickups and it would be nice if the Banner would include diesel prices along with gasoline prices but no such luck yet.

    How would you like to own your own semi truck and have to spend $1,000.00 to $1,200.00 dollars just to fill up? Try doing that 2 or 3 times a week which is usually what it takes to run all week long.

    Consumer goods prices are already going up and will continue to do so as long as diesel prices remain high. Trucking companies have no choice but to pass along the cost increases. Everything that you have was at some point delivered by a truck. So you can blame big oil for more than just the high cost of filling your gas tank.

    -- Posted by duallydriver on Wed, Apr 2, 2008, at 7:00 PM

  • No more trips into "town" for non essentials..no more "let's grap a burger"...no more "I want".......necessity, necessity, necessity........pretty sad

    -- Posted by sad_but_true on Wed, Apr 2, 2008, at 10:52 PM

  • In this town gas prices are way to high, grocery prices at Krogers have risen beyond my means of spending and CVS is also way to expensive. So what does that leave? Shopping out of this county unless you want something manufactured in China from WalMart. There is no place for a female to get quality clothing or shoes in this town. So hello surrounding towns. Here I come. For those of you who haven't been there yet, Aldi's is great and don't forget that Headleys is locally owned and has great service and if they don't have what you need they will order it in.

    -- Posted by dumpsterdiva on Sat, Apr 5, 2008, at 11:00 PM
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