Letter to the Editor

Gas prices at Cloverdale appear to be inflated

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

To the Editor:

To the citizens of the Cloverdale area: Do you realize how much higher your gas prices are at the Cloverdale/Greencastle exit on I-70 than they are at any of the other interstate exits from Indianapolis to Terre Haute? In particular, I am referring to the Marathon and BP stations. It is shameful and could easily be defined as price gouging for those of you who live near this area and depend on these stations for your gasoline.

On May 27 my wife and I stopped at the Cloverdale exit for gasoline, and we paid $4.15 per gallon. We were shocked because we had seen prices at $3.98 per gallon at the Plainfield exit, a 17 cents-per-gallon difference.

Then, further west, we saw the same $3.98 per gallon at the Brazil and Terre Haute exits. I was so upset that I called the Indiana Attorney General's Office in Indianapolis and lodged a consumer complaint. The office took down my complaint.

Then on June 14, as we were driving to Indy, out of curiosity we stopped at the Cloverdale exit to see what gasoline prices were, and guess what? The BP station was $4.29 per gallon and the Marathon station was $4.27 per gallon.

On this same day we noticed gas prices in both Terre Haute and in Indy running about $3.98 per gallon, some 28 to 29 cents less per gallon than at the Cloverdale exit.

So on June 14 I wrote a complaint to the attorney general, and I am hopeful that his office will take some action.

Clearly, something is amiss and someone is padding their pockets at the expenses of nearby citizens; and at a time when gas prices are already at a record high.

I know this: I will never stop at this exit again to purchase gasoline, no matter what the cost.

Ron Martin,

Cloverdale